Abstract
Since the 1980s, Ramularia leaf spot (RLS) is an emerging barley disease worldwide. The control of RLS is increasingly aggravated by a recent decline in fungicide efficacy and a lack of RLS-resistant cultivars. Furthermore, climate change increases drought periods in Europe, enhances variable weather conditions, and thus will have an impact on severity of plant diseases. Hence, identification of RLS-resistant cultivars and understanding of disease progression under abiotic stress are important aims in integrated disease management under climate change. In the present study, we evaluated quantitative RLS resistance of 15 spring barley genotypes under drought, controlled irrigation and field conditions between 2016 and 2019 and monitored microclimatic conditions within the canopy. We identified genotypes that show robust quantitative resistance to RLS in different field environments. Our findings suggest that long-lasting drought periods create unfavourable conditions for the disease and supports that the extent and duration of leaf wetness is a key factor for RLS epidemics.
Highlights
Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is the fourth most important cereal crop plant worldwide, especially due to its robustness and adaptation to various and mostly restricted environments
We used an assortment of 15 two-rowed spring barley genotypes, which were preselected from bigger assortment for high and stable yield, homogenous plant height, similar heading date and largely high performance in different field environments and under drought stress
The results revealed a general decrease in Ramularia disease after application of drought stress between spike emergence and full ripening stage over three consecutive years: symptomatology, sporulation and DNA contents in the upper leaves were largely corresponding to each other (Fig. 1a, f and 2)
Summary
Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is the fourth most important cereal crop plant worldwide, especially due to its robustness and adaptation to various and mostly restricted environments. About 85% of barley production is utilised for animal feed, whereas a small proportion is used for human consumption (Fischbeck 2002). Climate change is further driving important diseases in cereal crops, e.g. cereal rust, Fusarium Crown and Foot Rot (Luck et al 2011; Delgado-Baquerizo et al 2020). From a field-scale view, climate and local weather are determining factors, which variously affect microclimate within canopy, the dynamics of inoculum spreading and infection process of a certain pathogen and further disease severity (Chakraborty et al 2000; Luck et al 2011)
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