Resistance of Two-Rowed Barley Cultivars and Collection Accessions to False Loose Smut in Western Siberia

Abstract

False loose smut caused by the fungus Ustilago nigra Tapke causes significant damage to barley crops in Russia. The aim of this work was to estimate the false loose smut resistance in spring double-row barley varieties created by the Omsk Agrarian Research Center and samples from the Collection of the Vavilov All-Russia Institute of Plant Genetic Resources (VIR) in Western Siberia. Cultivars were assessed in the field in 2016–2019 according to common methods. The artificial inoculation of seeds with U. nigra teliospores was carried out before sowing. The damage to cultivars significantly varied, which was due to contrasting weather conditions during periods critical for plant infection. Stable resistance to disease was observed for cultivars Omsky 91 and Sasha, while damage to other cultivars of Omsk breeding increased. The collection cultivars of Russian and Western European breeding showed high resistance to false loose smut under conditions favorable for infection, as well as in drought with high temperatures. Ukrainian and Latvian cultivars showed high resistance to infection under conditions of high humidity and low temperature. High resistance under contrasting conditions was observed for cultivars Vorsinsky 2, Yasny, Vakula, Zadel 3, Yastreb, Inklyuziv, and Vzirez. The best combination of resistance to the disease and yields were demonstrated by cultivars Vorsinsky 2, Zernogradsky 770, Vakula, Vzirets, and Inklyuziv. These cultivars are promising to be used as sources of false loose smut resistance for barley breeding in Western Siberia.