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Download PDF The loss of chemical options for barley disease control may have left barley genetics relatively exposed. CPM takes a detailed look at how the key pathogens play out in current programmes. The breeders are beginning to look at the bigger picture and helping growers produce profitable crops in a sustainable way. By Mike Abram Developing effective genetic resistance to key barley diseases may have been overlooked in favour of yield by plant breeders, perhaps in part because of the strong options for disease control from fungicides such as prothioconazole. But as resistance starts to bite and chemical options diminish, it’s an area that may well need to be prioritised in future, suggests Dr Neil Havis, crop protection team leader at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC). Growers are looking for what to do to control ramularia in the absence of chlorothalonil, says Neil Havis. “For many years, yield has been king,” he says. “It’s a characteristic breeders chase more than anything because if you get a variety which yields 2% above the standards on the AHDB Recommended List it gets on automatically. “The breeders are beginning to look at the bigger picture and helping growers produce profitable crops in a…
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