Ramularia resistance ratings for winter barley varieties have been published for the first time by AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds.

The new ratings have been included in a revised Ramularia leaf spot in barley Information Sheet which was published by AHDB earlier this month.

The ramularia ratings are in addition to those already produced for spring barley as part of the AHDB Recommended Lists (RL).

The extension of the disease ratings system to cover ramularia on winter barley reflects the increasing importance of the disease and will help growers make more informed variety choices.

Jenna Watts, AHDB Research Manager, said: “Ramularia is relatively common in northern Britain but it is also becoming much more common in southern Britain, on both winter and spring barley.

“This means that we can now assess ramularia on our untreated plots at RL trial sites across the UK.

“We have now gathered several years’ worth of data allowing us to produce robust ramularia resistance ratings for winter barley for the first time.”

Integrated control

Dr Watts continued: “Growers producing winter barley in higher-risk situations should consider drilling varieties with a higher ramularia rating.

“This will provide useful insurance for the crop as part of an integrated approach to tackling the disease. At present, the highest rating is 6.”

Ramularia disease ratings tend to be higher for spring barley varieties, particularly feed varieties with ratings as high as 8.

Ramularia Resistance Ratings 2016 17

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