Screening results of diverse spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) varieties and breeding lines for resistance to Fusarium Head Blight.

Fusarium head blight (FHB, scab) is a widespread disease of cereals, including barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), causing substantial yield and quality loss. Varieties with resistance is provide the greatest potential for reducing FHB. In the present study, we adapted cut-spike method for screening FHB severity among 126 spring barley genotypes. The collection consisted of Latvian varieties and perspective breeding lines and foreign varieties with specific quality traits important for food purposes and resistance to several diseases. Screening was repeated for two years, 2008 and 2009. Differences between genotypes in FHB resistance were observed. Two years data showed that genotype has a significant effect on FHB resistance (p<0.001) and genotype effect on resistance was 41.6%. Differences between FHB resistance of accessions of contrasting morphological traits and origin were tested. Only significant difference were found between cowered and hulless barley. There was no significant correlation between plant height and FHB severity and between flow- ering date and FHB severity, but significant positive correlation (r=0.672, p≤0.05) were found between days from snowing to maturity and FHB severity. Together 15 genotypes (all with Latvian origin) on this study showed average FHB severity lower than 10%.