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Barley Diseases and Pests
Many of the important diseases and insect pests on barley also attack
wheat.
There are fewer problems with disease and insect pests in the western
US, where production conditions are drier with low relative humidity.
Major Diseases
Source:
http://plant-disease.ippc.orst.edu/plant_index.cfm
Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus (BYDV)
BYDV is spread by several species of aphid. Symptoms can be variable
and may be confused with nutrient deficiencies or stress. The severity
of the damage will also be variable, depending on the susceptibility of
the variety, virulence of the strain, the time of infection, and environmental
conditions. The disease is most severe when the weather is cool and moist.
The virus can be avoided to some extent by planting very early in the
spring or late in the fall. Use of resistant varieties or systemic insecticides
also provide control.
Fusarium Head Blight or Scab (FHB)
http://www.cdl.umn.edu/scab/scab.html
FHB is a fungus that attacks both wheat and barley. Within the last dozen
years there have been outbreaks of FHB in the Midwestern and Eastern states
of the USA, as well as in Central and Eastern Canada. FHB is increasingly
threatening wheat and barley food supplies worldwide.
There are several Fusarium species that can cause FHB, but the
one that has been problematic in the Midwest in recent years is F.
graminearum. Spread of the disease is favored by extended wet periods.
The damage due to the pathogen is two-fold. Infested cereals show significant
reduction in seed quality and yield due to discolored, shriveled "tombstone"
kernels, and secondly, scabby grain is often contaminated with mycotoxins
making it unsuitable for food, beer production, or feed.
The U.S. Wheat and Barley Scab Initiative (USWBSI) is a major initiative
that aims to develop effective control measures as quickly as possible.
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