Fungal diseases and pests of barley in Southern Dagestan

Background. In plant protection against pathogens and insect pests, great importance is attached to resistant varieties developed through effective breeding methods and proper selection of initial material. Research in this area is ongoing, as pathogen (pest) evolution usually outpaces breeding success.

Materials and methods. From 2015 to 2024, 500–1,000 barley collection accessions of various taxonomic affiliations, origins, and development types were studied annually at the Dagestan Experiment Station, a branch of VIR. Field trials employing winter sowing started in the second half of October. The high level of natural infection rates for a number of pests observed annually in the area allowed for a reliable assessment of plant resistance using scoring systems.

Results and conclusions. Long-term observations in southern Dagestan have shown that the growth and development of barley plants are negatively affected primarily by such fungal diseases as powdery mildew, barley leaf rust, and barley stripe, as well as by the insect pest, the frit fly. The long-term research has resulted in the identification of 25 resistance sources. Of these, 20 accessions exhibit resistance to one of these pests, three exhibit group resistance, and two accessions exhibit multiple resistance. The identified accessions are recommended for inclusion in breeding programs.

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