Barley Leaf Stripe Disease in Algeria: Evaluation of Virulent Pyrenophora graminea Isolates and Identification of Resistant Algerian Barley Genotypes

Abstract

Nine isolates of Pyrenophora graminea, barley leaf stripe disease causal agent, collected from several regions in Algeriawere evaluated under greenhouse conditions for their virulence to a collection of barley cultivars including three mostcultivated Algerian varieties. Virulence levels were observed among the set of isolates and a mean disease rate rangingfrom 3.33% to 75.83% was found. Pathogenic variability of P. graminea and resistant gene effects in barley cultivarswere revealed. Isolate OS was the most virulent among P. graminea isolates making it a suitable virulent isolate in futurebreeding programs. A set of 8 barley genotypes composed of common Algerian cultivars and local developed lineswere tested for their reaction to P. graminea and yield response. Barley cultivar Minnesota 23 and line 18/17/7L2 werethe most resistant of the collection with high grain number/ear and thousand grains weight even when diseased. Thesegenotypes could be useful to integrate as candidate genitor plants into barley breeding programs to develop resistantcultivars to leaf stripe disease.