K. BLADENOPOULOS
NAGREF, Cereal Institute, 57001 Thermi – Thessaloniki, Greece
BLADENOPOULOS, K., 2003. Evaluation of barley cultivars for resistance to lodging and tolerance in mildew. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 9: 219–224
Lodging is one of the major factors causing yield loss in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). Also mildew (Erysiphe qraminis) is one of the most important foliar diseases of barley and causes significant economic losses throughout the world-wide barley production areas. The effect of lodging and mildew on grain yield and qualitative traits was studied in three successive growing seasons growing seasons, characterized by adverse weather conditions. The experiments were carried out at the farm of the University of Thessaloniki and the farm of the Cereal Institute. Seventeen cultivars different origin were consisted the experimental material. The experimental design was a randomised complete block design with six replications. Lodging was positively correlated with plant height prior to anthesis and maturity and with the duration of grain filling period. On the contrary a negative correlation was found between lodging degree and time required from sowing to maturity. Lodging reduced grain yield and harvest index and the reduction was correlated to the degree of lodging. Results indicate that late maturing cultivars with relatively short grain filling period should be preferred to minimize the lodging. The most lodging-resistant cultivars were Trombillo, Matico "S", WI 2291, and Arma with an average lodging degree lower than 2. Assala 04 and ER/Apm were the most sensitive cultivars with a lodging degree greater than 7 in both seasons. Cultivars differed significantly as well in the reaction to the mildew. The susceptibility to the mildew was positively correlated with the plant height at anthesis in aII seasons and negatively with the number of spikes/m in the 1992/93 growing season only. The grain yield was negatively correlated with the infestation by the disease in all growing seasons. The development of the disease resulted in low hectoliter weight and low grain protein concentration. The correlation between hectoliter weight and the susceptibility of the cultivars to the disease was significant in all growing seasons. The cultivars Oglow Zenit and G-016252 were the most tolerant in the mildew and the cultivars Beecher, Assala 04 and Rihane 03 the most susceptible.