Virulence Frequency to Powdery Mildew Resistances in Winter Barley Cultivars

Virulence frequencies to powdery mildew resistances in winter barley cultivars mostly registered in the Czech Republic were studied in 2007 and 2008. Random samples of the air populations originating from winter and spring barley fields were obtained by means of a mobile version of a jet spore sampler. Conidia were sampled by driving across the Czech Republic. In total 349 isolates were studied and 17 differentials were used. The virulence frequencies to specific resistances of given cultivars showed wide range from 0% to 100%. Nine differentials were used to distinguish 134 pathotypes, of which 32 representing 63.9% of isolates were detected in both years. Pathotype 773, which broke down the resistance of eight differentials, was the most abundant. In 2008, lower virulence frequencies to all differentials, and thus lower population complexity, were determined, which may be caused by different regional origins of the isolates examined. Importance of the study of the given pathogen population is discussed in terms of successful breeding of resistant barley cultivars.