Sygdom truer økologisk udsæd

Summary

Seed born net blotch is a threat to the organic barley seed production in Denmark because it often exceeds the legal 15% infestation threshold in organically produced barley seed lots. Relationships among initial seed infestation levels, disease development during the growing season, yield parameters and net blotch infestation of the harvested grains were examined. Highly significant positive correlations among initial seed infestation, primary infection of seedlings and disease severity during the growing season as well as among disease severity at flowering and infestation of the harvested grains were found. The seed infestation level was much less than proportionally related to the primary infection of seedlings and to the disease severity later in the season. All these variables were negatively correlated with single grain weight, fraction of large grains and total yield. Varietal resistance appeared to be a key determinant for disease severity and seed infestation. The results will be used to help develop more flexible net blotch infestation thresholds for organically produced barley seeds.