Three experiments were conducted to evaluate seedling: and adult plant
resistance to Drechslera teres f. teres in barley lines with a potent
ial use as resistance sources in barley breeding. Disease resistance o
f barley seedlings, inoculated in the glasshouse and growth chamber at
the one- and two-leaf stages, was significantly (P 0.05) correlated w
ith disease reactions on the fourth and flag leaves of barley plants g
rown in growth chambers (r = 0.84-0.94) as well as with disease levels
recorded on the three uppermost leaves in a field experiment (r = 0.6
4). Several of the barley lines showed no correlation, demonstrating e
ither improved or decreased disease resistance at later growth stages.
Six barley lines (Alexis, Heartland, Kinnan, CI4922, CI9776 and SW111
4-93) had the same ranking in disease resistance to D. teres when dama
ged (punctured) leaves were inoculated with a drop of spore suspension
as when undamaged leaves were spray-inoculated with a spore suspensio
n.