UniSQ research shows barley seed could carry disease into next crop
Emerging research from the University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ) in Australia has found that fungicide-resistant net blotch can be carried on barley seed and passed to seedlings.
Researchers at the University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ) in Australia have found that fungicide-resistant net blotch, a fungal disease of barley, can be carried on barley seed and transferred to seedlings. The work is still emerging, and only the general finding has been reported so far.
Fungicides are chemical crop protection products used against fungal diseases. When a pathogen resists them, growers have fewer ways to control it. The finding suggests that seed could be a route by which a resistant form of the disease reaches the following season's crop.
The published information does not give further details, such as the scale of the study, the areas affected or any recommendations for seed treatment.
