Testing The susceptibility of Several Local Barley Varieties Adopted in Northwestern Syria to Powdery Mildew Disease Caused by (Erysiphe graminis f.sp.tritici)

Abstract

An agricultural experiment was conducted in northwestern Syria in the agricultural season of 2023- 2024 with the aim of testing the sensitivity of nine certified local barley varieties (Furat 1, Furat 2, Furat 3, Furat 4, Furat 5, Furat 6, Furat 9, Harmal, and Arabi Abyad) to powdery mildew disease caused by the pathogen Erysiphe graminis f.sp.tritici under artificial and natural infection conditions, where the degree of infection was measured based on a scale of (0-5) degrees.

The behavior of the studied barley varieties did not change in terms of their sensitivity to powdery mildew disease. The varieties sensitive to the disease in field cultivation conditions were more sensitive under artificial infection conditions in the greenhouse. The varieties Furat 1, Furat 3, and Furat 6 showed resistance to powdery mildew disease in the conditions of the studied area, where the degree of infection ranged between 1 and 2 on the scale. As for the Harmal variety, it was of average sensitivity to powdery mildew disease with an infection degree of 3 on the scale, while the White arabi variety was the most sensitive variety to powdery mildew disease with an infection degree of 4 on the scale.