An Improved Technique for Determining Net Blotch Resistance in Barley. M. I. Arabi, Departments of Biotechnologie and Plant Breeding, Faculty of Agriculture, Ecole Nationale Superieure Agronomique de Toulouse (ENSAT), 145 Avenue de Muret, 31076 Toulouse Cédex France. A. Sarrafi, G. Barrault, and L. Albertini. Departments of Biotechnologie and Plant Breeding, Faculty of Agriculture, Ecole Nationale Superieure Agronomique de Toulouse (ENSAT), 145 Avenue de Muret, 31076 Toulouse Cédex France. Plant Dis. 75:703-706. Accepted for publication 24 December 1990. This article is in the public domain and not copyrightable. It may be freely reprinted with customary crediting of the source. The American Phytopathological Society, 1991. DOI: 10.1094/PD-75-0703.

An agar leaf disk technique is described for determining net blotch resistance in barley. Leaves of barley were collected and disinfested with different methods using alcohol and sodium hypochlorite. Twelve disinfested leaf disks were placed on 1.5% water agar in petri dishes with 0, 80, or 120 μg/ml of benzimidazole. Disinfestation of leaf disks with 5% sodium hypochlorite for 1 min, followed by three rinses (5 min) in sterile distilled water and placement on 1.5% water agar containing 80 μg/ml of benzimidazole, was considered the best treatment. This method was used to determine the genetic variability for net blotch resistance in five barley cultivars and 20 barley doubled haploids, including their two parents. Results were correlated (0.90–0.96, P ≤ 0.05) with those from experiments with seedlings or adult plants.

Keyword(s): Hordeum vulgare.