Barley, a major cereal crop utilized primarily for livestock feed, food production, and malting for beverages such as beer and whiskey, faces significant threats from various fungal diseases that can diminish both its yield and quality. A recent study published in the journal Plant Disease by researchers at the University of Minnesota has revealed that foxtail barley (Hordeum jubatum), a wild relative of cultivated barley, can act as a host for several fungal pathogens, potentially influencing barley disease epidemiology.
Foxtail barley is commonly found throughout agricultural regions, native prairies, and disturbed areas in North America, stretching from Alaska to central Mexico. This perennial grass often grows alongside cultivated barley fields. To investigate the interaction between H. jubatum and barley pathogens, the research team collected 100 diverse accessions of foxtail barley from Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, and Manitoba in Canada. They then assessed these accessions for their responses to seven different fungal pathogens known to affect barley.
The results were telling. None of the foxtail barley accessions exhibited visible symptoms of infection when exposed to powdery mildew and leaf rust pathogens. However, a significant 97% to 100% of the tested accessions were infected by the pathogens responsible for net blotch, spot blotch, stem rust, stripe rust, and crown rust. The compatibility of H. jubatum with these five pathogens varied, ranging from low compatibility, akin to resistant barley, to high compatibility, similar to susceptible barley.
These findings indicate that while H. jubatum can be infected by key barley pathogens, it generally does not share the same level of susceptibility as traditional barley varieties. Nevertheless, when infected foxtail barley plants are situated near barley fields, they might serve as reservoirs for inoculum, contributing to the emergence of certain diseases.
The study”s authors emphasized, “These findings highlight the important role alternative hosts can play in the survival and spread of crop diseases. Understanding these relationships is critical for developing effective disease management strategies.”
For further details, refer to the study: Oadi Matny et al, “Hordeum jubatum: An Alternative Host for Fungal Pathogens Attacking Cultivated Barley,” Plant Disease (2025). DOI: 10.1094/pdis-03-25-0472-re
