UK: Mild weather may cause barley mosaic virus

"Symptoms in non-resistant varieties are the strongest we have seen for many years. So now is a good time for growers to check their winter barley fields for mosaic virus infection,” warns Mr Fenwick, according to The Breezi Publishing Company Limited, March 19.

This soil-borne virus can reduce yields by 30-40%, which is why Nickerson select for complete resistance as a high breeding priority.”

Both the company’s malting variety Cassata and the feed variety Retriever are newly HGCA-recommended on the winter barley list for 2007-8 and are resistant to barley mild mosaic virus (BaMMV) and to barley yellow mosaic virus (BaYMV) strain 1.

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