Advances in understanding the epidemiology, molecular biology and control of net blotch and the net blotch barley interaction

Net blotches are the most widely distributed foliar diseases of barley worldwide, causing significant losses in grain yield. They occur as net form net blotch, caused by Pyrenophora teres f. teres and spot form net blotch caused by P. teres f. maculata. Both sexual and asexual reproduction play a role in the P. teres disease cycles leading to changes in genetic variation of populations. Breeding programs have to keep pace with pathogenic changes and ensure different sources of resistance are present in current barley cultivars. Knowledge of the genetic architecture and genes involved in virulence is thus vital to increase the durability of net blotch resistance in barley cultivars. This chapter explores the molecular biology, life-cycle and epidemiology of the net blotch fungi and discusses the key challenges we are facing in managing the net blotches using both fungicide resistance and breeding strategies to achieve durable disease resistance in barley.