Review: Fusarium head blight of barley in western Canada

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Abstract
Fusarium head blight (FHB), caused primarily by Fusarium graminearum, has rapidly become the most notorious disease of cereals in parts of western Canada. The situation in barley is particularly striking, for until 1993 FHB was not observed in the crop at all, but by 1996 it affected every barley field examined in Manitoba. The disease is largely responsible for the decline in acreage and the loss of markets for both malting and feed barley in the region. Several aspects of FHB in barley are examined for this review, beginning with an overview and description of symptoms and disease epidemiology. Differences in the expression of FHB in barley as compared with wheat, including causal species, infection period, symptoms, and resulting damage (yield and quality losses) are described. These have implications for disease management, including breeding for resistance. The latter is ongoing at several institutions and should result in cultivars with improved resistance to FHB in future. Until then, an integrated protocol for disease management must be implemented to minimize the threat of FHB for producers and the industry.