Growing conditions for the 1995 growing season favored development of foliar and spike diseases that reduced quality and quantity of harvested grain. Above average temperatures during jointing and anthesis also reduced yield potential. Foliar diseases were most severe at Langdon. The predominant foliar diseases at this site were leaf scald, incited by Rhynchosporium secalis (Oud.) J.J. Davis and several Septoria spp. Septoria was the predominant foliar disease found at Minot. Net blotch, incited by Pyrenophora teres Dresch. and spot blotch, incited by Cochliobulus sativus (Ito and Kurib. in Kurib.) Dreschs. ex Dast. were the primary foliar diseases at Fargo and Carrington. All six-rowed and two-rowed cultivars currently grown in North Dakota are susceptible to Septoria spp., leaf scald, and leaf rust. Pathotype QCC of wheat stem rust, incited by Puccinia graminis Pers. f. sp. tritici, was found in the greatest amounts across eastern North Dakota since 1991. Pathotype QCC is virulent on plants homozygous dominant for the Rpg1 gene and all cultivars currently grown in the Midwest barley growing region are susceptible to this pathotype.

The major disease problem occurring on barley produced in eastern North Dakota was fusarium head blight (FHB), incited by several Fusarium spp. Production of a mycotoxin, deoxynivalenol (DON), is associated with Fusarium graminearum. Overall, the percent of blighted kernels and DON levels found in 1995 grain samples were slightly lower than observed in 1994. Barley with excessive levels of DON is not purchased for malting and brewing. All cultivars grown in North Dakota are moderately susceptible to the pathogens inciting FHB.

A total of 931,000 hectares of barley was grown in North Dakota during the 1995 growing season. Hectarage decreased nearly 8% from that sown in 1994. The high incidence of FHB in 1994 was a major cause of the reduced hectarage sown in 1995. Robust, a six-rowed malting barley cultivar released by the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station (MAES) in 1983, was the most popular cultivar with 44.1% of the hectarage. Hectarage of Robust produced in North Dakota decreased from 56.0% in 1994. The reduction in Robust hectarage was due to the increased popularity of the cultivar Stander, a 1992 release from the MAES. Stander is a recommended malting barley cultivar and was grown on 27.3% of the barley hectarage in North Dakota. Stander has become popular with North Dakota barley producers because of its high yield potential and high percentage of plump kernels. Excel, a six-rowed malting barley cultivar released by the MAES in 1990, was the third most popular cultivar in North Dakota with 6.0% of the hectarage. Hectarage of Excel in 1995 decreased slightly from that in 1994. Bowman, a two-rowed non-malting barley released by the North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station (NDAES) in 1984, was the fourth most popular cultivar with 7.0% of the hectarage. Bowman was the most popular cultivar in the southwestern quarter of the North Dakota because of its drought tolerance and high test weight. Hectarage of Bowman in 1995 decreased slightly from that sown in 1994. In the past several years, hectarage of Bowman has steadily decreased due to a new race of spot blotch that attacks Bowman.

The low-protein "factor" from Karl has been incorporated into elite six- and two-rowed germplasm adapted to the Midwest U.S. Under conditions favoring high grain protein, genotypes having the low-protein factor average 1.5 percentage points lower in grain protein than currently grown cutltivars. Genotypes have been identified that have similar agronomic performance to currently grown cultivars. Two lines from this program, Foster six-rowed barley and Logan two-rowed barley were released as cultivars by the NDAES in March 1995. Both cultivars were increased in the North Dakota County Crop Improvement Association system in 1995. Foster was grown on 6.4% of North Dakota hectarage in 1995. It is expected that Foster will be added to the list of barley cultivars recommended for malting and brewing by the American Malting Barley Association, Inc. (AMBA) in midsummer 1996. Seed of Logan is being increased so it can be evaluated in the AMBA plant scale evaluation program in winter 1996-97.