International Mesopotamia Agriculture Congress, Abstractbook, Diyarbakır, Turkey, 22 - 25 September 2014, vol.1, no.1, pp.1-2, (Full Text)
Cereal production area is 86.830 ha in Northern Cyprus. Barley has the largest production area occupying 80.400 ha while wheat and oats cover 5750 ha and 680 ha respectively. Barley production is carried out for the grain (68.486 ha) and biomass (11.914 ha) under rainfall conditions. Average yield of barley is 802 kg/ha. This survey study was conducted in Northern Cyprus in order to determine barley smut diseases in 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 growing seasons. For the first and second years, 57 fields and 37 fields were examined between milky and dough stages (Zadoks 61- 79) respectively. In this study, smut diseases and their incidences have been determined. Various smuts were recorded as covered smut (Ustilago hordei), semi-loose smut (U. nigra) and loose smut (U. nuda). Smut pathogens
were observed in all fields examined. The average rates of infected heads in inspected fields were found as U.hordei 12.36, U.nigra 1.44, U.nuda 0.66. In vegetation growth period between November to May average climate data were: precipitation 439 mm, temperature 14.8°C and relative humidity 67%. As a result, The smut diseases in these areas an essential problem leading to great economic losses (14.48) in the current situation. When the diseases are noticed at heading, it is too late to manage for them and generally the percent of infected heads per field equals the overall yield
reduction.