Host frequency and density effects on powdery mildew and yield in mixtures of barley cultivars

The effects of frequency and density of susceptible plants on barley powdery mildew epidemics were studied in a combined set of addition and replacement series of field trials. In the addition series, plant densities in pure stands of three cultivars, Rambo, Rodos and Grosso (susceptible, moderately resistant and immune, respectively) were varied six-fold. In the replacement series, the three possible two-way mixtures were analysed at different frequencies but at a density corresponding to the maximum pure stand density. Disease and yield were assessed on a per-plant basis. In the pure stands, tillering reduced the range of densities from six-fold to between three- and four-fold, while in the mixtures, frequencies changed only slightly over time, indicating that competitive interactions among the cultivars were roughly equal. Yield per plant decreased logarithmically with increasing density as expected. However, yield per seed head was not correlated with the final number of heads per plot, indicating low competition among heads even at the highest density. Disease in susceptible pure stands increased strongly with decreasing density in 1994 and to a lesser degree in 1995. These differences could have been caused by differences in plant nutritional status and consequent epidemiological effects. Disease reduction on the susceptible cultivars in mixtures varied between 33% and 71% among years. Depending on the length and strength of the epidemic, the effects of host density and frequency on disease severity varied substantially among years.