Importance
The fungal pathogen Rhynchosporium secalis causes leaf blotch disease of barley and is less significant in rye.

Main symptoms
Spots caused by R. secalis can be observed from early spring to harvest time. Ordinarily the spots occurred at the base

of the leaf and only rarely at its sheath. The symptoms of infection usually appear on the lower leaves in the form of elongated gray-white spots with a weakly pronounced dark edge zone, which separates necrosis from healthy tissue.

Genetic Disease Prevention
The cultivation of resistant cultivars contributes to a sustainable agriculture.