A mysterious disease called "blotch" is causing widespread damage to spring barley crops, including malting barley, from which Irish beers are made. According to Teagasc's chief tillage adviser, Mr Paddy Browne, no one is quite sure what is happening to the leaves of the crops, which turn purple.
"What we do know is that this problem is widespread, it is radiation-related and that as a result yields will be down by between 10-30 per cent," he said.
"The problem is widespread in Irish barley crops and it is extremely worrying because it could devastate our crop in time if methods of dealing with it are not found."
He said that there are many theories about the "blotch", which has been reported from other European countries, including Germany, where extensive research is being carried out.
"We know at this stage that fungal or bacterial diseases have been ruled out and we are looking at the lack of sunlight or ozone for solutions," he said.
"We also know that some of the newer varieties of barley being used by farmers are more susceptible to this damage than the older varieties," he said.
"We also know that while this is not a fungal disease, we know that spraying some of the barley crops with fungicides give some protection," he said.
"It is a very serious problem for Irish growers, especially when our main cereal crop is involved and it has implications for our malting barley crops as well," he said.
He said Teagasc scientists, working in Moorepark, Carlow, believe the very low levels of sunshine earlier this year, the late sowing dates involved this spring and the varieties being sown, may have combined to cause the problems this year.
Studies carried out there do not indicate the problems this year are related to the thinning of the ozone layer, which caused damage to early potatoes in east Cork some years ago.
He said other possible sources of damage to the leaf, such as nitrous oxide and sulphur dioxide, which can cause damage to leaves, have been ruled out this year.
"A great deal more research will have to be carried out into this problem which has so far defeated both scientists here and in Germany," he said.