Irish scientists have found a way to control a new disease in barley crops, "leaf spot", which had caused major losses in yields last year.
It had been thought that the disease, which was widespread across Northern Europe, was being caused by the thinning of the ozone layer but that has been ruled out.
Dr Jim Burke, Oak Park Research Centre, told the National Tillage Conference in Carlow yesterday that researchers have found a way to suppress the most damaging effects of the disease.
He said he and his colleagues had discovered that leaf spot was being caused by a combination of sunlight and a novel disease which had not yet been confirmed.
The most effective way of dealing with the problem was to spray on a new range of fungicide which contains a chemical known as strobilurins.
"These fungicides. . .appear to have the ability to combat the stress caused by the effects of light on barley crops," he said. "We also found that some barley varieties, such as Cooper, Optic and Scarlet, were more susceptible to the disease."
He said it was possible that the plant breeders, in their desire to breed barley with enhanced malting and brewing characteristics, may have inadvertently discarded the plant's light protection systems. Extensive research had ruled out the thinning of the ozone layer as a cause of the disease.
The Oak Park research had been a breakthrough in control of the disease and had been welcomed in other European countries, he added.
The conference heard that soon it will be mandatory for farmers who have to spray their crops with pesticides and herbicides to undertake training and certification as sprayer operators.
A voluntary scheme has been in operation since 1990 and more than 1,000 farmers have qualified but the EU is proposing mandatory training and certification.