Which fungal disease can similarly affect both wheat and barley crops?

The fungal disease that can similarly affect both wheat and barley crops is rust. Rust diseases, caused by various species of fungi in the genus Puccinia, are systemic and can have significant impacts on both crops. These fungi reproduce and spread quickly under favorable conditions, leading to the characteristic yellow to orange rust-colored spots or pustules on the leaves, stems, and grains of affected plants.

Both wheat and barley belong to the grass family and have similar biological traits, making them susceptible to the same rust pathogens. The most common types affecting these crops include wheat stem rust and barley stem rust, as well as other forms such as leaf rust. Effective management of rust diseases involves resistant varieties, crop rotation, and timely fungicide applications.

In contrast, the other diseases listed—Fusarium head blight, anthracnose, and powdery mildew—tend to affect specific crops or are not as universally impactful on both wheat and barley as rust diseases are. Each of these diseases has certain host preferences and distinct biological behaviors that limit the extent of their damage to only one or the other.