The use of DNA polymorphisms to test hypotheses about a population of Erysiphe graminis f.sp. hordei

The distribution of restriction‐fragment‐length polymorphisms (RFLPs) among isolates of Erysiphe graminis f.sp. hordei was used to test hypotheses about the structure of the pathogen population. There was a large diversity in the lengths of DNA restriction fragments homologous to E9, a chromosomal fragment of unknown function. It was shown that a large group of isolates, which shared identical or very similar virulence phenotypes, including virulence on the barley cv. Triumph, were members of a single clone. Several other clones were identified, including a second group of identical isolates which were virulent on cv. Triumph but were highly distinct from the more common clone of Triumph‐virulent isolates. Isolates which shared the same level of resistance to the triazole fungicide triadimenol were genetically diverse. Such diversity is consistent with triadimenol resistance being under oligogenic, rather than polygenic, control. Conclusions obtained from analysis of the most easily identifiable subset of fragment lengths were very similar to those obtained from analysis of the complete set.