Ramularia collo-cygni is the biotic factor responsible for the disease Ramularia leaf spot (RLS) of barley (Hordeum vulgare). Despite having been described over 100 years ago and being considered a minor disease in some countries, the fungus is attracting interest in the scientific community as a result of the increasing number of recorded economically damaging disease epidemics. New reports of disease spread and fungal identification using molecular diagnostics have helped redefine RLS as a global disease. This review describes recent developments in our understanding of the biology and epidemiology of the fungus, outlines advances made in the field of the genetics of both the fungus and host, and summarizes the control strategies currently available.

1st seventh ninth and eleventh authors Crop and Soil Systems Research Group Scotland's Rural College West Mains Road Edinburgh Scotland UK; second author John Innes Centre Norwich Research Park Norwich UK; third author Patología Vegetal FCA Unidad Integrada Balcarce Ruta 226 Km 76 3 7620 Balcarce Buenos Aires Argentina; fourth author Agroscope Institute of Plant Production Sciences Nyon Switzerland; fifth and sixth authors Institute of Plant Genetics Polish Academy of Sciences Poznan Poland; eighth author Agrotest fyto Ltd Kromeriz Czech Republic; tenth author INIA National Institute for Agricultural Research La Estanzuela Ruta 50 km 11 70000 Colonia Uruguay; twelfth and fourteenth authors Phytopathology TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan Technische Universität München Germany; thirteenth author Population Genetics TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan Technische Universität München Germany

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