Abstract Salicylic acid (SA) and its synthetic mimics 2,6-dichloroisonicotinic acid (DCINA) and benzo(1,2,3)thiadiazole-7-carbothioic acid S-methyl ester (BTH), protect barley systemically against powdery mildew (Blumeria graminis f.sp. hordei, Bgh) infection by strengthening plant defence mechanisms that result in effective papillae and host cell death. Here, we describe the differential expression of a number of newly identified barley chemically induced (BCI) genes encoding a lipoxygenase (BCI-1), a thionin (BCI-2), an acid phosphatase (BCI-3), a Ca(2+)-binding EF-hand protein (BCI-4), a serine proteinase inhibitor (BCI-7), a fatty acid desaturase (BCI-8) and several further proteins with as yet unknown function. Compared with SA, the chemicals DCINA and BTH were more potent inducers of both gene expression and resistance. Homologues of four BCI genes were detected in wheat and were also differentially regulated upon chemical activation of disease resistance. Except for BCI-4 and BCI-5 (unknown function), the genes were also induced by exogenous application of jasmonates, whereas treatments that raise endogenous jasmonates as well as wounding were less effective. The fact that BCI genes were not expressed during incompatible barley-Bgh interactions governed by gene-for-gene relationships suggests the presence of separate pathways leading to powdery mildew resistance.