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Diagnosis of Phytophthora ramorum – evaluation of testing methods 1
Author(s) -
Lane C. R.,
Beales P. A.,
Hughes K. J. D.,
Tomlinson J.,
Boonham N.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
eppo bulletin
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.327
H-Index - 36
eISSN - 1365-2338
pISSN - 0250-8052
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2338.2006.01017.x
Subject(s) - phytophthora ramorum , phytosanitary certification , phytophthora , legislation , identification (biology) , geography , biology , horticulture , botany , political science , law
Phytophthora ramorum is a recently described pathogen that has resulted in the introduction of emergency European Community phytosanitary legislation in November 2002. The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate (PHSI) initiated a survey in England and Wales in autumn 2001 to ascertain whether the organism was present. In April 2002, P. ramorum was found for the first time in the UK and for the first time in Europe since the initial reports in the Netherlands and Germany. Following this finding, P. ramorum has been reported mainly on rhododendrons and viburnums but also on a wide range of other ornamental plants in both the UK and other European countries. Effective disease management and implementation of plant health legislation is reliant upon rapid and accurate disease diagnosis based upon recognition of symptoms in the field and identification of the cause by testing. Other diseases and disorders prevent reliable identification of the problem at the time of inspection with typically only 20–30% of samples submitted testing positive for Phytophthora species. This paper describes the evaluation of a direct real‐time PCR and a rapid serological assay (lateral flow device) developed by CSL for testing for P. ramorum and Phytophthora spp., respectively.