植物学技术

Erwinia amylovora is the causative agent of fire blight, a very destructive disease of numerous members of the rosaceae. The primary route of infection for host species, including commercially grown apple and pear, is the newly opened blossom. Susceptibility of flowers to infection for only a ...

Ring rot, brown rot and blackleg represent major bacterial pathogens of potato. The methods described below are aimed at basic identification of ring rot, brown rot or blackleg in a tuber sample.

Immunofluorescence microscopy is a very sensitive serological test which harnesses both the power of antibodies to bind to targets along with the use of the flourescence microscope to visualise the structures to which they bind. Antibody binding is visualised by the fluorescent emiss ...

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is the most commonly used serological diagnostic technique. A number of different ELISA formats can be used for the detection of bacterial plant pathogens and in particular Erwinia amylovora and Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. sepedo ...

The use of monoclonal antibodies in plant pathology has improved the quality and specificity of detection methods for diseases. Hybridoma technology allows the limitless production of highly specific antibodies which can be used to identify pathogens to the species or even sub-speci ...

Outbreaks of bacterial wilt caused by Ralstonia solanacearum in South Africa in the 1980s necessitated the development of a sensitive assay for its detection. In this chapter, the development of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of Ralstonia solanacearum ...

The quality of reagents greatly affects the interpretation of serological tests. Methods used in conventional viral purification and molecular cloning and expression of target viral proteins to obtain antigens for immunization are presented. Immunization of rabbits, mice and c ...

A range of immunisation techniques can be used for the successful production of antibodies. The choice of method used is dependent on the nature of the antigen and the type of antibody required by the user.

Immunoassays are among the most powerful and useful techniques for analysis of biological materials. There are numerous variations in which immunoassays can be performed. Coupled with enzyme, using chromogenic substrates, the enzyme immunoassay technique is used to trace the targ ...

There is a current and developing need for rapid and accurate methods of barley varietal identification which go beyond traditional morphological analysis. Methods using DNA analysis have the capacity to fulfil this role with microsatellites being the current marker of choice. The maj ...

Due to the yearly increase in the numbers of new potato varieties obtaining Plant Breeders’ Rights the reliable maintenance of large culture collections of reference varieties for DUS testing is becoming more and more difficult, as accidental mix ups might occur. Efficient identificat ...

Potato cyst nematode (PCN) is responsible for losses in potato production totalling millions of euros every year in the EC. It is important for growers to know which species is present in their land as this determines its subsequent use. The two species Globodera pallida and Globodera rostochie ...

Phytoplasmas are associated with hundreds of plant diseases globally. Many fruit tree phytoplasmas are are transmitted by insect vectors or grafting, are considered quarantine organisms and a major economic threat to orchards.. Diagnosis can be difficult, but immunochemical and m ...

An accelerated soil bait test can be used to determine whether a field harbours virus-carrying Spongospora subterranea. S. subterranea is the causal agent of powdery scab and also the only vector of potato mop top virus (PMTV). Real-time RT-PCR can detect PMTV RNA in the roots of bait plants after 2 weeks ...

Bioassay provides a useful means of detecting and identifying plant viruses. The choice of procedure and environmental conditions for the test depends on the virus under investigation.

Virus indexing of seed potatoes can be carried out by growing eye plugs to produce small plants and then testing them by ELISA, but this method is time consuming. Direct testing of the eye plugs by ELISA is not reliable, and so a method has been developed for the routine testing of seed potatoes for virus by PCR.

The analysis of viral populations requires the use of techniques that describe characteristics of individuals. The single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) makes possible the identification of genetic differences between viral sequences and constitutes an alter ...

Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) can be used for the simultaneous detection of plant viruses. Multiple primer pairs or polyvalent primer pairs can be used to detect and identify several viruses in a single PCR.

Immunocapture followed by the detection of viruses using polymerase chain reaction is a versatile, sensitive and robust diagnostic technique The application of this hybrid method of virus detection in plants is particularly useful in species or tissues containing inhibitory sub ...

Many species of fungi have been shown to harbor double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) elements. A single fungal isolate of Rhizoctonia solani may have as many as five different dsRNA elements within them. The presence of specific dsRNA elements influence pathogenicity in host plants.