ARS | Publication request: Turfgrass diagnostics and new, advanced technologies

Submitted to: Phytopathology
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: June 1, 2011
Publication Date: June 15, 2011
Citation: Beirn, L., Njambere, E., Zhang, N., Clarke, B., Crouch, J. 2011. Turfgrass diagnostics and new, advanced technologies. Phytopathology. 101:S211.

Technical Abstract: Strategies for sustainable, integrated disease management start with reliable pathogen identification. Conventional identification methods such as disease symptomology, host association, morphology and biochemical tests are still key diagnostic indicators for many phytopathogens; however, nucleic acid recognition-based methods are increasingly used for routine pathogen identification due to their speed, accuracy, sensitivity and reproducibility. In this seminar, we provide an overview of nucleic acid-based recognition tools for turfgrass pathogen identification that are currently available or under development, including real-time PCR, macroarray, SNP and microsatellite profiling, DNA sequence analysis and bioinformatics. We provide examples of successful real-world applications of DNA-based turf pathogen identification tools currently being used by diagnostic laboratories, pathologists and plant breeders, and discuss innovative new technologies that could facilitate the future deployment of molecular identification tools in the field or without the requirement for sophisticated instrumentation.