Development of Detection Technology for the Seed Industry
Seed export is one of the largest sectors of Thailand’s agribusiness economy. In 2010, the value of seed application was approximately 25 billion Baht (USD 833 million). Pests and pathogens pose serious problems to crop production by reducing both the quantity and quality of the products. An inexpensive and accurate detection system for plant pathogens is essential to epidemiological and disease management studies as well as selective breeding programs for pathogen-resistant plants and certification of disease-free seeds for import and export. Enzyme-linked immonosorbent assays using panels of specific antibodies for detection of plant pathogens were developed and are now commercially available. An immunochromatographic strip test was successfully developed for rapid detection of seed-borne bacterium Acidovorax avenae subsp. citrulli. Multiplex detection formats of plant pathogens using an immunochromatographic strip test and antibody microarray, as well as a bead-array assay are now under development.
Reagents and detection kits are available for the following pathogens:
|
Pathogens |
Samples |
|
Tomato yellow leaf curl virus |
Tomato, Pepper, Soybean, Weed |
|
Whitefly-transmitted geminiviruses |
Tomato, Pepper, Okra, Cotton, Cucurbits, Weed |
|
Tospovirus serogroup IV (for detecting Capsicum chlorosis virus and Watermelon silver mottle virus) |
Peanut, Tomato, Pepper, Cucurbits, Weed |
|
Melon yellow spot virus |
Cucurbits |
|
Tospovirus serogroup IV and Melon yellow spot virus |
Peanut, Tomato, Pepper, Cucurbits, Weed |
|
Tospovirus serogroup IV and Melon yellow spot virus and Tomato necrotic ringspot virus |
Peanut, Tomato, Pepper, Cucurbits, Weed |
|
Watermelon mosaic virus-2 |
Cucurbits |
|
Potyviruses (for detecting Watermelon mosaic virus 2, Papaya ringspot virus Type W, Papaya ringspot virus Type P, Chili veinal mottle virus and Potato virus Y) |
Cucurbits, Papaya, Chili, Potato |
|
Acidovorax avenae subsp. citrulli |
Cucurbits |
This research work is a joint effort among three BIOTEC laboratories, including Plant Research, Monoclonal Antibody Production and Microarray. The group also collaborates with Kasetsart University, Khon Kaen University, Department of Agriculture and Queen’s University Belfast.
This story and many more are featured in NSTDA 2012: Enhancing Thailand’s Competitiveness through Research and Development.
Posted on 9 August 2012