Diagnostics in plant disease management

Topic: Virtual diagnostics network

Instructor: Prof. B. K. Sarma

Hello!!Welcome to the third talk of the week and i.e Virtual diagnostics and network. Plant is
always at risk because of several reasons one of the most significant reason is plant pathogen.
And some of them be originated in the same level, or same area or whereas, some of them has
been identified to be coming from a distant places or from a newer, another country. So, it is
always important to have a knowledge base on most potential threats to crop plants because if
the pathogen is not existing earlier in a particular area people may not be aware of the
pathogen which maybe of quarantine significance from of that area without proper database or
without a proper tool to go for identification. So, in this context virtual diagnostic networks
come into play a big role and it helps the growers and decision makers into a great extent.
Plant Health Risk
The containment and mitigation of exotic plant pathogens are dependent upon early detection
and accurate diagnoses also in a timeframe to enable effective response. Increase dependency
on international trade to address global economic and food security challenges pathogen
incursion will also continue. But a question arises is that do we have a rational plant biosecurity
strategy and adequate plant biosecurity infrastructure to protect plant systems from the
pathogens that threaten the plant health?
The emergence of hybrid Phytophthora species has been reported as a consequence of the
global trade in nursery and landscape plants. Of great concern is that the host range and
aggressiveness of the hybrid Phytophthora species were not predicted based on the parental
phenotypes. OS, where situation like this occurs then it is definitely useful to have a broader
database or broader level of information to actually detect and identify and diagnose the
appropriate problem that is associated with the plant disease.
Similarly, novel virulence patterns in plant pathogenic bacteria have been attributed to
horizontal gene transfer (HGT). The global movement of plants may provide more opportunity
for HGT among plant pathogenic bacteria creating challenges for plant health in general, and
plant diagnostics, in particular. So, when a bacteria acquire a new gene from a closely
associated or bacteria, then bacteria turns out to be a different variant from the original strains
that are present in a particular locality and that is a bigger challenge again to identify such
pathogens with genetical variations and for this we need to have informations on this regard.
The ability of cryptic satellites to alter the host range of Gemini viruses may present new
challenges to plant health and confound our ability to diagnose and mitigate these new virus
diseases. So, this shows that whether it is a hybrid fungal pathogen, or whether it is a horizontal
gene transferred pathogenic bacteria or whether it is a satellite variated changes in viruses.
These all possible occurrences of new strains of viruses , fungi and bacteria could help us to
identify based on the existing database that is available that can guide somebody to help and
diagnose the problem.

The Need for Robust Plant Diagnostic Systems

So there is need for The Need for Robust Plant Diagnostic Systems. With respect to trade, the
mere presence of a pathogen can stop shipments whether or not the disease was manifested.
Being able to accurately identify a pathogen and diagnose a disease is essential to ensure
proper disease mitigation measures are implemented and to ensure that correct trade
decisions are made. So, mere detection of a pathogen in a shipman can stop the shipman from
moving from the port and it may cause a severe or tremendous loss to the to the industry or to
the traders but a quick decision is required to be obtained to minimise such kind of losses.
With respect to sensitivity, specificity, and robustness, the stringency of diagnostic technologies
and protocols vary across the continuum from pre-infection detection to post-outbreak
monitoring. So it is highly essential for: Prevention, Early Detection and Accurate Diagnoses,
and Response and Recovery and this can be achieved when we have a very robust plant
diagnostics system.

Virtual Plant Diagnostic Networks

Virtual Plant Diagnostic Networks can play a bigger role in this aspect:
A global network of plant diagnostic infrastructure is needed to facilitate the detection,
diagnosis, and management of recurrent, emergent, and introduced plant pathogens. So data
that is available in one part of the globe, if it is not shared with the other part of the globe then
if a new pathogen emerges in a new locality, then they have to face a greater challenge to
identify the pathogen. But if the data is shared then very quickly one can go for proper
diagnosis and other identification of the possible plant pathogen. Trade increases the risk to
plant health as a direct result of the movement of unwanted plant pathogens and pests. The
International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) requires that signatory nations abide by strict
Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) standards to minimize the movement of plant pathogens and
pests across national boundaries. However, the systems to ensure that only pathogen-free
plants are put into global distribution chains are overwhelmed by the massive volume of plants
that are shipped over great distances in short period of time. So, its a big challenge and in a
global trading system a huge amount of plant material being shipped in a very shorter time
frame so to detect and diagnose time frame moving along with those plant samples is a very
very tough job.
Plant Diagnostic Networks

Plant Diagnostic Networks has been developed. In 2002, the Land Grant University (LGU)
system in the U.S. partnered with the United States Department of Agriculture to create the
National Plant Diagnostic Network (NPDN) to increase the capability and capacity of plant
diagnostics throughout the U.S. This mission of NPDN is to promote the early detection of plant
pathogens and pests by training first detectors and ensuring accurate and rapid diagnosis. The
U.S. Agency for International Development partnered with a few LGUs to create the
International Plant Diagnostic Network (IPDN) to extend this concept to nations where limited
diagnostic resources are available. So, it is a very good initiative in the sense that the Land
Grant Universities along with the USDA in United States of America created the National Plant
Diagnostic Networks and they have extended this network to a global platform in the
International Plant Diagnostic Networks which can be used by those nationa’s where limited
diagnostics resources are available.
The Global Plant Clinic (now called PlantWise) was created by CABI to bring plant diagnostic
support to rural communities in low income nations. PlantWise has offered on-site clinics in
rural settings in South America, Asia, and Africa and where internet connectivity exists,
PlantWise offers on-line digital diagnostic support from the United Kingdom itself. So, again it is
a global platform that is known as PlantWise. It is giving service to Southern America, Asia, and
African countries and where plant doctors are going to the farmers, meeting them and helping
them to diagnose the problems and they can also give service right from the United Kingdom if
the internet connection is available at the local level.
The European Union Framework programs funded multinational efforts to create a virtual
biosecurity research and diagnostic network for Europe. The concept is to link researchers and
diagnosticians across Europe to a mutually beneficial network to enhance plant diagnostic
capabilities and providing first detectors in the field with access to information necessary to
ensure early detection of emerging or introduced plant pathogens. So, Plant Health Australia is
working to establish a national plant diagnostic network with many of the same goals as the
other networks. Scientists in Australia have created an on-line plant biosecurity toolbox
([Link] to provide access to diagnostic resources and have already
deployed a digital diagnostics system ([Link] for Australia that now
extends that capability into Southern Asia. So, apart from United States or United Kingdom, it is
the European Union along with Australia that all are developing global platforms and these
platforms are helping and reaching to small farm holders and helping them to make decision on
their farm side to take appropriate control measures for saving their crops.
Magnitude of the Challenge for Plant Diagnostics

So, Plant diagnosticians have responsibility for a vast diversity of host plant species often
spanning four levels of taxonomic complexity (e.g., varieties, species, genera, families). Each one
of these plant species has a vast diversity of pathogens that cause an array of diseases, each
with its own set of host specificity and ever-changing systematic of the pathogens. So, these
causes a heavy problem for the plant diagnosticians because they have deal with a vast varieties
of plants, and vast varieties of pathogen that are specific to certain hosts and they are not
having bought hosts rents. So, they need to have been better equipped in terms of knowledge
and information about those plant systematic as well as microbial systematic.
Plant diagnostic laboratories at air and sea ports have enormous challenges with respect to the
number of shipments, the number of samples to be processed, and the very short timeframes
within which diagnoses must be rendered. So, its again a big challenge that in sea and airports
huge number of samples comes and the diagnosticians have to perform the diagnostic tests of
this large number of sample within a very short span of time. Some plants and plant products
have short shelf lives and consequently, any delays can decrease the value of the plants. So, this
is another challenge to how to deal with such plants or plants products which has very low shelf
life. So, therefore a concept of life Virtual International Plant Diagnostic Network has come up.

Concept for a Virtual International Plant Diagnostic Network (VIPDN)

Few national and regional plant diagnostic networks are functioning very well and connecting
those national and regional networks through a virtual international plant diagnostic network
(VIPDN) is proposed. The mission and function of a VIPDN was: to provide a mechanism to
facilitate the exchange of non-trade sensitive diagnostic information and resources, and to
provide a vehicle for cooperation among plant diagnosticians around the world, and to provide a
directory of plant diagnostic laboratories to facilitate interaction with the global research
community. So, the concept of virtual international plant diagnostic network is highly
appreciated as it has given the opportunities to the people concerned to have information at
global level. Any information that is available at any corner of the world can be accessed through
this platform. Sharing of plant diagnostic information and expertise around the world would be
of great value to the international plant diagnostic community. A VIPDN could be the platform
for sharing diagnostic resources such as images of symptoms, primer and probe sequences, the
advantages and limitations of specific diagnostic protocols, technological expertise, and so on.
So, virtual diagnostic network is now becoming a reality. And now it has to be a question of time
that how it is linked to all the available databases so that access of all the available resources
could be made from all the corner of the world. So, with this we have seen that how virtual
diagnostic network are going to help us in future to detect, identify and diagnose the pathogens
or its biomars or its specific strains and then with this informations the growers can be really be
helped by providing adequate resources and management practices to the crops that are
suffering from a particular plant, pest or pathogen. With this we have come to an end of this talk
of virtual diagnostic network. In the next talk, we will talk about 'Use of Airborne Inoculum for
Detection and Disease Management' decisions. Till then...

Thank you very much.