Diagnostics in plant disease management

Topic: Plant Disease Diagnostic Capabilities and Networks in the diagnosis of plant
diseases. The path to effective control measures
Instructor: Dr. B.K. Sarma
Hello!! Welcome to the last talk of the week as well as of the course that is plant disease
diagnostic capabilities and networks. We all know that plant disease detection and diagnosis is
so vital to save the crop from getting incurring severe losses but at the same time we need to
have capable resource persons available to perform the task and networking of resource
persons is always a useful tool to provide solutions to the end users that is the small farm
holders. So, plant disease diagnostic networks have developed worldwide to address the
problems of efficient and effective disease diagnosis and pathogen detection, engendering
cooperation of institutions and experts within countries and across national borders.
Networking maximizes the impact in the face of shrinking government investments in
agriculture and diminishing human resource capacity in diagnostics and applied pathology. New
technologies promise to improve the speed and accuracy of disease diagnostic and plant
pathogen detection. Widespread adoption and standard operating procedures and diagnostic
laboratory accreditation served to build trust and confidence among the institutions.

Why Diagnostics Matter?

It is well recognized that threats in invasive pathogens to plants, whether crops, horticultural
commodities, or members of natural communities such as forests and grasslands are increasing
as a result of globalization, increased human mobility, climate change and pathogen and vector
evolution. Taken in total with damage caused by emerging, re-emerging and chronic or
endemic pathogens, the potential for economic loss is significant in plant systems. The food
security is threatened in resource-poor countries during these epidemics in stable crops and
income generation from opportunities to exploit new and emerging markets is curtailed.
Disease diagnosis and pathogen detection are central to our ability to protect crops and natural
plant systems and are crucial prelude to undertake prevention and management measures. So,
that is why diagnosis of plant pathogen is highly essential and it does matters to us.

Plant Safeguarding and Biosecurity

The responsibility of safeguarding plants against invasive pathogens is held officially by national
plant protection organizations (NPPOs). In addition to their regulatory functions, NPPOs
conduct pathogen surveillance and pest risk analyses, inspect, treat and certify export products,
inspect and, if necessary mitigate risk on imports and share information on pathogens and
regulations.
Disease Management Decision Making

So, disease management is a decision-making process and it is very essential to have a decision
before we adopt for a particular disease management practice. Diagnostic networks are crucial
in conducting large-scale monitoring programs, surveillance may be done by established
networks or by networks organized for monitoring a specific pathogen and disbanded after
completion of the program. The example of soybean rust illustrates the role of diagnostic
networks in pathogen detection diagnosis and surveillance. Phakopsora pachyrhizi, the causal
agent of soybean rust was initially listed as a select agent before its recent entry into the United
States. It's an economically devastating disease and their diagnostic network was established to
identify the pathogen in new localities in the United States. The diagnostics tests included a
real-time PCR assay, an immunofluorescence spore assay and a field-usable lateral flow
immunoassay were developed and tested. Surveillance and monitoring well accomplished
utilizing a network of sentinel plots and spore traps, tied into web-based reporting and
communications. Thousands of farmers and agronomic professionals were trained as the first
detectors. This is how the capability of the first detectors were enhanced to check and monitor
the progress or occurrence of a newly emerging pathogen in the United States.

Diagnostic Capacity

Diagnostic capacity-building involves training of the human resource and it is common and
easily recognized disease are often diagnosed by an astute individual, who may be trained
diagnostician, experienced farmer, extension educator or consultant familiar with the crop.
However, unlike human and veterinary medicine, trained practitioners in plant pathology are a
relatively rare commodity and clinicians with appropriate training and access to necessary
infrastructure and technology to diagnose a broad range of pathogens afflicting plants are
particularly scarce. So, this is a challenge and that is why we need to increase the base of
human resources to enhance their capacity to diagnose possible pathogens that cause diseases
in the particular area. Human resource development in plant diagnostics in the developing
world has generally lagged behind then that of the developed countries.

Technology

The technologies that are involved during capacity building - capacity for traditional pathogen
identification is generally insufficient to meet needs in both developed and developing
countries, therefore the certain high-tech tools for pathogen diagnostics have expanded at a
rapid rate. Field-ready serological tests such as lateral flow devices are commonly used as
diagnostic tools to aid disease management decision-making, to back up diagnosis based on
symptoms and as it triage tool to pre-screen plants for specified target diseases. For example,
an LFD for Phytophthora species detection has proven to be significant value in the United
Kingdom for pre-screening woody plants for the absence of Phytophthora ramorum or
Phytophthora kernoviae at the time of inspection. Samples testing positive are then sent to
laboratory for follow-up testing with more specific lab tests such as PCR and pathogen culture.
So, technologies like (LFDs) are coming in a big way to help in the decision making process. So,
in case of United Kingdom it was Phytophthora species that was causing sudden death in the
oak plants and initially althoughLFDs has given some indications of the pathogen then based on
those indications that samples were sent to the lab for final confirmation and with final
confirmation then their appropriate corrective measures were adopted.

Infrastructure

Then infrastructure is also equally important just like technology and human resources. Visual
examination, microscopy, culturing, a few simple biochemical tests and ELISA are the mainstays
for most routine diagnosis. When coupled with diagnostic references such as disease
compendia, pathogen-specific manuals, image databases, these techniques in the hands of
trained diagnosticians and specialists are sufficient to provide answers in a reasonable amount
of time at a manageable cost. So, simply in the involvement of simple or sophisticated
equipment may not lead to an answer at times so that has to be supported with other
information such as availability of disease compendia, pathogen specific manuals and image
databases which greatly helped the are diagnosed stations to go for specific diagnostic tests.
Many diagnostic networks build and maintain expertise database within their communication
system to facilitate knowledge sharing. For example, European plant protection organizations
supports a searchable database on its website containing a list of laboratories by country and
an expertise list by pathogen. Experts can be contacted via email by network members upon
entry to and access code. So, diagnostic networks can again help the diagnosticians in other
part of the world. If these diagnostic platforms are made available to each and every worker
then they can get access to even experts and get a proper feedback on their queries.

Plant Disease Diagnostic Networks

So, plant disease diagnostic networks in the United States they have National Plant Disease
Diagnostic Networks. In the Mediterranean and European Plant Protection Organization (EPPO)
has expanded from 15 to 50 member countries because of its usability and usefulness. Then
Global Plant Clinic (GPC) are also coming up and the global plant clinic it is a consortium of CABI
Bioscience, Rothamsted Research, States resource and Central Science Laboratory, United
Kingdom. The Global Plant Clinic provides a cost-free diagnostic and advisory services for
NPPO's in developing countries that provide diseased plants samples. The GPC initiated the
establishment of mobile plant health clinics in several developing countries. So plant health
clinics fulfill an advisory role in a cost-efficient and locally operated manner. They occur in
public places such as market on a regular basis where growers routinely arrive with disease
plant samples. The clinics offer reliable advice on routine plant health problems affecting any
crop and differentiate symptoms due to a biotic and biotic stresses. So, global plant clinic is a
bigger platform, a bigger network led by CABI bioscience, United Kingdom and it is also
providing assistance in the form of mobile clinics where a grower can bring their samples to the
plant doctors and they can be given proper advice looking into the symptoms that is another
characteristics of the disease plants.

International Plant Diagnostic Network The International Plant Diagnostic Network (IPDN)
was initiated in 2005 with a goal of fostering development of local capacity for diagnostics
through establishment of communication and data sharing networks, training in classical and
modern diagnostics and research into new diagnostic methods. The IPDN model after the
United States and NPDN, and as with that network is comprised of regional hub, local satellite
diagnostic laboratories. Three regional programs have been established to date; in Central
America, it is the hub lab in Guatemala coordinated by a private company; Agroexpertos, East
Africa a hub in Kenya coordinate by that Kenya Agricultural Research Institute and in West
Africa the hub in established in Benin and is coordinated by IITA.

The important objective of IPDN is training diagnosticians in basic and advanced diagnostic
methodologies. Reporting new disease through International outlet is highly encouraged and
the same was done in West Africa regional program where they have reported the occurrence
of Ralstonia solanaceraum, the causal agent of devastating wilt disease of tomato through the
Benin. So, this is how the International plant diagnostic network is working and it's coming up
and people are taking help of these diagnostic networks and that is how the emphasis has been
given that more number of resource persons are available at various levels through capacity
building and training for them for proper diagnosis and followed by support by a international
database of global plant clinic database which supports them with necessary information and
images and the plant doctors can very well take help of this necessary information from this
international networks and then they can help the local growers through either advisor mode
or through the mobile clinics. So, with this we have come to an end of the week six and with
end of the course 'Detection Diagnosis and Plant Disease Management'. I am sure you all have
gained comprehensive understanding on the methodologies that are used to detect and
diagnose plant pathogens and how this detection and diagnosis is helping us to take a decision
on management aspects of plant pathogens and thereby, it is preventing entry of quarantine
pathogens, as well as it is also preventing loss during the international trade, and it is also
preventing loss to the growers at their own farm. So, I am sure you have enjoyed this course
thoroughly and I wish you good luck with your future endeavors.

Thank you so much for being with me for this last six weeks.