Diagnosis of Phytophthora in Soil Samples by Polymerase Chain Reaction

Touseef Hussain*

Received: January 22, 2018;   Published: January 30, 2018

DOI: 10.32474/CIACR.2018.01.000103

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Abstract

Phytophthora infestans is the most notorious causing Late blight of potato and tomato, globally. The word Phytophthora is derived from the Greek word: Phyto = plant, phthora = destroyer. Potato is a native of the North Andes (South America) and the late blight of potato was initially an endemic disease but in the mid1800s, late blight caused wide spread crop failures throughout the Northern Europe including Ireland where it was responsible for the Irish famine [1]. The genus Phytophthora represents a large group of plant pathogenic fungi responsible for crop losses in temperate and tropical climate [2]. Many species of Phytophthora are soil borne pathogens and spread through the movement of infested soil, or by water flow through infested soil [3]. A key element in the management of such diseases is the ability to detect the pathogen in soil and water. However, DNA extracted from soil contains substances such as humic acids, lignins, carbohydrates, resins, and so on which are very inhibitory to PCR amplification [4,5]. The amounts of inhibitory substances will vary widely with soil type, vegetation type, and composition of the soil micro flora. As the micro flora varies even over small distances (1 m scale) [6], the efficiency of PCR amplification is likely to vary widely even over small distances. It is therefore critical that an internal standard is used for PCR analysis of soil samples [7]. Recorded positive detection of P. infestans for up to twelve months from soil in which infested leaf tissue had been buried and for up to 24 months from soil containing leaf tissue infected with both mating types.

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