Pyricularia oryzae is a fungal plant pathogen causing blast disease in several species of the Poaceae family. It encompasses several genetic lineages, including one that is pathogenic on wheat and belongs to the Triticum lineage of P. oryzae. The fungus spreads at short distances by its airborne and rain-splash dispersed spores, and at longer distances via cryptically infected wheat seeds, through trade. Here, we describe a practical method to detect P. oryzae Triticum lineage in wheat seeds, after a biological enrichment step, with various options for molecular testing involving several DNA-based technologies: polymerase chain reaction (PCR), real-time PCR, and loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP). The array of available molecular assays is presented in this protocol, each of them targeting specific regions of the P. oryzae Triticum lineage and offering different levels in terms of sensitivity and specificity.
Keywords: Biological enrichment; Diagnosis; Emerging plant disease; Lineage; Magnaporthe oryzae; Pyricularia oryzae; Quarantine.
© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.