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Sampling And Testing For Plant Pathogens, Aileen Reid

Bulletins 4000 -

There are many methods used in the laboratory to determine whether Phytophthora or other fungi are present in growing media, water supply and diseased plants. These include:

• filtering water for spores

• baiting for fungi in growing media and water samples

• examining diseased plant tissue microscopically

• direct culturing from roots and other plant parts to isolate the fungal pathogen in pure culture.

This bulletin outlines some of the procedures involved. Growers may be able to do some basic baiting of soil or water samples themselves to alert them of a problem but the procedures involved in isolating …