Validation of a Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay for the Identification of Meloidogyne arenaria.

Meloidogyne arenaria is an economically important parasite of many crops worldwide. Identification and detection of this species in soil samples is necessary for the design of crop rotation systems, selection of resistant cultivars, and potential use of biological control options. The objective of this study was to develop and validate a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay, using species-specific primers and SYBR Green I Dye, for identification of M.

Relationship between avirulence gene (avrA) diversity in Ralstonia solanacearum and bacterial wilt incidence.

Bacterial wilt, caused by Ralstonia solanacearum, is a serious disease of tobacco in North and South Carolina. In contrast, the disease rarely occurs on tobacco in Georgia and Florida, although bacterial wilt is a common problem on tomato. We investigated whether this difference in disease incidence could be explained by qualitative characteristics of avirulence gene avrA in the R.