Development of a magnetic capture hybridization real-time PCR assay for detection of tumorigenic Agrobacterium vitis in grapevines.

Agrobacterium vitis, the causal agent of grape crown gall, can have severe economic effects on grape production. The bacterium survives systemically in vines and, therefore, is disseminated in propagation material. We developed an assay for use in indexing programs that is efficient and sensitive for detecting A.