A high-throughput plate method for nucleic acid extraction from beet leafhopper (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) and potato psyllid (Hemiptera: Triozidae) for pathogen detection.

Plant pathogens that are transmitted by insect vectors cause considerable damage to crops when pests or pathogens are not detected early in the season and populations are not controlled. Knowledge of pathogen prevalence in insect pest populations can aid growers in their insect pest management decisions but requires the timely dissemination of results. This process requires that specimen capture, identification, nucleic acid extraction, and molecular detection of a pathogen(s) occur alongside a platform for sharing results.

New Assays for Rapid Detection of Beet Leafhopper-Associated Plant Pathogens, ' Phytoplasma trifolii', Beet Curly Top Virus, and .

The beet leafhopper is an important pest of agricultural crops in the United States, where it transmits beet curly top virus, beet leafhopper-transmitted virescence agent phytoplasma, and to numerous crops, affecting yield and quality. Each of these pathogens have been linked to serious disease outbreaks within Washington State in the past century. To mitigate the risk of disease, growers target the beet leafhopper in their insect pest management programs.