Vinehealth Australia was the lead agency in a recently-completed collaborative phylloxera research project, to develop an additional phylloxera detection system using DNA extracted from soil samples. Outcomes of this project are expected to support identification and verification of area freedom status to facilitate market access for growers, as well as improving proactive management strategies for phylloxera.
This research project has successfully developed a field sampling protocol for collecting soil cores and validated a diagnostic protocol using qPCR (quantitative polymerase chain reaction) for the detection and quantification of phylloxera (‘DNA method’). The estimated detection limit was determined to be 2 phylloxera per 200g dry soil composite sample.
For further information on the findings of the research project: follow this link
Source: Vinehealth Australia
