Recent advances in disease diagnostics

Authors: CLARKE, BRUCE - Rutgers University; Crouch, Jo Anne

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/4/2021
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Turfgrass diseases can be difficult to recognize and diagnose. This section of the 4th edition of the Turfgrass Compendium summarizes recent advances and new technologies used for diagnosing turfgrass diseases. This will provide an important resource for anyone working to minimize the impact of turfgrass brown ring patch disease, including golf course superintendents, extension agents, and turfgrass scientists.

Technical Abstract: Traditional methods of turfgrass disease diagnosis rely on visual symptoms and signs, incubation, culturing, and microscopy. While this approach can be used to effectively diagnose many turfgrass diseases, it has limitations. Symptoms can be nondescript, many diseases look alike in the field, and symptoms may vary with turf species and environment. Similarly, not all pathogens produce signs, some are not easily culturable, and others, like viruses, are too small to be seen with a light microscope. Here we provide a short overview of new methods used to diagnose turf grass diseases, including serology, nucleic acid-based techniques, isothermal assays, and discuss technologies that are at the forefront of disease diagnostics and are likely to be of increasing importance in the future.