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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Corvallis, Oregon » Horticultural Crops Disease and Pest Management Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #409602
Research Project: Knowledge Based Tools for Exotic and Emerging Diseases of Small Fruit and Nursery Crops

Location: Horticultural Crops Disease and Pest Management Research Unit

Title: It’s a trap! An approachable guide to constructing and using rotating-arm air samplers

Author
item CHECK, JILL - Michigan State University
item HARKNESS, REBECCA - Michigan State University
item HEGER, LEXI - Michigan State University
item CHILVERS, MARTIN - Michigan State University
item Mahaffee, Walter - Walt
item SAKALIDIS, MONIQUE - Michigan State University
item MILES, TIMOTHY - Michigan State University

Submitted to: Plant Disease
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/23/2024
Publication Date: 3/27/2024
Citation: Check, J., Harkness, R., Heger, L., Chilvers, M.I., Mahaffee, W.F., Sakalidis, M.L., Miles, T.D. 2024. It’s a trap! An approachable guide to constructing and using rotating-arm air samplers. Plant Disease. https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-01-24-0131-SR.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-01-24-0131-SR

Interpretive Summary: There is increasing interest in using inoculum monitoring as decision aid for growers and a tool for researchers to understand pathogen dispersion and disease development. However, the multidisciplinary nature and the limited knowledge of the physics of airborne pathogen dispersion can limit researchers willingness to pursue this type of research. This work presents practical considerations for placement and use of rotating-arm impaction samplers for collecting data on pathogen presence and dispersion.

Technical Abstract: Although increased knowledge on the biology and movement of airborne plant pathogens will benefit plant health, generating this knowledge is often far more complicated than initially anticipated. This is due to the chaotic nature of air turbulence and how canopies, topography, and pathogen biology interact. Subtle differences in sampler placement in relation to wind patterns and structures (e.g., canopy structure and landscape topography) alter air movement over the sampler and consequently complicate what the sampler can collect and data interpretation. Understanding these differences requires consideration of the physical nature of the system in relation to the biology of the organisms being examined and limitations of the air sampler. The utility of an air sampler is dependent on the pathogen, environment, and research objective. No design will result in 100% collection efficiency and there are likely multiple “semi-optimal” approaches for a given pathogen, environment, and research objective. Within this review, a brief introduction of theoretical interactions between pathogen dispersal, wind movement, air samplers and the environment is presented to guide air sampler placement. Additionally, a discussion of applications of air samplers is included to demonstrate their versatility and potential in plant pathology research as well as their limitations to consider for different research questions.