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Phytopathology tests

What Is Phytopathology

Phytopathology is also known as plant pathology. This branch of microbiology studies the pathogens and physiological factors that cause diseases in plants. When phytopathology tests are being performed, the phytopathologist or microbiologist is researching the following disease-causing organisms: bacteria, fungi, viruses, protozoa, and many more. Phytopathology tests even include studying insects and mites because they can cause a plant to develop a disease from eating the plant tissues. Other areas studied in plant pathology are disease etiology, plant disease resistance, disease cycles, plant disease management, and how plant diseases affect humans and animals.

What Are The Different Types Of Plant Pathology Tests

Listed here are some of the most common phytopathology tests used to diagnose plant diseases are gene sequencing, pathogen selective media plates, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, microscopy, and polymerase chain reaction. These tests are used individually or together to find out the plant pathology.
Gene sequencing is done by using a DNA sequencer to identify the disease-causing pathogen.
Pathogen selective media plates utilize a process of elimination to identify the disease-causing organism. Specific samples are placed in different Petri dishes and specialized nutritional media that only certain disease-causing microorganisms can grow in during this process.
Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay is a specific test used to discover if a plant has a particular kind of virus. Samples are taken from the plant and tested for the presence of antibodies and these antibodies will show if the plant has a virus or not.
Microscopy is the type of examination done underneath the microscope. The samples are taken from the plants and visually examined by the scientist to determine the disease-causing microorganism.
The polymerase chain reaction is a phytopathology test that utilizes the real-time testing of DNA or RNA sequences to determine what viruses or pathogens are making a plant ill.

Plant pathology is very important because plants are key contributors to the health of the earth and humans. If plant pathology testing did not exist and plants began to die at a rapid rate this would have a negative effect on the earth and the people on earth. This is why it is key to find out what diseases or microorganisms are negatively affecting plants so cures and preventive measures can be found and implemented.