Phytopathology is another word for plant pathology and is studying plant diseases, diagnosis, and management. Plants are vulnerable to diseases. They even suffer from more than animals because hundreds of thousands of plant species exist. Animal species are fewer. That’s why phytopathology tests are vital.
Molecular Biology Lab Services
In a molecular biology lab, scientists study the DNA structure of molecules. That includes their chemical composition and structures like proteins and nucleic acids. Plant pathologists find these labs extremely useful, especially if they want to diagnose diseases and find effective chemical control.
What is the procedure involves in phytopathology tests?
1. Collection of samples
When conducting phytopathology tests, the first step is to get to the field, collect the various samples of the sick plants, and take them to the lab. These can be:
• A distorted leaf
• Distorted stem
• Spores and mildew
• Cankers
• Fruit decay, etc
2. Microbiology Tests
The tests target to reveal pathogens. These are done in a microbiology lab and involve isolating the infected tissues by placing them in a growth nutrient medium to determine the causal agent. The pathogens will grow and multiply, making it easy to identify the ailment. Others like viruses will require a living host to grow and be identified. In this case, the scientist will use a serum to tests for the viruses.
3. Diagnosis
Diagnosis is the final stage of a phytopathology test. The scientist identifies the disease and also makes a full diagnosis. He will go through the testing process and generate the observations by carefully analyzing the lab test procedures. He will list the disease and the causal agents that ate evident in the lab tests and advice on how to control the infections.
When studying plant science, phytopathology tests are the most reliable and effective way to identify and control diseases. The process helps to curb the progression and spread to other plants, especially crops. A combination of microbiology and molecular biology tests the processes can save the agricultural sector billions of dollars lost through infectious plant diseases and inability to control them.