Day 2 – Introduction to diagnosis of plant diseases caused by fungi and oomycetes. Dr. Anne Dorrance, OSU soybean pathologist and expert on Pythium, Phytophthora and many fungal pathogens, presented a primer on identification of these groups of plant pathogens, focusing on key features of each major group used in identification. She also talked about the process of diagnosis in the laboratory and the tools needed to induce fungal and oomycete growth and sporulation.
In the lab, participants used a simplified diagnostic key to identify fungal cultures, used microscopy to identify morphological diagnostic structures, conducted an ELISA assay for Phytophthora in field samples. A video describing double antibody sandwich ELISA was shown to describe the principles. Participants also isolated pathogens from plant tissues. Ph.D. student Nagendra Subedi and Dr. Fulya Baysal-Gurel led the exercises.
