For Day 2 we focused on diagnosis of plant diseases caused by fungi and oomycetes. Professor Anne Dorrance, an OSU expert on soybean diseases, led participants in a lecture describing the key diagnostic structures of these pathogens, as well as approaches to optimize the diagnostic process. For the oomycetes, coenocytic mycelia, sporangia, oogonia, antheridia and oospores were emphasized, while for fungi the many different types of spores and fruiting bodies were emphasized.
Back in the lab, participants viewed these diagnostic structures under compound and dissecting microscopes, learning various “tricks of the trade”. They also completed an ELISA test and immunostrips for Phytophthora in squash, tomatoes, and other crops.
