Method for detecting Macrophomina phaseolina

The plant pathogen Macrophomina phaseolina is distributed worldwide and has a host range of more than 500 plant species. The fungus attacks crops that are the source of staple foods, and causes yield losses of up to 90% in sunflower, 30-60% in strawberry, 50% in soybean and 70% in corn. Alongside the more traditional diagnostic methods (direct techniques), which require long execution times and highly qualified personnel, indirect diagnostic techniques have been developed, which aim at the identification of pathogens through the analysis of their nucleic acids. The increasing demand for "ready-to-use" diagnostic tools and the great impact of the pathogen on global food production has required the development of faster and more highly specific diagnostic kits.