Rapid detection of Passalora sequoiae causing needle blight on Japanese cedar

Needle blight, caused by Passalora sequoiae (Mycosphaerellaceae, Ascomycota), is an economically significant disease that commonly affects Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) in Japan. With the increasing production of saplings as part reforestation efforts, there concern needle blight will become more prevalent nursery fields. However, when visually inspected, this sometimes misdiagnosed other diseases with similar symptoms. Therefore, a prerequisite to preventing spread pathogen development accurate and rapid molecular diagnostic method. In study, species-selective primers were designed for conventional PCR recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) then successfully applied detection laboratory-grown cultures diseased needles. The methods developed study should improve control management cedar.