SARDI's PREDICTA service reflects the current state of soil pathogen detection

January 20, 2020 | Case Study

Pathogen monitoring and risk assessment in agriculture remains reactionary rather than preparatory. Growers often apply inputs without an indication of the current pathogen risk, wasting time and operational capital. Pathogen testing services are available and largely carried out by agronomic laboratories and university extension programs, and they specialize in the detection of specific pathogens. An Australian collaboration recently developed PREDICTA, a DNA-based risk analysis, to provide pathogen testing pre- and post-planting. The tests offer 17 different fungi and oomycetes-specific targets, eight nematode targets, one bacterial target, one parasite, and estimations of free living nematodes, arbuscular mycorrhizae, and Trichoderma.