A step-change in disease diagnosis: pathogen detection in cane delivered to the sugar factory

Detection technologies for biological entities have been improving rapidly and this has introduced the possibility of pathogen detection beyond previous methods. Research shows that the ratoon stunting disease (RSD) bacterium (Leifsonia xyli subsp. xyli) can be detected in first-expressed juice at the sugar factory using a dipstick-mediated LAMP assay. This outcome provides the potential for mapping RSD in every harvested crop in a mill area on an annual basis – something never possible before. A summary of the research is provided and where the technology could lead with broader pathogen and pest detection is outlined.