1International Centre for Insect Physiology and Ecology, P.O Box 30772, 00100, Nairobi, Kenya
2Julius Kuhn Institut, Pflanzenschutz in Obst- und Weinbau, Schwabenheimer Str. 101 69221, Dossenheim, Germany
*Corresponding author e-mail: Lillian Wambua (lwambua@icipe.org)
Online published on 2 January, 2015.
Napier grass stunt is a disease associated with phytoplasmas belonging to the 16SrXI subgroup. The disease affects Pennisetum purpureum, a perennial grass species with significant importance in dairy livestock nutrition and ecological management of pests and parasitic weeds. The present study explores the development, testing and validation of field-friendly diagnostic tools for napier grass stunt phytoplasma detection in East Africa, based on an isothermal assay targeting the gene encoding the immunodominant protein of napier grass stunt phytoplasma.
Napier grass stunt, phytoplasma, diagnostic assay, imp gene
