Alternative Molecular-Based Diagnostic Methods of Plant Pathogenic Fungi Affecting Berry Crops—A Review

Abstract

Increasing consumer awareness of potentially harmful pesticides used in conventional agriculture has prompted organic farming to become notably more prevalent in recent decades. Central European countries are some of the most important producers of blueberries, raspberries and strawberries in the world and organic cultivation methods for these fruits have a significant market share. Fungal pathogens are considered to be the most significant threat to organic crops of berries, causing serious economic losses and reducing yields. In order to ameliorate the harmful effects of pathogenic fungi on cultivations, the application of rapid and effective identification methods is essential. At present, various molecular methods are applied for fungal species recognition, such as PCR, qPCR, LAMP and NGS.

Keywords

• <i>Colletotrichum acutatum</i>
• <i>Verticillium</i> spp.
• <i>Phytophthora</i> spp.
• <i>Botrytis cinerea</i>
• PCR
• qPCR
• molecular identification
• phytopathogenic fungi
• strawberry
• organic agriculture