In planta PCR-based detection of early infection of plant-parasitic nematodes in the roots: a step towards the understanding of infection and plant defence

The polyphagous obligate parasites Meloidogyne spp. devastate a wide range of crop plants including bananas and plantains. Their infestations impact agriculture worldwide. Therefore, an effective combating regime against this nematode species and an in-depth understanding of plant-nematode interaction are essential. Early detection of infection by visual inspection is not possible. This hampers early control strategy efforts and makes in-depth research of the early infection and plant defence unfeasible. A simple and robust in planta PCR-based nematode detection method is described here as the first crucial step. This PCR-based detection assay exploits the existence of the Internal Transcribed Spacer 1 (ITS 1) region of the ribosomal DNA (rDNA) gene family in the nematodes for early detection of nematode penetration into the roots. The results demonstrate that this detection assay is suitable to serve as a molecular screening tool for plant root diagnostic purposes.