SugarPATH: a handheld device for advancing sugarcane disease diagnostics

Muhammad J A Shiddiky, Rebecca Ford, Simon Strachan, Moutoshi Chakraborty, Chuong Ngo, Shamsul A. Bhuiyan, Nam Trung Nguyen

Research output: Book chapter/Published conference paperConference paperpeer-review

Abstract

Broadacre cropping is plagued by a multitude of pathogenic organisms that require vigilant surveillance and monitoring to inform management practices and reduce the severity of impact on productivity and yield. Despite the tremendous efforts in developing elaborate systems towards on-farm biosecurity and best management practice, plant pathogens still cause significant yield reductions in the Australian sugarcane industry, partly due to the lack of early, rapid and low-cost pathogen detection methods. Sugarcane pathogens that remain latent for a long period of time or diseases that lack apparent symptoms are particularly problematic. Early and rapid pathogen diagnosis, together with an understanding of disease severity, is critical for the prevention of disease spread as well as for devising an effective management strategy. While bench-based tests for diagnosis of these diseases are routinely performed in centralised laboratories, on-farm diagnostic tools are lacking. Most critically, current laboratory tests usually take weeks to provide results to growers. No rapid test is available for early detection of major sugarcane diseases such as leaf scald and ratoon stunting disease in potentially infected crops. Thus, there remains a need for simple to use, low cost, fast, accurate and specific diagnostics methods. We have developed a novel handheld device: SugarPATH, for the detection of two major sugarcane diseases, leaf scald disease and ratoon stunting disease (RSD). The device comprises an Arduino microcontroller to govern its two central working units: (i) sample processing, and (ii) detection. The sample processing unit contains a microcentrifuge tube-like homemade microreactor for extracting DNA from sugarcane xylem sap extracts. The detection unit employs an RGB sensor for in-situ target (i.e., DNA) detection. The device can detect Leifsonia xyli subsp. xyli (Lxx) andXanthomonas albilineans (X. albilineans) in samples collected from RSD and leaf scald disease screening trials, respectively. The SugarPATH device is semi-automated, simple to use, low-cost and provides rapid analysis. It takes only 20 minutes to complete a test and can be used in-field for DNA-based diagnosis of sugarcane diseases without needing specialist pathologists. The potential for application of the SugarPATH device across the sugarcane growing sector is obvious.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publication44th Annual Conference of the Australian Society of Sugar Cane Technologists 2023
Subtitle of host publicationASSCT 2023
EditorsP.G. Allsopp
Place of PublicationMackay, QLD
PublisherAustralian Society of Sugar Cane Technologists
Pages312-320
Number of pages9
Volume1
ISBN (Electronic)9781713880257
Publication statusPublished - 18 Apr 2023
Event44th Annual Conference of the Australian Society of Sugar Cane Technologists 2023: ASSCT 2023 - Cairns Convention Centre, Cairns, Australia
Duration: 18 Apr 202321 Apr 2023
https://www.proceedings.com/content/071/071167webtoc.pdf (Proceedings front matter)
https://www.assct.com.au/conference/conference-program/conference-program (Conference program and abstracts)
https://www.proceedings.com/71167.html (Publisher proceedings)

Conference

Conference44th Annual Conference of the Australian Society of Sugar Cane Technologists 2023
Country/TerritoryAustralia
CityCairns
Period18/04/2321/04/23
OtherThe 44th annual conference of ASSCT was held at the Cairns Convention Centre over four days during April 2023 and, by all accounts, was very successful. There were 350 registered delegates including 21 delegates from overseas enjoyed a mix of technical discussions, networking and social events. The Industry Equipment Exhibition was supported by 49 domestic and international companies occupying 55 sites displaying a full range of equipment and services typically used in the sugar industry.

A total of 70 papers were presented over two days of technical sessions including 37 agricultural, 28 manufacturing and five case studies from equipment suppliers.

On the first day agricultural delegates attended an SRA field day at the Meringa research Station while an Asset Reliability Workshop was held for manufacturing delegates.

On the final day of the conference, manufacturing delegates had a field trip to the local bulk sugar terminal and the nearby Barron Gorge Hydroelectric Power Station.
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