“We’re very pleased USDA has validated this diagnostic tool,” said Ted Olsen, PathSensors President and CEO. “Ralstonia and Phytophthora are both devastating plant pathogens that cause millions of dollars in agricultural losses worldwide each year. We are excited by the problem-solving capability CANARY provides to combat these plant diseases.”
Although not considered dangerous for humans, both Ralstonia and Phytophthora can wreak havoc upon numerous crops, including fruits, vegetables, and decorative plants.
Ralstonia is a soil-borne bacteria that causes bacterial wilt which can eventually lead to plant death in a wide variety of crops, including potatoes, eggplants, tomatoes, bananas, and ornamental plants.
Phytophthora, from the Greek word for “plant destroyer,” is likewise a dangerous pathogen that causes death among many plants and crops. It is most infamously known for causing the Great Irish Potato Famine in the 1840s, but continues to have devastating effects on agriculturalists’ crops worldwide. Phytophthora is the cause of sudden oak death syndrome, which has led to significant reductions in oak populations along the Pacific coasts of California and Oregon.
PathSensors has integrated the Ralstonia and Phytophthora assays into their robust library of commercially available products. They will deploy the newly validated assays in the field to help prevent harmful plant pathogens from negatively impacting agriculture in the U.S. and abroad.
About PathSensors
PathSensors is a leading technology company providing rapid, highly sensitive, and easy-to-use pathogen detection solutions. Their CANARY technology detects a wide range of biosecurity, plant pathology, and food safety threats. PathSensors supports a growing library of threat detection capabilities that can be expanded to meet emerging requirements. CANARY technology is exclusively licensed from MIT-Lincoln Laboratory.