EPPO Global Database

EPPO Reporting Service no. 03 - 1999 Num. article: 1999/051

Evaluation method for teliospores of Tilletia indica, T. controversa and T. barclayana in the soil


A simple and reliable method to evaluate the presence of teliospores of Tilletia indica (EPPO A1 quarantine pest), T. controversa (EPPO A2 quarantine pest) and T. barclayana in soil was developed in USA. This method is based on successive filtration of soil put into suspension and centrifugation in a sucrose solution. With this method, teliospores of T. indica, T. controversa, and T. barclayana could be recovered, with a spore density as low as 10 teliospores per gram of soil. No significant difference in recovery rates of teliospores was obtained between the three Tilletia species. Formulas were proposed to estimate the actual numbers of spores in naturally infested soils (as a function of the number of teliospores recovered from soil by this method).

Sources

Babadoost, M.; Mathre, D.E. (1998) A method for extraction and enumeration of teliospores of Tilletia indica, T. controversa, and T. barclayana in soil.
Plant Disease, 82(12), 1357-1361.