MARPLE diagnostics reaches South Asia - Nepal

Current diagnostic methods for wheat rust used in Nepal are slow (typically taking months between collecting the sample and final strain identification), costly and reliant on sending samples overseas to highly specialised labs for analysis.
A workshop held at the National Plant Pathology Research Centre (NPPRC) in Khumaltar was led by John Innes Centre and CIMMYT scientists and aimed to train Nepali researchers in the use of MARPLE diagnostics.
MARPLE diagnostics is the first method to place strain-level genetic diagnostics capability directly into the hands of Nepali researchers, generating data in-country in near-real time for immediate integration into early warning systems and disease management decisions.
Dr Diane Saunders project co-lead commented, “This is a fantastic opportunity to bring the latest innovations in plant disease diagnostics for the wheat rust pathogens to where they are needed most, in the hands of researchers in the field working tirelessly to combat these devastating diseases”.