A Real-Time PCR Assay for the Quantitative Detection of Ralstonia solanacearum in Horticultural Soil and Plant Tissues

A specific and rapid real-time PCR assay for detecting Ralstonia solanacearum in horticultural soil and plant tissues was developed in this study. The specific primers RSF/RSR were designed based on the upstream region of the UDP-3-O-acyl-GlcNAc deacetylase gene from R solanacearum, and a PCR product of 159 bp was amplified specifically from 28 strains of R. solanacearum, which represent all genetically diverse AluI types and all 6 biovars, but not from any other nontarget species. The detection limit of 10(2) CFU/g tomato stem and horticultural soil was achieved in this real-time PCR assay. The high sensitivity and specificity observed with field samples as well as with artificially infected samples suggested that this method might be a useful tool for detection and quantification of R. solanacearum in precise forecast and diagnosis.