A rapid and portable diagnostic tool for the detection of pea root rot pathogens

  • 5 million tons pea is produced globally each year
  • The pea protein market is projected to increase by about 13% every year

The challenge

Pea (Pisum sativum) is the second most important grain legume worldwide, grown as a vegetable crop for both fresh and dried seed. Production of pea is projected to increase significantly in the coming decade due to its nutritional benefits for human consumption, and for its beneficial role in sustainable agricultural systems.

However, a major constraint to pea cultivation is the presence of soil-borne diseases such as root rot. Pea root rot is caused by a complex of fungal and oomycete pathogens which pose a significant challenge to global pea production. These pathogens can persist in the soil, often for several years, making disease management difficult (Figure 1). There are currently limited chemical seed treatments available. The primary management strategy involves testing the soil prior to planting but these methods are costly, time-consuming and require specialised laboratory setups.

Figure 1: A root rot infected field (Credit: Keith Costello)

Our research

To address this, we have developed a Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) assay for the specific detection of four species within the pea root rot pathogen complex.

LAMP is a molecular technique that is widely used for the detection of human diseases such as for malaria and SARS-CoV-2. In recent years, LAMP has become a popular method for plant pathogen detection and disease diagnosis due to the advantages of its simple instrument requirements.

Our LAMP assay demonstrates high specificity and sensitivity in both soil and infected root tissue. Results are generated within 60 minutes, providing a rapid and cost-effective alternative to conventional diagnostic methods (see Figure 2 for the proposed on-farm diagnostic workflow).

Figure 2: Diagnostic workflow for on-farm detection of root rot pathogens using the portable PEBBLE device (BIOPIX DNA TECHNOLOGY P.C., Greece). Panel 1 Sample collection: Samples are collected from diseased roots, or from field soil at five locations and mixed. Panel 2 Portable analysis: Genomic DNA is extracted and combined with the LAMP reaction mix. After 60 min incubation in the PEBBLE device, results can be read on a smartphone app,  represented by the graph, or visually by observing a colour change in the reaction tube. Re-drawn from Scientific Reports volume 15, Article number: 34904 (2025).

Our diagnostic method has been successfully used to screen for the presence of root rot diseases at the JIC Field Station and diagnostic surveying is now being carried out across several pea growing areas.

Impact

Implementation of this LAMP assay as a portable diagnostic kit provides farmers and agronomists with early and accurate diagnosis of root rot pathogens. It enables timely disease management interventions and ultimately, reduces the associated economic losses.

Publication

Pacheco-Moreno, A., Bruty, S., Tidd, H. Morka, E. & Arora, S. (2025) Loop mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) as a rapid and portable diagnostic tool for the detection of pea root rot pathogens. Sci Rep 15, 34904. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-18738-9