Development of Loop‐Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) Kit for the Detection of Fusarium Wilt Using SIX8 Genes

ABSTRACT Panama disease, or Fusarium wilt, is a soil‐borne fungal disease of Musa spp. and the most severe threat to the banana industry and food security worldwide with no cure. Therefore, early detection of the pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc) through reliable diagnostics will aid in implementing plant quarantine and containment measures to prevent the spread of this disease. In this study, a primary diagnostic procedure was developed based on the DNA sequences of the Foc‐TR4 SIX8a homologue, extracted from a piece of pseudostem tissue of M. acuminata Gros Michel Subgroup from Japan. A set of primers for the loop‐mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) reaction was designed. The developed specific marker can be used to accurately, rapidly, and reliably detect early diagnosis of Foc‐TR4 infection without cutting down the unconfirmed young plant in banana fields.