Publication: Screening Napier grass accessions for resistance to Napier grass stunt disease using the loop-mediated isothermal amplification of DNA (LAMP)
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2016-09-01
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World Bank and Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Easterns and Central Africa (ASARECA)
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Abstract
Napier grass stunt (NGS) disease is a major threat to Napier grass cultivation and the smallholder dairy
industry in East and Central Africa. The disease is caused by a phytoplasma, which is transmitted by the
leafhopper Maiestas banda (Kramer) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae). The current study was conducted to
identify among 65 Napier grass accessions that could be resistant to NGS disease using the loop mediated isothermal amplification of DNA (LAMP). The accessions were caged with NGS phytoplasma infected Napier grass as inoculum source and M. banda as the vector. All Napier grass accessions were
subjected to phytoplasma testing thereafter 18 phytoplasma negative and five asymptomatic accessions
were selected and used in further screening by subjecting the extracted DNA to LAMP. Plant response to
the NGS phytoplasma by symptom expression, impact on yield-related parameters and phytoplasma
infection was used to evaluate tolerance or resistance over a period of three months. Most Napier grass
accessions were susceptible to the disease except plants belonging to accession 16789 which were
negative by LAMP. Napier grass accession 16807 was found to be tolerant with 60% plants positive by
LAMP and 90% plants symptomless. Accessions 16822 and 16817 had moderate tolerance with one and
two plants positive by LAMP, respectively. Accession 16812 was slightly tolerant with 58.3% plants
positive by LAMP and 33.3% of the plants showing symptom remission in the second re-growth. This
study indicates there could be resistance and tolerance to NGS disease which could be exploited in the
development of an integrated management strategy for this disease
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Keywords
Napier stunt disease, Screening, Resistance, Tolerance