title: Polymerase chain reaction-based detection of Fusarium circinatum, the causal agent of pitch canker disease.
abstract: Pitch canker is a highly damaging disease of Pinus radiata and the New Zealand forest industry is concerned by the potential impact of the disease, should it arrive, in New Zealand. To provide a rapid identification technique for this pathogen, a polymerase chain reaction-based diagnostic method has been developed. The method is able to detect the presence of the pathogen within infected host tissue, as well as infested soil and the reliability of the test has been estimated using Bayesian statistics.
authors.affiliation: Scion1 Forest Biosecurity and Protection, Rotorua 3046, New Zealand, Private Bag 3020, Rotorua 3046, New Zealand, Scion1 Wood Quality, Rotorua 3046, New Zealand.
authors.forename: T D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Ramsfield
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dobbie
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Dick
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Ball