Kathleen A Lu

US Patent:

20040033555, Feb 19, 2004

Filed:

Jan 24, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/343073

Inventors:

Shawn Louise Anderson - West Grove PA, US
Kathleen Lu - Newark DE, US

International Classification:

C12Q001/04

US Classification:

435/034000

Abstract:

Methods are provided for determining the effectiveness of a plant treatment agent in controlling a plant disease organism. The methods involve (a) applying the plant treatment agent to a substrate, (b) inoculating the substrate with the disease organism, and detecting photon emission from light-generating moieties. The methods also involve (1c) after a period of time in which the disease organism can grow, applying a pro-light-generating moiety which is selectively transformed by the disease organism or the substrate to a light-generating moiety, (1d) detecting photon emission from the light-generating moiety (e.g. over an area of the substrate), and (1e) determining the effectiveness of the plant treatment agent based on the amount of detected photon emission and/or the fraction of the substrate area from which photon emission is detected. Alternatively the methods can further involve (2c) after a period of time in which the disease can grow, detecting photon emission from an endogenous light-generating moiety, and (2d) determining the effectiveness of the plant treatment agent based on the detected photon emission. This invention further provides a process for producing a crop protection agent that is suitable for controlling a plant disease caused by a plant disease organism and comprises a plant treatment agent. This process comprises determining the effectiveness of the plant treatment agent in controlling the plant disease organism as indicated above. This invention also provides a method for controlling a plant disease caused by a plant disease organism (for example, a fungal plant pathogen). This method comprises determining that a plant treatment agent is effective for controlling the plant disease organism as indicated above; and applying to the plant or portion thereof to be protected, or to the plant seed or seedling to be protected, an effective amount of said plant treatment agent.