Molecular genetic methods used for detection of quarantine pests. Innovations, challenges and prospects

Quarantine pests pose a global threat to agriculture, causing annual crop losses of up to 30%. Due to climate change and developed international trade, the emergence of new large suppliers of seeds and planting material, as well as finished products, it is necessary to promptly respond to new challenges – to improve existing approaches and develop new solutions to ensure food security, analyze pest risks with the most accurate and rapid methods. Traditional detection methods, such as microbiological culture and serological tests, require significant time (up to 14 days) and are often not specific enough. Molecular genetic approaches based on DNA / RNA analysis can solve these problems, providing early detection of pathogens before symptoms appear, differentiation of strains at the genome level, monitoring resistance to antibiotics and pesticides, the ability to assess the effectiveness of protective equipment, and detection of latent pathogens in the absence of external manifestations. Modern molecular genetic technologies are revolutionizing the diagnosis of quarantine pests, bacteria, fungi, oomycetes and viruses. The article presents an analysis of methods, including the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), isothermal amplification (LAMP), next-generation sequencing (NGS) and CRISPR systems, with an emphasis on their unique advantages, existing limitations and practical applications. Particular attention is paid to the integration of these technologies into phytosanitary monitoring to prevent the spread of quarantine and agriculturally significant organisms. Practical results obtained using molecular genetic methods demonstrate that a combination of methods significantly improves the accuracy of diagnostics, and the development of portable platforms expands the possibilities of field research.

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