Test of Blood Disease Bacterium (Bdb) Transmission by Potential Insect Vectors

Abstract

Blood disease bacterium (BDB) is one of the important diseases in banana and a major obstacle in developing and increasing banana production in Indonesia. The purpose of this study was to prove the ability of the Drosophilidae insect as a vector in transmitting BDB. The research was conducted at the Insect Biosystematics Laboratory and Plant Bacteriology Laboratory, Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, IPB University. Drosophilidae insects were taken from the field and then reared in laboratory by being fed with ripe bananas to obtain offspring that are free from diseases or pathogens. Imago of the Drosophilidae from rearing was fed by inoculum sources which was infected banana, then inoculated into healthy plants. The plants used were healthy and flowering, heliconia. The results showed that the Drosophilidae insects were able to transmit BDB to heliconia plants that showed symptoms, brownish flower colors and falling flower crowns. Detection of BDB isolated from flower parts and the inside parts of the insects used in transmission test using the PCR method showed positive results.

Development of a Highly Sensitive Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Incorporated with Flocculation of Carbon Particles for Rapid On-Site Diagnosis of Blood Disease Bacterium Banana

“…Scientists have widely proposed the methods of DNA-based molecular diagnostics due to the reliability, sensitivity, and specificity in detecting plant pathogens. Currently, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is the most popular and reliable molecular technique for the detection of BDB [12]. However, PCR-based procedures are time-consuming and laborious to perform outside the laboratory due to the limits imposed by the heavy equipment that ensures the cyclic reactions occur at instinct temperatures.…”