Laboratory Testing

BIOLOGICAL ASSAYS

We use experimental protocols for inoculating susceptible arboreal and herbaceous material (indicator plants), in order to assess absence/presence of pathogens on candidate plants.

ASSAYS

According to the D.R. 8750, 07/09/1998 and 1329, 22/02/2001, CAV’s lab is equipped for microbiological tests (isolation and identification), for serological analysis (direct and indirect ELISA and IFAS), and for molecular tests (PCR, RT-PCR and Real Time PCR).

These accreditations include testing for:
- mites, insect pests, phytoplasms, bacteria, fungi, viruses and viroids of fruit, vegetable and ornamental plants and their multiplication material
- fruit and vegetable cultivar identity profiling.
- grapevine health tests for clone registration (D.M. 25/10/2006).

CULTIVAR IDENTIFICATION

DNA fingerprinting and microsatellite (SSRs) analysis for:
- genetic matching of nursery-multiplied plants
- determine cases of synonymy and homonymy
- identify new cultivars for pending patents
- profile new clones and cultivars for accession to the national health and genetic certification registry as provided by DM 24/07/2003, DM 04/05/2006 and DM 20/11/2006.

MARKER ASSISTED SELECTION (MAS)

Public-sector agencies or private-sector businesses engaged in fruit and vegetable plant breeding can ask our Lab to run genetic tests of their fruit and vegetable parent material used in crosses, for resultant seedlings and subsequent selections. Focused on plant-performance traits like habitus, fruit colour and disease resistance controlled by allelic arrangement, DNA profiling delivers important informations to breeders.