Rapid and Accurate Detection of
Venturia inaequalis
in Apple Trees Using Loop‐Mediated Isothermal Amplification (
LAMP
)
Hongjie Qian, Songchu Shang, Ziyu Song, Hailong Liu, Liangsheng Xu, Lili Huang ABSTRACT
Apple scab, caused by the fungus Venturia inaequalis , is a major disease that leads to severe economic losses in apple production. Effective management relies on early and accurate detection of the pathogen. In this study, we developed a loop‐mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay for rapid, specific and sensitive identification of V. inaequalis . Using the conserved translation EF‐1α gene, we designed LAMP primers and optimised reaction conditions, which were set at 65°C for 20 min. The assay was highly specific to V. inaequalis and showed no cross‐reactivity with other common fungal pathogens of apple. The detection limit was determined to be 100 fg/μL of genomic DNA. The assay was validated using naturally infected apple leaves collected from the field. This simple and efficient LAMP protocol enables early diagnosis of apple scab and provides a practical tool for field‐based monitoring and timely disease control.