Institute of Plant Protection - National Research Institute

The Plant Disease Clinic of the Institute of Plant Protection – NRI in Poznań was established in March 2011 as a benchmark facility in the European Union funded project (WND-POIG.02.01.00-30-069/09-01) “Laboratory upgrades for better innovation in plant protection research and economy strengthening measures ". The project was financed under Measure 2.1 “Development of sites with high research potential” Priority 2 “R&D infrastructure”, Innovative Economy Operational Program 2007–2013. In May, the Clinic was accredited (AB 1435 certificate) for compliance with the PN-EN ISO 17025 standard.

 The Plant Disease Clinic offers commercial solutions for agricultural and horticultural producers, breeding companies and phytosanitary services. The Clinic is Poland’s only research facility to provide the services of detecting and identifying vegetable and agricultural plant pathogens and specifically:

• viruses and viroids, including accredited tests for cucumber mosaic virus and pepino mosaic virus using the RT-PCR technique,
• bacteria, including an accredited test for the presence of phytopathogenic bacteria with biochemical confirmation (BIOLOG system, GEN III),
• fungi and phytoplasma by molecular methods.

In addition, the Clinic conducts studies on:

• the effectiveness of measures used to reduce the occurrence of plant pathogens in confined spaces and measures to disinfect surfaces and tools,
• differentiation of pathogen populations for the purpose of improving their diagnostics and breeding immune varieties,
• the disease pathogens in crop plants kept at the IPP – NRI Pathogen Bank.

The high genetic diversity of the pathogen populations of some species prevents their detection by currently available methods. It is therefore necessary to develop new, sensitive techniques for the detection of a wide spectrum of isolates. At the Clinic, we use molecular biology and biotechnology to develop advanced diagnostic techniques for the detection of various pathogen species commonly occurring in low concentrations in infested plants. Our other goal is to implement the diagnostic techniques for direct application in the field and in greenhouses. We are additionally researching the application of short RNA molecules as innovative plant protection products against viruses.

We have a passion for research on the improvement, development and implementation of modern diagnostic techniques for rapid and effective pathogen detection to prevent their spread in crops. We support and educate young researchers in relevant fields with MA and PhD student workshops and training.

To learn more on our services and activities, visit the Plant Disease Clinic website (www.kchr.pl), where, in addition to information on recent developments in phytopathology, we publish articles on plant pathogens for both practical and research applications.

Should you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us.