Development of a diagnostic tool to assess risk levels of pea foot rot pathogens in soils

Foot rot disease in peas causes great yield losses and reduces the quality of peas. The disease is caused

by several pathogens in soils which cannot be chemically controlled. Severity of disease is determined

by pathogen levels in soils, soil structure and weather conditions. Measuring pathogen levels in soil

before planting peas holds the potential to reduce disease development. The project will develop

molecular tests to quantify foot rot pathogens in soils and levels will be linked to yield loss. This will

provide a risk assessment tool for pea growers helping them to choose fields with healthy soils for

growing high quality peas. Efficiency of pea production in the UK will be increased and the use of land,

water, energy and fertilisers will be reduced.