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Disease Detection and Losses

Sampling Procedures for Determining Endophyte Content in Tall Fescue Seed Lots by ELISA. M. C. Johnson, USDA, ARS, and Department of Plant Pathology; R. L. Anderson, Administration, College of Agriculture; R. J. Kryscio, Department of Statistics; all at University of Kentucky, Lexington 40546; and M. R. Siegel, USDA, ARS, and Department of Plant Pathology. Phytopathology 73:1406-1409. Accepted for publication 28 April 1983. Copyright 1983 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-73-1406.

A two-stage sampling procedure was developed to test for endophyte content in tall fescue seed lots by means of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Of ten tall fescue seed lots assayed, four were rejected as unacceptable according to the two-stage sampling plan that was used. Antigens of the fungus were easily detected in samples consisting of only one endophyte-infected seed extracted along with as many as 19 endophyte-free seeds. Seed containing nonviable fungus also reacted positive in our ELISA system.