The Adaptation of Silica Capture RT-PCR for the Detection of Potato Virus Y

In Poland, it is mandatory to index seed tubers for Potato virus Y (PVY), Potato virus M (PVM) and Potato leafroll virus (PLRV). Currently, the incidence of viral infection in seed tubers is determined by grow-out test. Direct testing of tubers after harvest by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) can be beneficial but its application is so far hampered by the high cost of commercial kits for RNA isolation and poor usability of manual methods for routine diagnostics. In this work, we compare several commercial kits with the silica capture RT-PCR (SC-RT-PCR) for direct detection of PVY. The silica capture of RNA in conjunction with optimized PCR conditions facilitates quick and sensitive detection of PVY and offers cost effective and reliable alternative to commercial kits.