Agdia, Inc. (Elkhart, IN) has added another test kit to their Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) diagnostic suite. AmplifyRP^® XRT for ToBRFV is the second of three ToBRFV diagnostic assays to be launched by Agdia in the first half of 2021. Their high-specificity ELISA assay for ToBRFV was released on January 7. An ImmunoStrip^® lateral flow device for ToBRFV is expected to be released in the coming months (Q1 or Q2 of 2021.)

Agdia’s AmplifyRP® XRT for ToBRFV has been validated for use with tomato and pepper seeds and leaf. As a rapid, field-deployable molecular method requiring far less training than traditional PCR methods, this assay provides users with greater flexibility to deploy detection capabilities where they need it, when they need it. Use cases for this assay include:

• Laboratory-based molecular diagnosis with crude or purified extracts with faster time-to-result than traditional PCR or qPCR methods. This assay can be used with Agdia’s AmpliFire^® isothermal fluorometer or with most commonly-used real-time PCR machines.
• In-field monitoring at remote production sites as a stand-alone assay.
• Directly test ELISA extracts for molecular confirmation of serological screening results, allowing you to act immediately to address production issues.

Agdia’s AmplifyRP^® XRT for ToBRFV is highly specific to ToBRFV and has been experimentally proven to detect isolates from around the world. No cross-reactivity was observed with high titer samples from other Tobamoviruses, including Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (CGMMV), Kyuri green mottle mosaic virus (KGMMV), Pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV), Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), Tomato mosaic virus (ToMV), Tobacco mild green mosaic virus (TMGMV), Zucchini Green Mottle Mosaic Virus (ZGMMV) and more.

Tomato brown rugose fruit virus is a resistance-breaking Tobamovirus that causes severe economic losses in solanaceous crops, including Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) and Capsicum spp. (pepper). It causes symptoms typical of Tobamoviruses that include mosaic and chlorosis on the leaves and discoloration and deformation of the fruit.  These symptoms decrease yield and render fruit unmarketable.

Tomato and pepper seeds, transplants and fruits from certain countries are subject to a USDA-APHIS Federal Import Order in the United States. Tomato brown rugose fruit virus has also been classified as a quarantine pathogen by EPPO (European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization).