We are pleased to announce that we have successfully developed and commercialized the industries first rapid diagnostic, the POTYVIRUS Flashkit®, for detection of Potyviruses.
The Potyvirus genus consists of at least 118 viruses that can infect hundreds of plant species. Potyviruses are aphid transmitted, although other means of transmission are possible, which contributes to the rapid spread of the pathogen in host crops. Symptoms will vary among infected plants depending on the host and the Potyvirus that has infected it. Affected crops may perform poorly in the field and / or produce unmarketable fruit. Some Potyviruses, like Plum pox virus, also have regulatory impacts if detected.

Agdia-Emea’s POTY Flashkit® provides growers a new tool for detection and surveillance of Potyviruses. The test has been validated to detect more than 40 viruses within the Potyvirus genus and can be used to test more than 50 crops. That list will continue to expand as more validation data is produced. Flashkit® tests are grower-friendly and do not require special laboratory skills to use. The Flashkit® test is comparable in sensitivity and reliability to other antibody-based laboratory methods such as ELISA.
To perform the test a user would tear off a piece of suspicious plant material and insert it into an extraction bag included with a test kit. Once the plant tissue has been extracted by rubbing it with a pen or marker, the Flashkit® is inserted directly into the bag which initiates the test. As the test runs, one or two lines will appear indicating a negative or positive result, respectively. We recommend allowing the test to run 30 minutes, but positive results may be visible in 5 minutes or less.
The POTY Flashkit® is offered in kits of 5 and 25 tests. Flashkit® includes everything necessary to perform a test except scissors and is warranted for 1 year.

ImmunoStrips is a registered trademark of Agdia Inc.. ImmunoStrips are trademarked and marketed in EMEA under the name Flashkit.