Improving molecular diagnostics for the detection of lethal disease phytoplasma of coconut in Ghana

Accurate and timely detection is important for the control of lethal disease of coconut in Ghana. To improve on the detection of the phytoplasmas involved, multiplex PCR with an in-built internal control and a real-time loop mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) were used to eliminate false negative results and minimise cross-over contamination. Real-time LAMP provided a fast and reliable means of diagnosis.