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Finger lime (Citrus australasica), an Australian native citrus with high commercial potential, faces significant challenges, including short shelf life, physiological disorders, preharvest and postharvest diseases such as Diaporthe citri, a common pathogen across multiple citrus species. Early and accurate detection of this pathogen is essential for sustainable disease management and minimising postharvest losses. This project is developing a highly sensitive, rapid, field-deployable, CRISPR-Cas12a-based molecular diagnostic tool for detection of Diaporthe citri, integrated with a lateral flow assay (LFA) for easy visual detection. This novel system enables on-site disease identification within approximately 60 minutes, providing growers with real-time disease surveillance.
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