Optimising post-harvest strategies for sustainable management of finger lime

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.