What are bioassays?

Bioassays are controlled resistance tests in which plants are inoculated with a selected pathogen strain and grown under consistent conditions. This approach provides insight into the real behaviour of genotypes when exposed to disease pressure, supporting informed breeding decisions.

Eurofins offers in vivo assays for major horticultural crops and a wide range of fungal, bacterial and viral pathogens.

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Why test seeds?

Seed-borne pathogens and genetic variation can have major consequences for growers, breeders and producers. Testing provides:

• Early detection of seed-transmitted fungi, bacteria and viruses
• Confidence in seed purity before commercial use
• Prevention of disease introduction into greenhouses or fields
• Verification of genotype identity for breeding lines and seed lots
• Support for certification, quality schemes and research programmes

Healthy, genetically consistent seeds form the foundation for strong and uniform crops.

Why use controlled in vivo resistance trials?

Natural field infections are unpredictable and inconsistent. Controlled bioassays overcome these limitations by providing:

• Consistent inoculation with a pathogen of defined virulence
• Uniform growing conditions for all tested plants
• Reliable comparison between genotypes
• The ability to test at any time of year
• Flexibility to change pathogen strains or environmental settings

This level of control increases the reproducibility of results and supports screening programmes where precision is essential.

How the trials work

Plants are inoculated with the target pathogen and placed in a phytotron where temperature, humidity and photoperiod are monitored throughout the test. Disease expression is recorded to confirm resistance levels, validate genotype selections or verify marker-assisted selections.

These tests can also support in vivo confirmation of genotypes previously identified through molecular markers.

When to use bioassays

Bioassays are suitable when:

• Breeding for resistance to fungal, bacterial or viral pathogens
• Verifying phenotypes selected through molecular markers
• Field infections are inconsistent or difficult to reproduce
• Year-round screening is required
• Specific pathogen strains must be tested under defined conditions

This service supports breeders who require dependable, repeatable screening to accelerate the development of resilient horticultural varieties.