Quality of methods to quantify microsclerotia of Verticillium dahliae in soil

Existing methods used to quantify microsclerotia of Verticillium dahliae in soil are reviewed. Most quantification methods are soil-type dependent, but are useful for disease prediction within certain soils. The major factor determining the accuracy of dry plating methods is the amount of soil plated per Petri dish. Wet plating methods are less sensitive to higher amounts of soil, especially when the fraction smaller than 20 mum is removed by wet sieving. Despite general assumptions, wet plating methods do not have lower detection limits than dry plating methods. Dry plating methods are less variable at higher inoculum levels, but more variable at low inoculum levels. Bioassays are helpful tools in answering specific research questions, but are not convenient for large scale use. Molecular quantification techniques are promising, because they are not hampered by antagonistic effects, but data on their disease predictive abilities are still largely lacking. Suggestions are given for a better comparison of techniques, and some original results are presented to illustrate certain arguments.