by Carolyn Bernhardt
June 13, 2025
A fast-moving fungal disease that cuts off water supply to Minnesota’s oak trees, oak wilt has caused an estimated $60 million in damages to forests and neighborhoods across the state. With no cure yet available, early detection is more important than ever.
But there’s good news: a new rapid test for oak wilt is now available and ready for land manager use in the field. Developed by Abdennour Abbas, PhD, an associate professor in the Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering in the College of Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resource Sciences, and his team, the test kit detects oak wilt quickly and easily, even outside the lab. After years of research funded by the Minnesota Invasive Terrestrial Pests and Plants Center (MITPPC), this breakthrough technology is taking its next big step: reaching the hands of those who need it most. Thanks to funding from the USDA Forest Service, the test is now freely available to public organizations across the country.
Fast, affordable, and field-ready
Traditional oak wilt testing methods rely on polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which can be slow, complex, and dependent on expensive equipment and time-consuming lab procedures. Recognizing these challenges, Abbas and his team turned to a more efficient solution: Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP).
Unlike PCR, LAMP amplifies specific DNA sequences at a constant temperature, making it significantly faster and more straightforward, allowing for quicker pathogen detection. The test provides immediate, colorimetric results, visible to the naked eye. This not only speeds up the process but also ensures high accuracy within just 30 minutes.
The test’s simplicity could revolutionize field testing, helping land managers catch the disease early. LAMP is a common testing method used in various fields, including medical diagnostics and environmental testing. However, Abbas' team is the first to apply it to oak wilt detection.
Each test costs $17 for private companies—a fraction of the cost of standard lab testing. But for public agencies like departments of natural resources, Abbas hopes the test will be fully covered by federal funding.
Tested in the field—and it works
According to Abbas, the team has already conducted a successful field trial with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, and the test is already in use in Iowa and Texas. Now, he hopes to ship tests nationwide and gather user feedback to make any necessary improvements. “We want feedback on user-friendliness, and how it can be made more accessible in the future,” he says.
The release lines up with the best season for testing: spring and summer, when trees are actively growing and symptoms are easier to detect. Interested agencies can request the kit by contacting Dr. Abbas directly. State agencies and other public land managers can get the kit for free—at least for now—thanks to the USDA Forest Service grant. “You don’t have to worry about placing an order or paying. Just send us your request, and you’ll receive it within a few days,” says Abbas. “If agencies find it useful, we hope the USDA will continue to support it annually.” He says this season is something of a complimentary introduction to the technology for participating agencies. Abbas and his team can also help participants apply to USDA funding for future seasons of using the test kits.
Private companies, such as tree care businesses that inspect for tree health and disease, will need to purchase it. Each box contains between 50 and 200 tests, and each test is only $17. Users also gain access to training protocols, tutorial videos, and can even request troubleshooting sessions, as needed.
This isn’t just about oak wilt, though. “This technology can be applied to any pathogen, and we just demonstrated it with oak wilt and with root rot in soybean,” says Abbas. His team has started testing LAMP assays on soybean disease detection.
With the new oak wilt testing kit now ready for use, land managers across the country have a powerful tool to thwart oak wilt’s speedy spread.