PhytoGuard® and how it works
Irrigate. Concentrate. Test. A simple and cost effective system used for early detection of Phytophthora in individual plants, batch plants, soil and water.
Find out how.
The PhytoGuard® System
Phytophthora is a microscopic, soil-borne and aggressive plant pathogen, but understanding its biology gives us the tools to fight back. When triggered by water, Phytophthora releases motile zoospores that swim through soil water in search of a new host, a behaviour plant pathologists have exploited for decades using a technique known as baiting. PhytoGuard® turns that biology into a vulnerability by simulating the conditions that trigger zoospore release, allowing us to capture, concentrate, and detect the pathogen before it has a chance to impact your project.
PhytoGuard® is a next generation system which provides detection that is faster,
more sensitive, and cost-effective.
Animation produced by Ell Donegan elldonegan082@gmail.com
Built on Proven Science
PhytoGuard® is built on the foundational research of Ted Swiecki, who developed a standardised method for detecting living Phytophthora in arrays of container nursery plants. Their work showed that by repeatedly irrigating plants with an optimal frequency, Phytophthora released zoospores into the leachate that could be concentrated using a zoospore collection vessel and baited with pear baits. PhytoGuard® extends that foundation into a modern detection platform designed for greater speed, sensitivity, and cost-efficiency across nurseries, field programs, and diagnostic laboratories.
Swiecki, T. J., Bernhardt, E. A., & McClanahan, S. G. (2024). Validating and Optimizing a Method for Detecting Phytophthora Species by Baiting Leachate from Arrays of Container Nursery Plants. PhytoFrontiers, 4: 14-30.
Four Key Advances
IrriGuard®
An automated, programmable irrigation unit that standardises water delivery and removes operator variability.
PhytoBait®
A standardised selective substrate that attracts a wider diversity of Phytophthora species while reducing interference from Pythium and other organisms, and is ready for direct DNA extraction.
PathTrap®
A purpose-built collection device that concentrates leachate from batch plants, bulk soil, mulch, and water samples.
qPCR TaqMan detection
Designed to integrate with diagnostic laboratory workflows, reducing turnaround time from days or weeks to hours.
Where other methods rely on manual irrigation, biological baits, and a visual inspection process taking weeks, PhytoGuard® automates and accelerates every step, reducing costs and with higher sensitivity.
From Nursery Bench to the Lab
PhytoGuard® extends well beyond the nursery bench, providing a flexible detection platform for plants, bulk stock, soil, mulch, water, and diagnostic laboratories. Whether used for incoming nursery stock, restoration projects, quarry materials, irrigation systems, or routine diagnostic testing, the system delivers sensitive, repeatable results across a wide range of real-world applications.
PhytoGuard® is also designed to fit within diagnostic laboratory workflows, making it easier to scale testing, improve turnaround times, and support high-volume plant health surveillance. Its use at the Botanic Gardens of Sydney’s PlantClinic shows how the platform can operate not only in the field, but as part of an established diagnostic lab service.
Want to see PhytoGuard® at your site?
Contact us and one of our experts will tailor a detection program to your needs.