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BACKGROUND Plant pathogens are commonly identified in the field by the typical disease symptoms that they can cause. The efficient early detection and identification of pathogens are essential procedures to adopt effective management practices that reduce or prevent their spread in order to mitigate the negative impacts of the disease. Herein, in this review were presented and discussed the traditional and innovative methods for early detection of the pathogen. In addition, they highlighted the major advantages and limitations of current technologies. RESULTS traditional techniques of diagnosis used for plant pathogen identification are focused typically on the DNA, RNA (when molecular methods), and proteins or peptides (when serological methods) of the pathogens. Serological methods based on mainly enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) are the most common method used for pathogen detection due to their high-throughput potential and low cost. This technique is not particularly reliable and sufficiently sensitive for many pathogens detection during the asymptomatic stage of infection. For non-cultivable pathogens in the laboratory, nucleic acid-based technology is the best choice for consistent pathogen detection or identification. Lateral flow systems are innovative tools that allow fast and accurate results even in the field conditions, but they have sensitivity issues to be overcome. PCR assays performed on last-generation portable thermocyclers may provide rapid detection results in situ. CONCLUSION The advent of portable instruments can speed pathogen detection, reduce commercial costs, and potentially can revolutionize plant pathology. This review provides information on current methodologies and procedures for the effective detection of different plant pathogens. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.