摘要：Designing primers for PCR-based diagnostics was achieved by executing sight searches on DNA sequences. Visual searching for specific DNA targets is time consuming, subjective and requires optimisation among numerous candidate primer sets. Several primer design software have been linked to useful bioinformatic packages to speed the development of PCR assays. Despite the software options available, primer design has remained a challenging aspect of incursion responses, biosecurity emergencies and microbial forensic applications. Two surveys were conducted among 45 plant virologists and 21 other plant pathologists during the 7th Australasian Plant Virology Workshop and the 16th Biennial Australasian Plant Pathology Conference in 2006 and 2007, respectively. Results show that most primer design learning occurs scientist to scientist rather than during academic teaching. This tendency matches with 16% of scientists users of PCR, who do not engage in primer design and 25% designing primers only by visual means, combining a pool of 41% who if trained, would likely enhance their performance in primer design. Only 13 out of 58 scientists ranked themselves as experts. Implementing primer design in study programs and regional training will benefit plant pathology and entomology, and the responsiveness and performance of biosecurity and microbial forensics in the South Pacific.