There is a process, maybe used in Australia too, that cures grape vine cuttings of virus by immersing in hot water for a number of minutes. I tried this process on some of the first plants to come back with a positive test. All leaves were lost, and most plants did not recover, but I am convinced the percentage of recovery could be greatly improved with the use of some really good systemic fungicides. The few that did grow on to be very small starts had very bad leaf and bulb spotting that was obviously a continuation of the virus.
Just getting the virused plants out of the greenhouse is a comfort, as I am concerned about something as simple as bumping a green root tip against a wall or bench top, and having the wounded root pick up something from greenhouse surfaces. I am not worrying about the plants just sitting next to each other, as it does take an open wound to allow transmission. Cynthia "Interesting. Of course, knowing that the plant is infected does not take one much further forward, unless you throw it out. I recall some Australian experiments (on crop plants) which showed that in common with the sort of virus that you or I encounter, high temperatures upset the ability of the virus to reproduce. They put infected plants in chambers with light, 100% humidity and a temperature around 55C for a couple of weeks, from which they emerged pale, thin and virus free. I suspect orchids would emerge virus free because they, like the viruses, were dead." Oliver Sparrow +44 (0)1628 823187 www.chforum.org _______________________________________________ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [email protected] http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
