Diagnosis and Management of Viruses Infecting Ornamental Plants

Abstract

Floriculture has flourished as an important commercial sector of agriculture in the last few decades. Ornamental plants are an important part of the global horticulture industry. They are cherished for their esthetic value and used around the world for enhancing the beauty and the impact of a landscape. The demand of high-quality propagating material and agrotechniques for specific objectives has made the role of diagnosis of viral diseases in ornamental plants a conspicuous activity. The ornamental plants are more conducive to the multiplication and spread of viruses. Mostly ornamental plants are vegetatively propagated, and the viruses and virus-like pathogens are transmitted mechanically. A small number of infected plants in a production area can antagonistically influence the quality of the net product. The problem is heightened by the fact that most field-grown plants are virus-infected and also that symptom may be masked or vanished due to environmental conditions. Many a times, lack of knowledge and absence of information on proper identification of the pests and diseases often results in more input costs and losses as the right management is not opted. Identification and diagnosis of pests and diseases involve many processes and diagnostic tests. In most of the cases, failure to identify the right cause results in major crop loss and heavy chemical inputs in agriculture in general and floriculture in particular. Many of the morphological manifestations of pests and diseases are often misunderstood as novel variations in the case 198of ornamental crops, and they are multiplied and distributed across the country. Thus, the right identification of a pest or disease attack or a nutrient deficiency at the right time is vitally important for undertaking the right decisions for saving the crop from damages. Plant viruses are widespread and economically important plant pathogens, cause significant economic losses in ornamentals. Vegetative propagation, changed cultural practices, worldwide exchange, and movement of planting materials to newer zones with different climatic conditions lead to the spread of pathogens and disease outbreaks. To manage viral diseases, it is essential to diagnose the viruses efficiently and effectively. Recent advances in molecular techniques have gained importance leading to reliable detection of these viral pathogens. The methodologies for detection of viruses in ornamentals have become indispensable to the ornamental industry as no practical remedy exists against viruses in the field. In the present chapter, we have tried our best to describe the diagnosis and management of different viruses occurring in important ornamental plants.