Production of Cucumber mosaic virus-free chrysanthemums by meristem tip culture

Abstract

Chrysanthemum cv. Regol Time was found infected with a viral disease showing characteristic chlorotic spots on leaves and stunting of plants. The virus was identified as Cucumber mosaic cucumovirus (CMV) on the basis of mechanical inoculation on Chenopodium amaranticolor and Cucumis sativus, DAS-ELISA and RT-PCR. CMV was eliminated from chrysanthemum plants using meristem tip culture. MS medium amended with BAP (2 mg/l) and IBA (0.05 mg/l) was used for shoot proliferation and IBA (0.05 mg/l) for rooting of the plants. Virus-free plants (84%) were obtained from the optimum size (0.3 mm) of meristem tips (as indexed by DAS-ELISA). Of these, 72% plants were found negative for CMV as indexed by RT-PCR. Virus indexing by RT-PCR was found to be a reliable method.