Viruses of Ornamental – Identification and Diagnosis

Abstract

Advancement in mass clonal propagation and its impact on floriculture industry is pressing for elite propagules. Besides the emphasis on cut flowers, the market demand is getting higher for pot plants, miniculture and foliage plants. The twin demand of high quality propagating material and agrotechniques for specific target has made conspicuous the role of diagnosis of viral diseases in ornamental plants. The ornamental plants are conducive to the multiplication and spread of viruses. Mostly orna-mental plants are vegetatively propagated and the viruses and virus like pathogens transmitted mechanically. A small member of infected plants in a production area can adversely affect the quality of the net product. Cutting for mass multiplication may be obtained either from growers own stock or specialist propagators. The problem is intensified by the fact that most field grown plants are virus-infected and also that symptoms may be masked or disappeared due to environmental conditions. The methodologies for detection of virus in ornamentals has become essential to the ornamental industrial as no practical treatments exist to cure virus-infected material in the field. The uses of virus free propagating material thus has been used in controlling virus diseases of ornamental crops.