Propagation, virus-screening and heat therapy of northern hemisphere imports of Ribes, Rubus, and Vaccinium

Abstract

In a plant quarantine station administered by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) from 1954 to 1987, a system was developed whereby Ribes, Rubus, and Vaccinium plant material, imported from the northern hemisphere, was propagated and virus indexed in a little over 2 years with three simulated growing seasons. A virus indexing procedure, introduced in the early 1970s, showed that most cultivars were virus free. However, infections of cucmnber mosaic, raspberry bushy dwarf, black raspberry necrosis, raspberry vein chlorosis, and several unidentified viruses, were detected. Heat therapy was used to eliminate cucumber mosaic virus from cultivars of both Ribes and Rubus, and raspberry bushy dwarf virus and black raspberry necrosis virus from cultivars of Rubus. Tomato ringspot and tobacco streak were found in subsequent virus tests of earlier importations of Ribes and Rubus.

Keywords:

• Ribes
• Rubus
• Vaccinium
• plant propagation
• plant viruses
• indexing methods
• quarantine
• Imports
• heat therapy