HVX and TC

[Pieter]

It would appear as if at least more than a few are under the impression that the TC process eliminates HVX. To me that does not sound right. The TC process works with live tissue. If the live tissue is infected it stands to reason that the infection simply continues on during the growing process. Seems to me I have seen warnings of S&S sports from HVX infected S&S stock.

Am I missing something here?

[planwerk]

No, you are completely right.
The point is that all TC-plants need to be tested before propagated. If they aren't you can easily get a infected plant.

And often TC-plants go into the ground for a year before being sold and are infected while harvested when they get in contact with infected batches. That was the main problem in Europe (Netherlands).
Chris, just correct me if I'm wrong.

Happy Eastern, anyway.

planwerk

[thy]

.. or in the recyckling water washing the roots...

Could be the reason it showed up in US before in Europe... but no one know for sure...
Thats what Ben Lochard hope to verify

God explanation Sugar

[planwerk]

.. or in the recyckling water washing the roots...
God explanation Sugar

right, was to lazy to write it down,
Thanks for adding DD*






* = Danish Dynamite

[Chris_W]

Hi Pieter,

I was told once by someone who works at one of the major labs that tissue culture cleans up viruses

So I checked into it more and read a couple interesting articles which indicated that a plant such as a hosta may have a lower concentration or possibly no virus present in the tip or shoot used to do tissue culturing. HOWEVER, the articles indicated that this was only true with SOME viruses and not all of them, but they didn't have a list of which ones did or did not have this characteristic.

But I've seen enough evidence to lead me to believe that this is not true for Hosta Virus X. First I have learned of cases of HVX being found in tissue culture plants right from the TC sellers. Second I heard of cases where hostas with virus-like symptoms lost those symptoms immediately after tissue culture but then those symptoms showed up later. That tells me that the concentration may be very low in the tissue used to make the culture, but it was still there and just took some time to show itself again.

While I think it might be possible to isolate some clean tissue from a virused plant through tissue culturing it would take a very long time and a lot of effort and a lot of testing to be able to prove that the babies were not virused.

With all of the handling that goes on with hostas in the wholesale production, whether it is from tissue culture or field grown, there are many different ways for plant to possibly get infected. We are constantly cutting, handling, packaging, potting, trimming, dividing... That's why we have to follow excellent sanitation practices to keep from spreading it, no matter how the plants are being produced.

[Pieter]

Thanks Chris, that confirms my suspicions. You were at it kinda late weren't you, you wouldn't have been early.......This being a very busy time for nurseries I'm surprised you actually DID find the time, way to go!

[DryGulch]

Q & Z's catalog came out with a statement that all cultivar in their catalog have been tested for HVX and all know viruses and have tested negative before being put into tissue culture.

[Pieter]

Q & Z's catalog came out with a statement that all cultivar in their catalog have been tested for HVX and all know viruses and have tested negative before being put into tissue culture.

That's great to hear, good on them. But they're only one TC lab and while I have never had any dealings with them, judging from their website they strike me as a very conscientious, well run business. By the same token, I rather suspect there are others out there, both here and overseas, who are concerned mostly with production and quantity, and care very little about whether or not the OS they start out with has been tested. As always, caveat emptor.