virus

[Arno Clement]

Yes, Arisaema's are very susceptible to virus. About 5 years ago I did follow a course in finding virus infected tulips in the field. Before that time I was always under the impression that a virus plant would have every year a very distinct mosaic pattern, but that is not the case.

A virus infected plant can look healthy one year but can show symptoms the other year, and the symptoms don't stay visible they whole growing season but usually only in the first two weeks of emerging from the soil.

After that course I started to look with different eyes at my plants and I did notice some plants with markings on the leafs, they were not mosaic's the leafs were just a different colour. Usually more greyish with light green spots, I did place one photo in the Arisaema-L florapix gallary of an A. candidissium leaf with virus symptoms.

I did send some leaf material to a laboratory for ELISA virus testing, and over the years they did find four different viruses, Poty-A, ZaMv, INSV and CMV. The past 4 years I did throwaway about 4 % of my collection and at this moment I am almost clean, you will never be 100 % but when you keep an watchful eye on the plants when they emerge from the soil and place every suspicious plant in quarantine you can keep the infection at a very low level.

A. candidissimum has a very high level of virus infection, 4 year ago I did have 12 plants and at this moment only 1 remains all the others did have a positive result with the ELISA test. I think that most of the A. candidissium's  tubers that Chen-Yi sells has an virus infection.

Arno



> Datum: 29/06/08 11:22 AM
> Van: "Wim Boens"
> Aan: ARISAEMA-L at NIC.SURFNET.NL
> CC:
> Onderwerp : virus
>
>
Hello

Are Arisaema's succeptible to virusses? I have some A. candidissimums that have yellow mottled leaves? They look strong and are growing good and flowering...

Wim
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