INCIDENCE OF VIRUSES IN THE U.S. NATIONAL CLONAL GERMPLASM REPOSITORY RIBES AND RUBUS COLLECTIONS

Germplasm collections maintained at the National Clonal Germplasm Repository presently include 215 clonal accessions of 39 Ribes species and 566 clonal accessions of 76 Rubus species.
Both cultivars and wild genotypes are represented.
Each clonal accession is tested for viruses by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), inoculation of sensitive indicator plants, and visual observation of virus symptoms on clones.
Viruses have been detected in 17.2% of Ribes clones and 16.8% of Rubus clones received by the repository. Ribes accessions were found to be infected with tomato ringspot virus (2 clones), and vein banding virus (35 clones). Rubus accessions were found to be infected with raspberry bushy dwarf virus (26 clones), tobacco streak virus (13 clones), tomato ringspot virus (2 clones), and one or more components of the raspberry mosaic virus complex (41 clones). All virus infected Ribes plants were cultivars, and 76% of infected Rubus plants were cultivars.
Efforts are underway to produce virus negative replacement plants through heat therapy and in vitro meristem culture.

V International Symposium on Rubus and Ribes

Joseph D. Postman

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1989.262.31