Virused Bulbs
William Aley (Mon, 07 Apr 2014 10:19:45 PDT)
And yet some people think the results of viruses and other factors not through breeding are welcomed. for your consideration.
http://virology.ws/2012/03/…
http://apsnet.org/publications/plantdisease/…
The effects of HVX on some hostas can be attractive to many, thus heightening the risk of introducing the virus into the home garden. In addition to the mottling, these symptoms can include making the infected plant more compact and more glaucous. Nursery professionals and home gardeners alike have actually named HVX-infected hostas and offered them as new varieties. by C. H. Falstad
William Aley
Silver Spring, MD
On Apr 7, 2014, at 12:46 PM, Diana Chapman <rarebulbs@suddenlink.net> wrote:
Nhu couldn't have said it better. Let's face it, they are diseased and spreading diseased plant material around the world is not only not a good idea, it is, of course, prohibited (but, realistically the USDAA and other government agencies can't possibly control it). Many share Jerald's view, that virus is not a big deal, many others don't know how to recognize it, and large commercial growers would be put out of business if they had to only sell clean stock. There has been a great deal of effort put in to cleaning up virus in hybrid lilies in the Netherlands, since over several generations they do seem to weaken, and we will lose many wonderful hybrids if nothing is done. Small growers and hobbyists should feel a responsibility to grow virus free stock and share it. I would be mortified if I thought I had sent out virused bulbs, and I have, with great regret, destroyed bulbs given to me that looked suspicious. Grow your bulbs from seed, then you will have virus free b
ulbs, and get rid of anything that looks infected. If you don't, you might be sorry when the virus spreads to other things. And, PLEASE, don't send virused bulbs to the BX.
Diana
Telos Rare Bulbs
On Mon, Apr 7, 2014 at 8:59 AM, Jerald Lehmann <jeraldlehmann@gmail.com>wrote:
Are any bulbs virused in habitat and have been brought into cultivation?
If so, is having that virused bulb really that bad?
In the wild, virused bulbs are weaker than their uninfected counterparts
and tend to be selected out. Therefore the chance of bringing a virused
bulb into cultivation although not impossible, is certainly rare.
As to if it's really bad to have virused bulbs? Absolutely!!
And if a virused bulb can grow and bloom without any signs of loss of
vigor, is having that virused bulb really that bad?
The problem is not with the asymptomatic plant or one without loss of
vigor, but the chance of it spreading to other plants in the collection.
The same virus may not be so bad in one species, but can destroy another.
Viruses can almost come from just about anywhere, such as from the hands
of tobacco users.
That's why we don't let anyone who smokes touch our plants or suggest that
they wash their hands well with soap and warm water before entering the
garden. It's a bit of a social strain, but keeping the collection free of
viruses is priority. We've lost some really old and amazing South African
bulbs due to viruses. Imagine having to dig up and throw out fully mature
Haemanthus nortieri, sanguineus, amarylloides, Brunsvigia herrei, Boophone
haemanthoides and other rare species! It was incredibly heart-wrenching but
had to be done. The plants were infected at some point and each year
produced smaller and smaller leaves and sicker looking plants.
One bad bulb can spoil the rest. You can read more about viruses and how to
keep your collection clean on the wiki Virus page:
http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/…
Nhu
_______________________________________________
pbs mailing list
pbs@lists.ibiblio.org
http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php
http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/
_______________________________________________
pbs mailing list
pbs@lists.ibiblio.org
http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php
http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/