Can you give a brief explanation of ELISA techniques please?
> I know that in some orchid collections (my own particular speciality), more
> than half the specimens have been found infected, although not showing any
> obvious symptoms.
>
> I want to hit on this, because it is so easy to overlook. Aphid
> infestations are pretty obvious, and bacterial fungal infections can also
> be relatively easy to detect. Virus sometimes is not, and can be easily
> spread through exchange of plant divisions/propagations.
I was talking to someone last night about virii in CP's. She
knows a couple of people who are into orchids and CP's, and who
found out that some/most of their (wild collected, I believe) Neps
had some virus. I guess because they didn't want to risk infection
of their orchids, they immediately burnt all the Neps (some of
which were the only specimens in the country).
Various questions wandering around my brain:
Is it possible for an entire species of Nep (pick one with a
small distribution) to be infected with a virus?
Is is possible to eliminate the virus from a plant (at least
propagate it in such a way that the virus doesn't get carried)?
(Are virii carried with pollen? - maybe we could think of endemic
virii almost like mitochondria)
Cheers,
Len.