Plant Virus and Viroid Diseases in the Tropics

Download or read book Plant Virus and Viroid Diseases in the Tropics written by K. Subramanya Sastry and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-06-26 with total page 361 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Plant virus and sub-viral pathogens pose severe constraints to the production of wide range of economically important crops worldwide. The crops raised both through true seed and vegetative propagated materials are affected with number of virus and virus-like diseases. The virus may enter into plants through seed planting materials or by vectors. Once the virus is in the field, it multiplies and spreads following definite patterns depending upon the nature of the vector and agro-meteorological conditions. Disease free crops and plants are great economic and social importance in feeding the world's population. Detection of virus and sub-viral agents at initial stages of infection is critical to reduce economic losses. For nearly two decades, ELISA and its variants played a major role in large scale virus testing and also in the production of virus-free planting materials.