In article <5aj5uc$jgt at net.bio.net>, latte at ix.netcom.com says...
>>>We have had a problem with a virulent strain of tobacco virus mosaic
>in commercial vegetable growing.A consultant(not trained in
>virology)has told us we need to control the viral vector, which is
>aphids. He postulates that the carrier of the virus is a native grass
>or weed in adjacent areas. He claims that we don't have to worry
>about the virus living in the fields we farm, because the virus will
>die when we plow the fields in the fall. Therefore crop rotation is
>irrelevant in viral control. Question: could the virus survive in
>dead or possibly slow decaying plants ? Thank you Rich
I am a plant virologist. Your situation is still unclear that which
virus species caused problem. Tobaco mosaic virus (TMV) or virus that
causes mosaic on tobacco (Could be TMV, PVY or other virus). If the
problem was caused by TMV, the advice that your consultant gave was
completely wrong. If another (or other) virus was problem, that advice
was partially correct. I think it is very important to identify the
agent. The answer of your question is if the virus is TMV, they can
survive in dying or dead plant well (means years) specially if the
plant is dry. In the soil they do not die for at least one year. But
another virus species such as PVY (Potato virus Y), they can not
survive well as TMV. So I recommend you to identify your nasty virus
at first then think about solution.
Good luck!
