Rapid In Vitro Indexing Of Grapevine Viral Diseases: The Effect Of Stress-Inducing Agents On The Diagnosis Of Leafroll

The release of new virus-free propagation material and new cultivars of grapevine would be advanced if more rapid diagnostic methods could be developed. a method enabling rapid in vitro indexing of grapevine leafroll is described. Diseased explants poorly express symptoms when placed in culture. However, when placed under mild stress conditions (4% sorbitol), a variety of distinct symptoms appear within 4 to 8 weeks. This method could potentially replace the conventional 18- to 30-month indexing procedure.