DETECTION OF NECROTIC RINGSPOT AND PRUNE DWARF VIRUSES BY INDEXING DORMANT CHERRY BUDS ON HERBACEOUS PLANTS

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Abstract
Trituration of dormant cherry buds in a 2.5% nicotine solution at the rate of 0.1 ml per 0.02 g bud tissue and inoculation of herbaceous plants with this mixture is a reliable method of indexing sour cherries for the necrotic ringspot and prune dwarf (= sour cherry yellows) viruses. These viruses were detected in buds collected from late October through to bud break in the spring. Some month-to-month and tree-to-tree variations were shown. No virus was recovered when a sodium diethyldithiocarbamate buffer replaced nicotine as the trituration medium. As compared with the forced-bud method the dormant-bud technique can be used over a longer period with a considerable saving in time and greenhouse space.