Re: 300 pound stock
>Steve.
>
>I have been notified that while you claim to have a virus resistant stock
>that you did in fact have a virus infested plant last year. Where these
>plants seperated by any great distance or where they growing side by side
>in
>the same garden? It is possible that the plant you think is virus tolerant
>may in fact also be carrying the virus on the seeds but just did not
>exhibit
>the external symptoms the other plant showed.
>
>To the list - Is it possible that all the plants grown in the same garden
>as
>a infected plant could spread the virus?
>
>Regards
>
>Brian
>
Hi there, Brian. Thanks for asking these questions, since some on the list
also have "concerns" on this issue, although they aren't as open minded as
you, to actually ASK for information before you make your decisions. It is
really nice to see!
The reason that I know that my one plant was virus resistant is because a
lot of my other plants HAD virus. (The only way to find resistance is if you
have the virus)! This plant was completely healthy, never had any signs of
any disease.
As for having virus with no external symptoms. Good point! Although in 99%
of all cases there are some visible symptoms, and this plant showed
absolutely none, I wanted to clear it 100%, so I did foliage tests (on all
my plants actually) using a bioindicator under instructions of a
microbiologist, the other plants showed positive, the healthy plant showed
no reaction whatsoever. Then earlier this year, I did more bioindicator
tests on the pulverized seeds. No seeds from any plant showed a positive
result. So I think this was thorough enough to clear the healthy plant of
any possibility of virus infection.
And like I said, there have been growers who have planted a lot of seeds
from clearly virus infected fruit, with NO transmission to the next
generation. With all of the seeds from infected fruit planted, to this date,
there has not been ONE case of it ever transmitting via seed in c. maxima.
Knowing these HARD FACTS, I would not worry much about virus being
transmitted via seed in A.G.'s at all. The evidence shows that it is next to
impossible (if not impossible). But hey if anyone has any contradicting
evidence, please post it. I have been asking for over a year but no one has
come up with anything yet, only evidence of it being transmitted in some
other cucurbits, not c. maxima. No one can argue with the fact that there
has never been one reported case of it happening. And I have a LOT of people
telling me that the seeds from infected fruit that they have planted always
came up with no virus at all, even planted in the same patch.
As for my plants, they were not growing side by side. But the virus spreads
by vectors, usually chewing or sucking insects who transmit infected sap
from one plant to another. A lot of people here go by an "old" method of
pulling up and burning their infected plants. A lot of other TOP GROWERS
continue to grow their plants, especially if they are hit late. These are
respected people in the pumpkin world who know their stuff. MY solution was
actually isolation. I believe my solution (although 100 times more work and
more expensive), theoretically works better, since the entire area
containing the plant is enclosed with polyester (remay), and since it was
late in the season, over that was polyethelene, to basically greenhouse it.
Air was blown in with fans to ensure that it was a good seal. Filtered vents
were at each end and small battery operated fans were used to ensure air
circulation. The idea is to keep VECTORS from passing the virus on. In
addition to all of the physical barriers, the plant was sprayed with a
pyrethrum/rotenone knockdown followed by Sevin, in case the unlikely chance
that any insect would sneak in, and if it did, it would not get out alive.
It sounds extreme, but I already had the enclosures planned because I was
growing late again, (and some of it I had from the year before). I actually
used propane heaters to keep the temps up in December, when there was snow
outside.
As for when I handled any plant (since sap could be transmitted between
plants on tools or hands), I always used disposable rubber surgical gloves,
a jumper that I only had when I handled infected plants, and I always
scrubbed with Hibiclens (a strong antimicrobal that surgeons use to scrub
with before surgery). It sounds like overkill, and it might be, but hey, so
is trying to grow pumpkins over 1000 pounds. I always take things to
extremes, but at least no one can say there was a base I didn't have
covered.
Anyway, I hope this helped answer some of your questions. If you have any
more questions or anything else, just let me know. I am always happy to
answer actual questions from people who really want to talk about these
things. It is a nice change of pace from simply getting called "ignorant"
and a "moron". It is nice to have a real conversation, and even debate about
things.
-Steve
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