Re: seeds from fruit with mosaic virus

In a message dated 11/26/99 8:28:56 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
COMPUTRESE@aol.com writes:

> Steve:
>  
>  I do not suggest or recommend that you use or share seeds from fruit 
>  harvested from your plants that had mosaic virus. Mosaic viruses are 
> scourges 
>  to cucurbits and to plant and grow seeds from infected plants is flirting 
>  with disaster. Your plants had mosaic in the early stages of growth, which 
>  means the fruit and seeds are worthless.
>  
>  The responsible thing to do is to pull infected plants and fruit and burn 
it.
>  
>  To allow plants to grow with Mosaic viruses is the worst possible scenario 
>  and assures that you will have mosaic again next year. Worse yet, to allow 
>  your plants to be mulched or sent to a municipal yard waste operation 
> spreads 
>  this horrible disease to others.
>  
>  Barb
>  

Barb, I already brought this point up long ago, and I also consulted with 
Harold Edelman and others about this months ago. I was worried about the same 
thing that you are saying. But they didn't seem to think it was extremely 
likely that the virus would be transmitted to a new plant grown from the 
seeds of an infected plant, as far as I remember. I also was wondering if the 
genetic makeup in the seeds would be messed up, since CMV messes with genes, 
but it also is probably not likely.
I think the virus mainly resides in the stems, leaves, and fruit. I was also 
worried before about the virus possibly being transmitted via pollen from an 
infected plant. Again I was told that was unlikely. All of the plants have 
been continously treated with Sevin, Rotenone/Pyrethrum (special strong 
mixture), as well as completely covered by floating row cover, and plastic 
tenting over that. All of the plant material will be pulled and disposed of 
by burning before plowing. I don't think it will increase the incedences of 
the virus in the future at all, since any insect contacting the plant (if 
they got through the physical barriers, that is), is probably dead. I decided 
that the physical/chemical barriers would be just as sufficient in keeping 
the virus from spreading as pulling the plants. So it would be ridiculous to 
take that approach after weighing in all of the factors.
I am hopeful that the seeds and their genetics will still be good. (The plant 
with my biggest fruit never got touched with the virus at all to this day, so 
it seems to have a VERY good genetic resistance to it). All of my seeds this 
year will have data with them that they were either from a pumpkin with CMV 
or pollenated by one with CMV, (except for the seeds from my biggest, which 
was neither). I am going to hopefully send some overseas to test in the 
southern hemisphere over the winter, so by next planting season there will be 
more complete data about how they perform.

-Steve

---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@mallorn.com with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE PUMPKINS
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index