Chadwick’s newsletter. Sounds like great news to me!!
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New developments in cloning rendering virus free plants from old virused originals!
- Thread starter southernbelle
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Thank you for this Post. Very interesting!
A very interesting read!
I remember reading somewhere that the very tip of the apical meristem was often virus free as it is full of rapidly dividing cells and this overwhelms the capacity of the virus to replicate and infect them.
This must be the basis of the technology,
Great news,
David
I remember reading somewhere that the very tip of the apical meristem was often virus free as it is full of rapidly dividing cells and this overwhelms the capacity of the virus to replicate and infect them.
This must be the basis of the technology,
Great news,
David
SouthPark
Well-Known Member
That's pretty good news. And now ------ the bad news first. How much does the process cost? (or maybe - the price to be paid after the operation becomes optimised and working full steam ahead). Definitely nice to read that there is at least a virus removal method for orchids that exists out there - in the world.
TropiCool
Well-Known Member
As I recall, freeing potato varieties from virus is where and how meristem tissue culture (ie: cloning) had its start. So yeah, it does work. Orchid growers have just been using it for creating 'illions of copies as the primary focus.
From those who have been aware of this for sometime, it seems that in certain plants it can develop virus years later. In phals 2 to 3 years, and catts 4 to 6 years. In some plants the virus seems to make its way through, although its very slow to show its face. A reason, even if a plant is clean when you purchase it, depending on its age you may want to recheck it again at the appropriate time.
Deb and I are learning together, but apparently, under optimal growth conditions for a new Cattleya growth, the very tip can grow faster than the virus can multiply into it so that if you harvest just the very tip you hope for virus free material. Maybe there is post-acquisition treatment of some sort to this material. This small amount of material probably doesn’t produce a large number of plants. You certainly wait years for a seedling and some more time for a blooming size plant. If it was an outstanding parent plant, I have to believe the cost will be high. AND, I will be getting too old to chase after such plants. But, if we can resuscitate some wonderful heirloom Cattleyas as virus free mericlones and are able to self them and breed with them, we could create a new wave of great plants.
I'm all about cloning those old wild-collected species...whatever might be left needs to be preserved!
