Overview

Diagnosis of Plant Virus Diseases presents a comprehensive summary of methods currently available for the diagnosis of plant diseases caused by viruses and viroids. Up-to-date literature references are provided, brief accounts of the basis for particular methods are included, and detailed protocols are presented. Procedures discussed include the use of host plants, electron microscopy of in vitro preparations, serological procedures (especially forms of ELISA, monoclonal antibodies, serological specific electron microscopy, and immunoblotting), and nucleic acid hybridization procedures. Strategies are outlined for implicating virus-like pathogens as causes of diseases of unknown etiology, and problems involved in identifying complexes of transmission-dependent and helper viruses are discussed. The book will be extremely useful for phytopathologists, plant virologists, and research students and workers in plant virology laboratories and diagnostic plant pathology laboratories.