Therapy of virus-infected plants and the active defence mechanism

Abstract

Virus infections reduce the yield and profitability of many food and ornamental crops. Traditionally those crops which are propagated vegetatively are periodically freed from such infection by heat treatment, but this is not effective against all viruses. Apical meristem tissue-culture techniques are now increasingly used in the dissemination of virus-free material, but the artificial stimulation of plant disease resistance mechanisms may present an exciting alternative.