I keep see posts about virus free plant using tissue culture.  Has anyone actual got real virus testing done on the plants to see if they really are virus free?  If so what lab are you using and did you send a know virus plant as a control so you know they can actual test for the virus.  Just curious because I deal with virus all the time with orchids.

You brought this up before but must have missed my reply. 

I was hoping for more information on the actual virus index testing.  I have feelers out with one lab. but was curious what experience others had or recommendation for a good lab.

The only way to kill FMV is to put the tree through serious stress.  Expose the roots to 120 degrees F for many days.  The tree will be stressed, and will drop most leaves.  Many roots will die.  Soak the pot for 3 days, and then flood it with Miracle grow.  The tree will recover and be FMV free.  Heresy, I know.  I did it.  It worked, but I let that tree die at the hands of workers at this house with their wrought iron spray.  It couldn't take that punishment.  It lived through the heat, but chemicals killed it.

If you do searches on the University sites, you will see that heat will kill FMV.

Good luck!

Suzi

I have begun research which was why I asked.  A fig that does not show symptoms is a start but not proof (just a nice place to start).  I've been in touch with one of the labs I've worked with and they are having a researcher check to see if they will do FMV. 

The Department of Plant Pathology at University of Arkansas, Fayetteville has published several major papers in recent years. If you are looking for a lab, they might be a place to start. 

Interesting blurb about Petite Nigra.  Is this the same as Petite Negri-EL ? A family member bought one from EL and it arrived with seriously deformed and what I've come to think of as classic FMV splotching. After a few months in the sun, it has overcome most of the symptoms, and has put in a few feet of growth. 

"The only way to kill FMV is to put the tree through serious stress.  Expose the roots to 120 degrees F for many days.  The tree will be stressed, and will drop most leaves.  Many roots will die.  Soak the pot for 3 days, and then flood it with Miracle grow.  The tree will recover and be FMV free.  Heresy, I know.  I did it.  It worked, but I let that tree die at the hands of workers at this house with their wrought iron spray.  It couldn't take that punishment.  It lived through the heat, but chemicals killed it."

Thanks for confirming the "cure" is worse than the "disease". I think thats what everyone really needs to know.

All of my fig trees show signs of fig mosaic in some form or another. The only exception is one that shows absolutely no signs of fig mosaic and I have no clue why. It is Lattarola, from Ed P.

It is not surprising that heat would kill the virus.  The greening disease that is plaguing the citrus trees here in Florida has now been killed by subjecting the trees to serious heat stress.  They have tried wrapping the trees in plastic which works but is harder to regulate temperature and has caused leaf drop which is not a good thing on trees already stressed from disease.  They have also tried putting wraps of poly piping around the trunks of the trees near ground level.  Hot water is pumped through the pipes for a set amount of time, I believe it is a couple of days and elevating the internal temperature of the tree and as a result cured trees of the disease.  They can of course become reinfected but at least they are able to kill the virus.  As long as the tree be it citrus or fig can survive a temperature the virus can't it is a winning strategy.  If you think about it we do that same thing.....our bodies natural reaction to a virus is to raise our body temperature to fight it.

Thanks for starting this thread.  We sometimes hear people say that they only grow fmv-free trees; however, what is the evidence that they are really fmv free?  We all know of cases where a tree shows no symptoms for long periods of time and then is stressed and suddenly shows some symptoms.  Such trees are relatively healthy but not totally fmv free.  Some fig collectors say all figs have fmv and some show symptoms readily while others do not.  Other collectors disagree and say that some fig trees really are fmv-free.  The only way to resolve this dispute is to have a reliable laboratory test that can detect very low levels of the virus in plant tissue.