Applied Botany and Biotechnology, University of Mysore, Manasagangotri, Mysore-570006.
Abstracts of the papers presented at the 16th Annual Convention and International Symposium of Indian Virological Society on “Management of Vector-Borne Viruses” at International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Patancheru-502324, Hyderabad, India, February 7–10, 2006.
Seed-borne viruses are gaining prominence in the era of liberalized seed trade, exchange of germplasm and open global market. Several viruses are reported to be seed-borne and their identification/routine detection is still posing problems especially in the light of stringent international phytosanitary requirements. Official seed health testing methods have not been prescribed for any seed-borne viruses. In the absence of these guidelines, the seed industries and other regulatory authorities are finding difficulty in implementing strict seed health authentication. ISTA accreditation emphasizes only mandatory seed quality tests and seed health is considered under ‘other determinations’. Sample size is the most crucial bottleneck in identifying single infected seed in a lot. Large sample size hampers the routine testing of seed lots for viruses. The status of isolate variability, authentic list of seed-borne viruses existing in the country and notification of pest-free areas, referee centers, immediate availability of standard reagents are some of the constraints the seed organizations are facing. The seed health testing methods, both conventional and advanced, also have to be looked from a different perspective to support routine testing. The methods like multiplex PCR/ELISA, Real time-PCR, are still to be exploited in seed health testing. The paper emphasizes these issues.
