VIEW ARTICLE

Meristem Culture Frees Strawberries of Mild Yellow Edge, Pallidosis, and Mottle Diseases. R. H. Mullin, Research Associate, Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, Berkeley; S. H. Smith(2), N. W. Frazier(3), D. E. Schlegel(4), and S. R. McCall(5). (2)Associate Professor of Plant Pathology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park 16802; (3)Entomologist, Department of Entomological Sciences, University of California, Berkeley 94720; (4)(5)Professor, and Research Associate, respectively, Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, Berkeley 94720. Phytopathology 64:1425-1429. Accepted for publication 4 June 1974. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-64-1425.

Apical meristem culture freed strawberry plants of strawberry pallidosis, strawberry mottle, and strawberry mild yellow edge (SMYE) viruses. However, heat therapy in combination with apical meristem culture produced 33-75% more SMYE-free plants. Meristems cut from heat-treated SMYE-infected Fresno strawberries developed into plants faster than meristems from infected control plants held under ambient conditions. Progeny of the meristem-cultured cultivars has remained free of detectable graft transmissible diseases in a greenhouse and in a screenhouse for 7 yr.