VIRUS ELIMINATION FROM INTERSPECIFIC ARACHIS HYBRIDS

Some germ plasm collections of Arachis species and hybrids are maintai ned vegetatively. This study was conducted to develop protocols to eli minate virus from vegetatively maintained peanut. The culture of shoot meristems was effective for virus elimination from interspecific Arac his hybrids. Peanut mottle virus (PMV), peanut stripe virus (PStV), an d tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) were not detected by DAS-ELISA in a ny plants regenerated from meristems treated with thermotherapy alone or combined with chemotherapy. Only 2.0% of the plants regenerated fro m untreated meristems contained PMV, and none contained PStV or TSWV. Shoot tip culture was not as effective as meristem culture for elimina tion of PMV. Plants regenerated from untreated shoot tips (1 cm long) of Arachis hybrids remained infected with PMV, whereas 38% of the plan ts regenerated from shoot tips treated with thermotherapy plus chemoth erapy were infected with PMV. Arachis hybrids were more readily freed of TSWV and PStV than of PMV. Meristem culture, thermotherapy, and che motherapy were not required for elimination of TSWV and PStV, and plan ts regenerated from untreated shoot tips were free of these viruses.