ELIMINATION OF APPLE STEM GROOVING VIRUS BY CHEMOTHERAPY AND DEVELOPMENT OF AN IMMUNOCAPTURE RT-PCR FOR RAPID SENSITIVE SCREENING

Ombuin (7,4'-dimethyl quercetin) (10 mu g ml(-1) for 12 wk), glycyrrhi zin/quercetin quercetin (80 mu g ml(-1) and 10 mu g ml(-1) respectivel y, for 18 wk), ribavirin (10 mu g ml(-1), for 12 wk) and quercetin/rib avirin (10 mu g ml(-1) each, for 9-12 wk) reduced the titre of apple s tem grooving virus (ASGV) when applied in vitro to infected tissue-cul tures of Nicotiana occidentalis obliqua Wheeler, and/or Malus domestic a. ASGV was not detectable in both plant species after the quercitin/r ibavirin ribavirin treatment when tested by ISEM, herbaceous host inde xing, RT-PCR, and immunocapture RT-PCR. A sensitive immunocapture RT-P CR procedure for the detection of ASGV was developed for the screening of treated samples to assess antiviral activity.