Eradication of banana viruses from naturally infected plants 3. Disease management of banana through the use of virus-free plant materiales.

4 Abstract: Banana bunchy top and banana mosaic diseases were easy detected in naturally infected banana plants by distinct external symptoms in the orchard n ursery and in vitro. These r esults were c onfirmed by DAS-ELISA u sing specific pol yclonal antibodies for BBTV and CM V. A maj or DNA f ragments of expected size, 500 bp. was amplified from B BTV infected tissues. As well as the size of the major amplified p roduct in BMV infected tissues was 600 b p. The smallest size of banana meristem t ip 0 .3 m m more effective for BBTV and/or BMV eradication in vitro. Chitozan (0.12%), treatment for infected plants was more effective for BBTV and BMV eradication in vivo. The results proved that there is five important precautions for s uccess of the rougi ng pro gram of banana viral control included. 1- To ensure t hat the nursery stock is clean and free from latent virus infection vi a s tarting tissue culture s eedlings virus tested or suckers treated with 0.12% chitosan. 2- Detecting infected plants periodically every month by fortnightly inspection vi a e xternal symptoms and eve ry season by D AS-ELISA test for t he presence v iral diseases. 3- Rouging the infected plants after two inspections. The rouged plants were destroyed by burning at the end of growing season. 4- Spraying the plants and weeds with malathion and cilecron every two weeks alternatively to kill the aphid vectors from the first April to end of growing season is December. 5- E radication of woods and grasses from plantations (secondary virus hosts) by digging up and inherbicide. D ealing with this problem as a community.