My mini virus test results

[silken]

Today I received a small kit of 5 Agdia immuno test strips and the little pouches. The tests were for Cymbidium mosaic virus and Odontoglossum ringspot virus. I didn't want to spend hundreds testing all my orchids and just had a couple that troubled me.

A lot of my Miltoniopsis and Oncids get sort of spotty or streaky leaves. I don't know why as many grow well and bloom well. The milts are not the most robust but I am sure I just don't have the culture perfected yet. So I did one token Miltoniopsis with a typical spotty/streaky leaf and the results were negative. I am relieved as many of mine are like that and they don't share water etc. so how could they all be virused.

4 of the 5 tests were negative and only the Cattleya I really suspected to be virused came back positive for both viruses! It is already in the garbage, pot and all. Attached are some pics of it and the test strip. It was growing two new growths and lots of roots but lots of growths had died, even previous new ones before they got more than a few inches tall. The bottom line on the test strip is CymMV and the next one is ORSV and the top line is the control line. I realize plants could have other viruses, but these seem to be the most common and most dreaded in orchid growing.

[SJF]

sorry, just tested some of mine, new acquistions, with the same type of viral results

[silken]

Bummer. I hope it wasn't too many. Most of my orchids don't give me any reason to suspect a problem. So I won't test them all since it is quite expensive. But I was glad to know about these few which were all fine but the one.

[camille1585]

I wanted to test a few of my suspicious plants a few years ago, and contacted Agdia to find out who their European distributors were. But they kept shuttling me around, " no if you're in the netherlands you have to contact x". Do that and I get sent somewhere else, and so on, and it seems like they are only selling to businesses/researchers here. Never did figure out how to order strips!

[silken]

Originally Posted by camille1585

I wanted to test a few of my suspicious plants a few years ago, and contacted Agdia to find out who their European distributors were. But they kept shuttling me around, " no if you're in the netherlands you have to contact x". Do that and I get sent somewhere else, and so on, and it seems like they are only selling to businesses/researchers here. Never did figure out how to order strips!

I went on their website and was prepared to order the 25 strips for I think it was $120.00 and when I went to put my address in, there was just about every country in the world but Canada if you can believe it! Some I had never heard of. So I called them and they said they now had a Canadian distributor and they gave me the info for them. I contacted them and was able to buy a small kit of 5 tests for $37.00. More $$ for each test I realize but another time I might buy more. This was all in the last few weeks. They also revised their website recently. Maybe you should e-mail or phone them if you can.

[NYCorchidman]

Viruses are something that freaks me out. I've been just throwing out "suspicious" plants.
I still haven't got any of mine tested, but I plan to very soon. I'm thinking of sending 20 samples to critter creek lab.

By the way, can you post some pictures of miltoniopsis and oncidiums leaves that tested negative.

The crappy looking leaves are the main reason I steer away from oncidiums although many are beautiful in bloom.

My brassia and wilsonara started to show virus looking symtoms. I had these for a while and looked nice and green so far, but just this week it turned up. dang! hopefully just nothing but...
The thing about getting oncidiums tested is that most are pretty common and not that expensive, so I usually dump them if I don't like the leaves and buy new ones in bloom. lol
Now I'm thinking testing at at least these two suspicious ones so I know for sure and either thow away or have peace of mind.
Maybe those ugly leaves are just natural as some say, or some other virus that easily affect oncidiums or fungus or I don't know...

By the way, your cattleya look terrible! (not to be mean or anything). I would have thrown it out without having it tested but I guess it makes good bye easier when you know the status for sure!

Now you can go buy yourself a new cattleya! lol

---------- Post added at 03:30 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:30 PM ----------

Originally Posted by camille1585

I wanted to test a few of my suspicious plants a few years ago, and contacted Agdia to find out who their European distributors were. But they kept shuttling me around, " no if you're in the netherlands you have to contact x". Do that and I get sent somewhere else, and so on, and it seems like they are only selling to businesses/researchers here. Never did figure out how to order strips!

How about I buy a whole bunch and send them to you in France? no one will know!

It's not like we're doing it at a commercial level or distributing unwanted diseases. some chemical mix that will be used once and go into trash!

No offence if you're against my idea.
I'm sure you would have done it already vis your friends in NY.

[silken]

NYC, I agree, tha cattleya looked horrid but it had two lovely blooms last spring with no colour break and some of these Catts with pink and purple flowers do seem to get these purple blotches. I tested another healthier cattleya with some blotches and it was negative. The results on this one were evident in mere seconds! I can't throw anything with life in it away so I needed to test it. I now wish I had bought the larger package of test material but I will buy more some time in the future.

I am just about to post a new thread of one of my Milts in bloom called Leo Holquin 'Robust'. It has 3 lovely flowers. It has the same streaky leaves typical to many of mine and like the one I tested. If you can't see it clearly in that post I will snap a pic of the leaf I actually tested.

[NYCorchidman]

Some of my catts (pink/ rose purplish flowered ones) also show those purple blotches on the new leads or pbs, leaves, basically everywhere. I hate it but now I'm used to them. lol

Your catt in the above pictures look dead with all the severly dry and wrinkly pbs and yellow leaves. So that plant looked like it was on the way to the other side. lol

Well, go buy yourself another pretty pink one and you'll forget about this sad good bye.

By the way, I would love to see the pictures of your oncidiums and miltoniopsis leaves that tested negative.

[silken]

well, it had two nice new growths a couple inches tall (see photos and some good new roots so it could have survived. But it is in orchid heaven now.

Since I only had 5 virus test strips I only did one of the miltoniopsis but many looked the same and I figured it one was virused or not, they were likely all the same. I'll try and get a photo. In the meantime see my new Miltoniopsis post as the leaves show well on it and they look the same. I don't know what I am doing wrong as they aren't like that when I get them.

[NYCorchidman]

I just went and saw the pictures of your dark red miltoniopsis.
I left a comment on that thread, but figured it's more appropriate to continue on there, so I'm posting three pictures of my miltoniopsis leaves.

The first picture shows what I'm talking about.
I see this white/very light greeen circular spots/area on almost every miltoniopsis I purchase.

Some have prefectly clean green leaves and only a couple of leaves are affected in a very subtle manner.

Some have these spots more pronounced and obvious.

The second and thrid pictures, you have to look closely at the leaves on the lower right corner of the pictures to see the affected leaves well.
Do you see what I mean?

Maybe these are nothing, hopefully.
All the new leaves that grew under my care are perfectly clean. so far at least.

The interesting thing is those plants with more pronounced white spots on the leaves tend to have more flowers with dark brown or black spots. These spots on flowers are dry. Flowers are often deformed as well. so I thought it was virus or genetic faults.

Oh, well....