virus testing
 

Hello, I had to take a break from my orchid growing hobby quite sometime back but now I'm able to get back into it again. :D When I suspected in the past that one or more of my orchids may be virused, I sent samples to Critter Creek for testing.
I've decided to test again. I found out the hard way in the past how very dangerous it is to keep virused orchids unless they are separated from plants that are not virused. Still, I think that keeping them is taking a chance. Bottom line: I lost most of my orchid collection. I don't recall exactly how many I lost, but trying to think back...I would guess a few less than 50. I had to discard many and the ones that had viruses but did perform nicely, I gave away to friends who don't mind having virused orchids in their collection.
I will no longer take that chance.....I want a clean greenhouse.Whatever the case, a person must be very diligent in disinfecting their orchid growing area. I know that I'm telling most of you things that you are well aware of, but I guess you would say that this is my rant for the day. I obviously got carried away....I'm sorry, but losing my orchids was such a tragedy, I'm pretty paranoid now. My actual question to you is if Critter Creek is still in business because I have searched and haven't located their site.....I either overlooked it or it longer exists. I also know that many of you test with Agdia strips, and I may go that route, but I don't know which test strips that I would need for my collection of various orchid types. Will someone please let me know? Thank you. I apologize for this long post. Rant over, I feel better....thanks for reading. Vicki

Sorry you lost all your orchids. CC comes right up on a google search: Critter Creek Laboratory – Orchid Testing Lab

Agdia test strips
 

Thanks for the info. I can't figure why I couldn't get to the Critter Creek site myself, but my search didn't lead me to that main link. After I sent my question msg. to you, I decided to order the Agdia tests. t you sent a msg. reply to me, I had decided to buy agdia test strips. This will be my first time to order strips from them. Here are the tests that are listed. Since I have never tested this way using srips myself, I know nothing about each paricular tes. These tests are listed: PepMV, PMMOV, Phyt
paimy. I'm lost, so will you or someone please tell me which test I should chose? Thank you!

---------- Post added at 03:12 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:07 PM ----------

Please overlook the typos in my last post reply. I apologize that the post that I typed a few minutes ago makes absolutely no sense. In the process of typing my question, I someone got my words and sentences mixed up. Lots of typos. I'm sorry.

The only Agdia tests for the common orchid viruses are the combined ORSV (Oncidium ringspot virus) and CymMV (Cymbidium mosaic virus) test strips. While other viruses may infect orchids, these are the most common ones, and the ones that have this type of test available. To go after the less common ones I think require the more elaborate Critter Creek tests. (Their basic tests go after the same 2, I think... a call would verify)

Sorry, I’m not sure what you should be testing for. Maybe someone with more experience will chime in. Best of luck!

CORRECTED INITAL POST
 

Thanks for the info. I can't figure why I couldn't get to the Critter Creek site myself, but my search didn't lead me to that main link. After I sent my question msg. to you, I decided to order the Agdia tests. This will be my first time to order strips from them. Here are the tests that are listed. Since I have never tested this way using strips myself, I know nothing about each paricular test. These tests are listed: PepMV, PMMOV, Phyt
paimy. I'm lost, so will you or someone please tell me which test I should chose? Thank you!

---------- Post added at 03:12 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:07 PM ----------

Please overlook the typos in my last post reply. I apologize that the post that I typed a few minutes ago makes absolutely no sense. In the process of typing my question, I someone got my words and sentences mixed up. Lots of typos. I'm sorry.

---------- Post added at 03:17 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:14 PM ----------

I want to test my complete collection for orchid viruses in general.

VickiC, you are absolutely correct that the only way to be sure one way or another is to test... A local hobbyist who is also a scientist very interested in viruses, put together a little "photo quiz" for people who thought that they could identify virused plants by how they looked. (Experienced growers, AOS judges, etc.) They got it right at a level slightly less than chance both positive and negative. (Would have done better flipping coins)

I don't think that there is a test for ALL possible orchid viruses, but the lab test can identify more than the test strips. (But the test strips are quire accurate for those 2 that they are designed for)

Roberta
 

Thank you!

I suggest that you give them a call tomorrow... they would be the ones best able to advise. Anything I or anyone else here might say would be a (semi-)educated guess at best, they're the experts. It is also possible that since the last time I investigated, they have come up with tests for more viruses than the original 2.

---------- Post added at 01:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:28 PM ----------

I found this very interesting article on the topic of virus-testing one's collection.

Virus testing an (entire) orchid collection for CymMV & ORSV: the results at AEO

I was looking for material from Kay Klausing's talks on the subject at various orchid society meetings... this article references the talks. The strategy that Kay used (alluded to in the article) is to take material from multiple plants (he arrived at 6 as an optimum number in a collection with few virused plants) ... if one combines material from 6 and still get negative, one test works for 6 plants. Obviously if there is a positive result, then it is necessary to go back and test the individual plants. But in a relatively clean collection, it's a strategy to get a bit more bang for the buck.