Pathogen Testing and Certification of Vitis and Prunus Species

Strategies to screen horticultural crops for graft-transmissible agents, particularly viruses and phytoplasmas, have advanced substantially over the past decade. Tests used for Vitis and Prunus are reviewed in detail, including both biological indexing procedures and laboratory-based assays. Despite advances in laboratory molecular-based detection techniques, a strong case is presented for the continued use of slower biological tests in programs requiring high levels of confidence in detection of pathogens that must be excluded from valuable germplasm.