Detection of Two Viruses from Garlic Clones by ELISA

Garlic clones and several Allium spp. collected from a few regions of the world 〔Spain, Italy, France, USSR (Moscow), Soviet Central Asia, China, Japan and so on〕 and put under maintenance at a farm of Kagoshima University, were tested by ELISA (Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay), using GLV (Garlic latent virus) and OYDV (Onion yellow dwarf virus) as antisera, and were surveyed to fix the rates of viral infection. The results obtained are as in the following : Of 189 garlic clones, 145 (77%) clones showed positive reactions to either or both of the two antisera. No more than 12 clones (6%) reacted only to OYDV serum. Relatively low viral infection rates were noted in the Spanish and Japanese garlic clones. In leek the GLV-infection rate was 66%, being slightly lower than that of garlic, and 22% of the leek clones reacted only to OYDV serum. Onions, chives and Chinese chives were found to be the natural hosts of GLV, respectively