APRICOT LATENT VIRUS STUDIES IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC

Apricot latent virus (ALV) is one of the viruses infecting apricots mainly in Mediterranean countries. It is included in certification schemes of EPPO. That is why a PCR method for its detection was adapted. Buds from the infected sprouts were budded onto GF 305 rootstock in a greenhouse. Under these conditions the plants display no symptoms, but they contain the virus. From three different RNA extraction methods, the one using phenol was the best. Primers were designed according to previous work of Nemchinov and Hadidi (1998). Predicted product lenght is 206 bp. Transcription is done using AMV RT at 42°C. Conditions for PCR were optimized (72°C for 5 min, 35 cycles of 94°C, 50°C and 72°C for denaturation, annealing and DNA synthesis, respectively, and final 72°C for 4 min), and this method was used for testing of leaf samples from apricot trees from commercial orchards in the Czech Republic during autumn 2005 and spring 2006. Until now no infected trees have been found.