Marizanne Horn (Tissue Culture Facility) and Wendy Bailey (SAPO) visited the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Cornell University to learn, train, and establish virus elimination procedures and virus testing methods for the pome and stone fruit cultivars in South Africa.
Our first host was Prof Oscar Hurtado-Gonzales from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Quarantine Facility in Laurel, Maryland, USA. He explained and showed to us how imported plant material to the USA is handled. They start with visual pre-screening for pests and diseases on the plants and then molecular diagnostics with RT-qPCR. If positive results are obtained, virus elimination procedures are initiated.
Our second visit was at Cornell University in Geneva, New York. We worked with Abby Nedrow van Glad for 7 days in her tissue culture laboratory to get hands on experience with the virus elimination protocols.
Wendy Bailey (SAPO) and Marizanne Horn (TCF) recently visited Cornell University in Geneva, NY, USA, to gain insight into their virus elimination and virus testing protocols. This engagement not only enhances the technical capacity and expertise within the South African deciduous fruit industry, but also fosters stronger international collaboration and ensures alignment with the latest innovations and standards.
