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With nucleic acid-based techniques being the most efficient tool for detecting plant viruses, this text includes numerous protocols and distils the extensive literature in the field, offering a comprehensive resource for researchers in the biological sciences.

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The need for the development of techniques based on the characteristics of the viral proteins and genomic nucleic acids was realized in order to detect, identify, differentiate and quantify viruses in the infected plants/planting materials with or without symptoms of infection. Immunoassays have been successfully applied for the detection of viruses in crop and weed host plant species as well as in the vectors. Nucleic acid-based techniques have been demonstrated to be the most reliable and sensitive tests for detection, identification and differentiation of viruses and viroids present in plants and planting materials.. Inclusion of numerous protocols in appropriate chapters as appendix is a unique feature of this volume.

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Volume 3

Chapter 1 Introduction
1.1 Microbial plant pathogens as a major limiting factor of crop production
1.2 Discovery of viruses and viroids as plant pathogens
1.3 Detection of viral and viroid plant pathogens and disease diagnosis
References
Chapter 2 Detection of Viral and Viroid Pathogens in Plants
2.1 Detection of viruses in plant organs
2.1.1 Plant virus taxonomy
2.1.2 Biological methods
2.1.3 Morphological characteristics
2.1.4 Physical and biochemical characteristics
2.1.5 Immunoassays
2.1.6 Nucleic acid-based techniques
2.2 Detection of viroids in plant organs
2.2.1 Molecular characteristics
2.2.2 Biological methods 2.2.3 Physico-chemical methods
2.2.4 Immunoassays
2.2.5 Nucleic acid-based techniques
2.3 Detection of viral pathogens in seeds and planting materials
2.3.1 Detection of viruses in seeds
2.3.2 Detection of viruses in planting materials
2.4 Detection of viroids in seeds and planting materials
2.4.1 Detection of viroids in seeds
2.4.2 Detection of viroids in planting materials
Appendix
References
Chapter 3 Detection of Viral and Viroid Plant Pathogens in the Environment
3.1 Detection of plant viruses in environment
3.1.1 Detection of plant viruses in soil
3.1.2 Detection of plant viruses in water
3.1.3 Detection of plant viruses in air
3.1.4 Detection of plant viruses in alternative host plant species
3.2 Detection of viroids in the environment
Appendix
References Chapter 4 Assessment of Variability in Plant Viral and Viroid Pathogens
4.1 Assessment of variability in plant viral pathogens
4.1.1 Assessment of variations in biological characteristics
4.1.2 Assessment of variations in physico-chemical characteristics
4.1. 3 Assessment of variations in immunological characteristics
4.1.4 Assessment of variations in genomic characteristics
4.2 Assessment of variability in viroid pathogens
4.2.1 Assessment of variations in nucleic acid characteristics
Chapter 5 Diagnosis of Viral and Viroid Diseases
5.1 Choice of diagnostic tests for viral diseases
5.1.1 Biological tests
5.1.2 Physico-chemical tests
5.1.3 Immunoassays
5.1.4 Nucleic acid-based techniques
5.2 Choice of diagnostic tests for viroid diseases
5.2.1 Biological tests
5.2.2 Nucleic acid-based techniques
5.3 Agencies involved in disease diagnosis
5.3.1 Disease diagnostic centers
5.3.2 Plant quarantines
References

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