The abstract may be misleading on one aspect. The tested roses were not selected at random. The full paper states: "The majority of samples were symptomatic, however, a few had no symptoms."

Proud Land is an out of patent rose so where it was produced (its origin) could be anywhere. An earlier poster suggested Western U.S. Do you know the origin of your rose (do you still have the label)?. It has been around long enough to possibly have multiple viruses. Plants, annimals, and insects all have siRNA-mediated RNA silencing immune systems against virus infections. This type of immune system is temperature dependent. At high temperatures it is very good, but at low temperatures it is not very effective. I have summarized what is known in the link below. North Carolina is sort of in the area where if asked if the immune system will be effective, one would have to answer: "yes, no, maybe". ---------------------------------------------------------- Here is a link to a recent summary of the immune system. The link gives an example with mosquitoes. http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/roses/msg0700560420854.html?2 ---------------------------------------------------------- Regarding the statement: "Despite anecdotal evidence to the contrary, it is generally accepted it doesn't spread from one plant to the next in average garden conditions. The major method of spreading is through propagation with virus infected material. If any of your other roses begin showing symptoms, there is a 99.99999% probablility the affected roses were already infected and have NOTHING to do with the infection in this plant. Don't worry about it spreading from one plant to the next in your garden." H. Kuska comment: The Missouri Botanical Garden gives the following: "Rose mosaic Symptoms of this viral disease can include a general dwarfing of the plant, lack of proper chlorophyll production resulting in a mottled appearance on foliage, yellowing and in some cases rings on leaves or fruit as well as necrotic (dead) areas. Often only a cosmetic problem. The disease can be spread by feeding insects or mites, or mechanically through hands and tools." http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/Portals/0/Gardening/Gardening%20Help/Visual%20Guides/Rose%20Problems.pdf ------------------------------------------- A very recent (2013) reviewed, published scientific paper is: "A survey of viruses infecting Rosa spp. in New Zealand". http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13313-012-0191-x#page-1 H. Kuska comment. The following are quotes from the above paper. "PNRSV is known to be transmitted mechanically, by root grafting and by seed (Abdel-Salam et al. 2008; Golino et al. 2011). The virus may be transmitted by pollen in rose although this hasn’t been fully ascertained (Kuska 2003). The high incidence of PNRSV in New Zealand is unsurprising as it is also vectored by the Western flower thrip (Frankliniella occidentalis) which is reportedly spread throughout New Zealand (Greber and Teakle 1992; Teulon and Nielsen 2005) and is known to infest many glasshouse crops (E. Milleza, unpublished data). " ------------------------------------------------------- "Reports of pollen transmission of ApMV in rose are inconclusive (Kuska 2003), but in view of the characteristics of other ilarviruses, it is possible that ApMV could be dispersed by pollen." ------------------------------------------------------ The reference that they cite is: "Kuska H (2003) Can North American rose hybridizers use pollen from virus infected roses? Rose Hybridizers Assoc Newsl 34:7-10" Here is a link that might be useful: Should northern rose growers be concerned about possible above ground spread of Rose Viruses?

Nope, we're not talking many, many viruses causing mosaic. Just as we're not talking distemper nor the common cold nor any of a host of other viruses when we discuss HIV in humans. Any discussion of those other viruses on this thread is irrelevant. The simple fact is that the "problem" of mosaic in the USA is caused almost always by a strain of PNRSV, and occasionally by ApMV. We're done now. There are no other viruses that cause "rose mosaic." That there are many other viruses that can attack roses, or that have been found in a rose (notice that this big list from HK was found for the first time, ever) -- that does NOT constitute the "problem" of "virus" in roses! And even if it did, it would be a different problem from "rose mosaic," and irrelevant to this thread's discussion. The same is true about using buds to get clean roses. That it might work, occasionally, is utterly irrelevant to the current discussion. The writer is simply hijacking this thread to confuse the readers. There are numerous methods that can be used to remove rose mosaic (the actual disease by that name, caused by PNRSV or ApMV and the only one at all likely to be bought by you at a nursery or ever seen in your garden.) Heat therapy happens to be the easiest, quickest, and cheapest, and has proven to be exceedingly efficient and effective. That's why we use it. Again I would point out that all references above that seem to indicate that it does not work or that "virus" "comes back," are misinterpretations, talking about the wrong virus, talking about a crop other than roses, are direct misquotations or misrepresentations, or for some other reason are not relevant and truthful to the conversation at hand -- specifically and uniquely the management of rose mosaic disease in American grown roses. I would recommend that readers very carefully read the links provided above -- in every case, without exception, if you read carefully enough you'll realize that they do not demonstrate what the thread hijacker says they demonstrate. I don't know what bizarre need the writer has to confuse and destroy all such discussions, but there it is -- that's exactly what's happening here. It always seems odd that someone who has done precisely no work with this disease, ever, and who obviously doesn't understand any aspect of this disease, is constantly telling Davis (and me) what's wrong with us and what we ought to be doing. Yet that writer is without the first hint of a clue. Why are such attacks on this and other forums always occurring? It makes no sense. Yet we continue to produce mosaic-free roses and make them available, and so the availability of mosaic-free roses in this country has improved dramatically over the last 30 years, despite the insults and ignorance. In an industry as large and diverse as the American rose nursery industry, undoubtedly someone, somewhere, at some point, accidentally shipped or sold an infected rose and indicated it was "VI" (a term we never use), and so the rumors begin. But despite such rumors and despite all of the statements on this thread so far, rose mosaic disease has never been demonstrated to have come back in a heat-treated rose, and the common methods of indexing really do work. Notice that no one other than the argumentative poster here claims otherwise. That's important -- NO ONE ON THIS EARTH who understands and works with these diseases -- agrees with the poster above.

All this reminds me of Marek's disease in poultry. Some of the ornamental breeders on finding Marek's in one bird cull their whole flocks over and over. On discussing this with my avian veterinarian he says that all birds carry Marek's but, some show symptoms and some do not via stress or poor genetics. One of my friends that had a large collection of Hippeastrum collection gave me his entire collection because of perceived TMV several years ago (large). He was going to burn them. I adjusted the PH of the soil, sprayed for bugs, and all turned back a dark green. Go figure. Are they infected? I don't really care. They bloom and grow fine for a long time. A few look mosaic when I first drag them out of the basement and put in the full sun when their leaves are burned. Maybe that is what he saw. Who knows.