Considering how important this knowledge is, I am disappointed that the ARS did not pick up the total cost.

Next, if that was not possible, why not at least give the members of the ARS a discount (they do give the Friends of the National Arboretum (FONA) a discount)?

Update on the talk:

"I have been introduced to RRD, and shown a plant with the disease, but for some reason I did not take it too seriously; it was bad, but controllable I thought. Needles to say, I was shocked with the information from Dr. Windham. If I am not mistaken, someone has lost 4000 rose plants. Now that was a lot of plants----so, what can we do?"

.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

"Dr. Windham told us what he does when he has acquire new rose plants.
He plants them in containers and place them in a separate area, far from his other roses. After a year or two, if the roses are still healthy and he likes them, then he gives them their permanent places with the other roses. "

https://garden.org/thread/view/79234/Rose-lovers-danger-for-your-roses--be-vigilant-for-RRD-RRV/

Very interesting, I had heard a previous talk by Dr. Mark, he is most knowledgeable on RRD. One thing that was new to me: He said roses grafted on multiflora were more susceptible (though no rose is immune)

From now on, I’m doing Fortuniana, Own Root or the good Dr.

Oh no! That would mean anything we can only get from Canada (Hortico, Palatine) is at greater risk! And a few of mine ordered on multiflora are climbers/big shrubs. I'll have to watch them closer.

BenT, did Dr. Mark happen to say how long the increased susceptibility lasts if the bud unions are buried and the rose goes own-root? I have to do this anyway for winter survival, but I wonder if that might help mitigate the effect of the rootstock.

It would be good to see what kind of evidence there is for that claim about multiflora rootstocks.

I did not attend this seminar, only a talk by Dr Mark several years ago. I’m not completely sure if it’s actually Dr Mark who said that multiflora rootstock was more susceptible, or someone else interpreting or adding to his recent talk. Agree with Erasmus, some scientific study should have been done before making that kind of claim. I do know Dr Mark is very cautious about stating things with solid scientific basis, just don’t know if it came directly from him.

That seemed to be a comment by someone. That someone also kept referring to the mite as a virus so I'm skeptical. That was probably just a mistake, but very confusing for someone who doesn't know it's mites that spread the virus as opposed to the virus just floating around.

"This talk is cosponsored by the American Rose Society"

Is this talk going to appear rapidly in some easily accessed form? I for one will find it disappointing if a copy of an ARS cosponsored lecture on a topic as important as Rose Rosette Virus is not deposited on the ARS web page and / or in their magazine.

Or for the author to post it on his personal / University web page.

The presenter wasn't wrong - multiflora is considered more vulnerable to RRD - see:

http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/content/dam/pubs_ext_vt_edu/450/450-620/450-620_pdf.pdf

^ Re the link I just posted, it's a referenced publication from Virginia Tech - here's a relevant quote:

"Resistance

R. multiflora is the species that appears to be most susceptible to RRD. However, many species and selections of cultivated roses are also highly susceptible, and no cultivars have been proven to be resistant."