Services
Plant Health & Disease Elimination
Virus indexing, disease elimination, and clean stock programs. Ensuring the health of your planting material for productive, disease-free crops.
Why plant health matters
Plant diseases, particularly viral infections, can significantly reduce crop yields, plant vigour, and product quality. Many viral diseases spread silently through vegetative propagation, accumulating over successive generations until yield losses become economically significant.
Our plant health services help growers and nurseries establish and maintain disease-free planting material. For high-value crops like berries and bananas, starting with clean stock is essential for maximising productivity.
Research by AgriFutures Australia has demonstrated the economic value of clean planting material programs, with disease-free stock delivering significant yield improvements across multiple horticultural industries.
Services
Our plant health services
Comprehensive plant health services from initial testing through to ongoing clean stock maintenance.
Virus indexing
Testing for viral pathogens that reduce crop yields and plant vigour.
Disease elimination
Meristem tip culture and thermotherapy for pathogen-free plants.
Clean stock programs
Ongoing maintenance of disease-free mother plants.
Pathogen testing
Screening for bacterial and fungal pathogens.
Process
How disease elimination works
Meristem tip culture
The growing tip of a plant is often free from viruses. By culturing very small meristem tips under sterile conditions, we regenerate disease-free plants.
Thermotherapy
Heat treatment eliminates certain pathogens. Plants are exposed to elevated temperatures that inactivate pathogens without damaging the tissue.
Testing & verification
After treatment, plants are tested to confirm disease elimination before release or further propagation.
Ongoing maintenance
Clean stock programs maintain disease-free status through regular testing and controlled propagation environments.
Applications
Industries we serve
Plant health services are critical for industries where disease accumulation in planting material affects productivity.
Berry crops
Strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries are highly susceptible to viral diseases that reduce fruit quality and yield.
Bananas
Critical for managing Panama disease (Fusarium wilt) and ensuring clean planting material for new plantings.
Ginger
AgriFutures-funded research has established clean seed programs to address Fusarium wilt in Australian ginger production.
Protect your investment
Contact us to discuss testing or clean stock programs for your operation. Disease-free planting material delivers returns through improved yields and reduced losses.
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