Several diseases of geraniums (Pelargonium species) are caused by viruses. The economic losses caused by these diseases are difficult to assess since infected plants are often symptomless and because both the cultivar and the environment in which the plants are growing can greatly influence the severity of the symptoms. The problem is compounded by the diverse sources of stock plants and the fa...

Antimicrobial activities of two ethanolic extracts, made from fresh and dried leaves of Pelargonium radula (Cav.) L'Hérit, were tested against fourteen species of bacteria and fifteen species of fungi. The well-diffusion method indicated the strongest activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The broth dilution method revealed that the most sensitive microorganisms were Bacillus pumilus, Bacillu...

To detect five plant viruses (Beet black scorch virus, Beet necrotic yellow vein virus, Eggplant mottled dwarf virus, Pelargonium zonate spot virus, and Rice yellow mottle virus) for quarantine purposes, we designed 15 RT-PCR primer sets. Primer design was based on the nucleotide sequence of the coat protein gene, which is highly conserved within species. All but one primer set successfully amp...

Ralstonia solanacearum (biovar 2, race 3) is a soil and water-borne pathogen that causes serious diseases in several solanaceous hosts. It can also infect geranium plants, posing an important threat to their culture when latently infected cuttings are imported from countries where the pathogen is endemic. R. solanacearum can be present in very low numbers in asymptomatic geranium cuttings, and/...