Has anyone checked

Are there any particular Brugmansia species / Hybrids, that you already now can recommend for breeding virus tolerant species? I have several crosses in mind for the coming season and now, with your references to Dr. Preissel`s remark, I will ask your advice and take it in consideration to avoid the worst possible parent plants.

btw. the method you mentioned for making better aurea "Rotkirch" specimens by crossing and then backcrossing to it, - will it work for other wild species as well? I am here thinking particular of "culebra". It would be nice to strengthen this cv. and also to improve the pollen quality, that is to make a higher viabillity percentage.

The Virus tolerance depends on the climate. Wild forms, adapted to their natural habitat, have much trouble with Virus when cultivated under not suitable conditions. Plants, raised out of seed, will do much better, even sensitive B. versicolor species. You will find this phenomen also by cacti. The most tolerant brugs are B. suaveolens, followed by the B. aurea x suaveolens - group. In the european bred B. x candida - group are many tolerant species. I receive every year hybrids for testing purposes, as the mountain climate, where I live, is very rough. Temperatures can drop in July down to the freezing point. Many of these hybrids need a year to adapt to these conditions, some never do. A plant, unable to tolerate a Virus, will not grow under these condition.

When you say a Brugmansia is virus tolerant, do you then mean, that it will not get infected easily or that it can be infected, but will grow as vigourous as if it were not infected?

They get infected just as easy but show no signs of illness even under unsuitable conditions. I see the danger in viral diseases to our nutritial plants, but you can buy already seeds of virustolerant tomatos, cucumbers, beans in seed stores. There are virustolerant Plum trees available. The problem is everywhere and as Virus cannot be eliminated, the only way to keep damage away is to breed tolerant plants, ornamental and food.

I quit growing tomatoes on the West Coast as our summers can be rainy and most of the tomatoes get some sort of virus. If they're covered from the rain, they seem to do fine.

Are you sure its a virus and not the Phythophthora disease?
I think I have already seen Virus resistent Tomato seeds in a seed cataloge, but I am not sure. This is another way to breed resistent plants. But Virus develops itself always further. See the Influenza Virus. Every year there are new mutations and the pharma industry must develop new vaccine.
We might be able to fight Virus infection by resistence for a while only until the microorganism found a way to overcome the barrier in the plant.

Monika, would you mind starting a new thread and teaching us what the signs of virus are? that is if there are more signs than the leaves. I think some of us (me) are still confused. thanks:)

Monika, it probably is a disease and not a virus. I just quit growing them because I live next to a farm on Denman Island and they do a much better job than me growing veges. That way I have more room for my brugs.

I have placed several pictures, showing leaves. Usually thats all you see. Sensitve plants as Tutu or Herrenhäuser Gärten or Lilac are not very tolerant. The growth is very slow, the leaves often deformed way up to the top. Especially Lilac looses the older leaves.

Potyvirus is non existant in America so far..some has been seen in Europe so that is a reason for the import requirements...we get that virus and your collections will be gone..it is a very virulent strain that we cannot afford to bring in..only tissue cultured lab plants should be sent here till it is erradicated elsewhere.