Testing is going to become cheaper and more accurate the more we learn about this viroid. Once standardized practices of upper root and lower leaf and stem samples are implemented. And tests getting dialed in to the most common strains of the viroids will be the next big breakthrough. Yes it’s a money grab for the testing labs but if they can prove value to the industry and home growers. It’s money well spent according to my logic.
3 Likes
On a smaller level, like my micro grow i will just toss any young plants that do not appear to be a 9/10 on the vigor, growth and health scale, no more nursing along runts and mutants just to see what happens. That should be enough for most tiny home growers.No need to spend on tests etc. much cheaper just to get new clean genes.
2 Likes
But that is NOT enough for this, that’s why it’s named hop LATENT viroid. Because it doesn’t show up until later/flower.
4 Likes
Ok, you can kill the messenger, now. lol
4 Likes
If this was true then this video shared in the thread is complete B.S
2 Likes
Good point homie. Maybe a little longer veg time would expose it? and if it’s very latent It would not get expressed at all and a non issue then i guess?
2 Likes
go to 10:30 of the video hes talking about mother plants do not show, or dont show obvious symptoms…
“to really know if a mother plant is infected, one needs to go in and take samples”
2 Likes
90% of growers are not going to do this. It is not a cost most can endure. Still comes down to the integrity of where one gets they’re cuts. Sharing cuts is as safe as one makes it.
2 Likes
Even Bodhi spoke of the Cali O cut he had, “dudding” (his word).
So fyi @HolyAngel re the Bodhi Citrus Wookie bx seeds which i believe might use that same Calio female plant.
And a grower here on OG spoke of Bodhi’s Orange Sunshine having lots of “mutants”. Maybe it has the same Cali O mom?
8 Likes
If I have been growing a clone for a while, long enough to have a mom, I am going to be able to tell if she is growing normal or dudding, I won’t need a test for that.
3 Likes
No you will not. 
1 Like
You understand it says latent in the name for a reason right?
It can grow fine but be infected and pass it on to others.
I have grown clones from infected mothers that around 30% of the clones dudded and the rest grew normally.
Mother plants looked normal but was infected non the less.
Sometimes mothers will show symptoms and other times they won’t. It’s what makes this shit such a pain to eradicate
It’s not quite as easy as this plant is growing normal it doesn’t have it. I wish it was that easy.
But hey you guys do you, I just hope none of you get it with this lax attitude towards it 
If you do get it, your attitude will do a 180 I guarantee it
7 Likes
Spoken like a man who sells clones.
1 Like
@ColeLennon Do you really think this is some conspiracy between the clone vendors and the testing labs? And the viroid is not as big of a problem as people are saying? I’m trying to understand where you’re coming from here.
5 Likes
What’s the matter is your piece of the pie shrinking? I’m sick of you striking fear in the hearts of home growers for profit.
1 Like
Yep you got me🤦♂️, the gig is up everyone…lol
5 Likes
I’m muting this thread. 
2 Likes
If I have a mom that is kicking out the odd dud every 30% of the time I would very much notice and again just toss the plants. No need to waste money on tests. Source new clean genes and you’re good. If you want to be super careful and have paperwork, emails, certifications and the Queen’s blessing that’s fine too. I like simple.
1 Like
The tests for HLVd would not likely give you a false positive unless there was cross contamination of some kind. The qPCR tests they use look for copies of the HLVd cDNA and are sensitive enough they can actually tell you how many copies of the HLVd cDNA are present in the sample. I’m not sure there would be a way to trigger a positive result, such as the presence of the vroid is detected in the sample, by an improper test. The more likely thing to happen is that an infected plant tests clean. The standard nowadays is to take root and petiole samples from multiple places from the plant to help eliminate the possibility of sampling tissue that doesn’t have the vroid in it while other parts of the same plant do.
4 Likes
I’ve bought 6 clones a year for the past 6 or so years, all from big california nurseries but mainly Dark Heart, never saw anything resembling “dudding”, unless fails at hardening off count 
I can ask some of my fellow california grow buddies who have been buying clones since rec started if they’ve ever seen it but I never hear about their plants dying mysteriously 
I’m sure it’s a real disease, but I don’t think the sky is falling like the SFGATE article in the OP would have us think (hot tip: the article’s main topic is a product you can buy 
)
1 Like