Ullman, D.E., German, T.L., Mcintosh, C.E., & Williams, D.D.F. 1991 Effect of heat treatment on a closterovirus-like particle associated with mealybug wilt of pineapple.. Plant Disease 75(8): 859-861.

Notes: Pineapple crowns ("Ananas comosus" 'Smooth Cayenne') known to be infected with a closterovirus-like particle associated with mealybug wilt of pineapple were heat-treated in water at 40, 50, and 60 C for 20, 60, and 120 min at each temperature. Plant survival was 80-100% at 40 and 50 C, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) demonstrated that 60-100% of these surviving plants were rendered free of closterovirus-like particles. Heat treatments at 60 C increased plant mortality and did not improve the percentage of plants rendered free of virus. Plant survival decreased to 70, 20, and 0% with treatments of 60 C for 30, 60, and 120 min, respectively. Plants placed in the field and greenhouse and maintained free of mealybugs were shown, with ELISA and subsampling for virus purification, to remain free of closteroviruslike particles through forcing for fruit production and harvest. In addition, these plants produced fruit, crowns, and ratoon growth free of closterovirus-like particles.