The Virology Laboratory has been conducting studies on virus diseases seen in cultivated plants in the Aegean region since the 1950s.
In the first years of the laboratory, development of the virus-free potato seed, obtaining the virus-free healthy American grapevine rootstocks and the establishment of the citrus breeding gardens.
Biological, serological (ELISA) and molecular test methods (Multipleks RT-PCR, Real Time RT-PCR) are used in the laboratory to detect and diagnose plant viruses. There are laboratory equipment and knowledge to carry out these studies.
In addition to the projects supported by the Ministry of Agriculture, the laboratory staff was also actively involved in projects such as Twinning project carried out within the framework of EU harmonization, external projects such as TÜBİTAK and DPT. Some research topics that have been carried out in the laboratory in recent years are as follows:
- Determination of viruses that cause disease in stone fruit trees,
- Determination of some viral agents in corn production areas in second crop grown in Aegean region,
- Determination of viruses that cause greenhouse vegetables, identification of the first record of viruses in Türkiye and our region,
- Studies on potato virus diseases within the scope of project for development of national potato seed production system,
- Detection of virus diseases on cucurbit production areas in Aegean region, determination of both disease rates and also reactions of some cucurbit varieties to the virus diseases,
- Determination of grapevine virus diseases and detection by molecular methods,
- Determination of current state of Sharka disease in stone fruit trees in the Aegean region,
- Identification of olive virus diseases, determination of prevalence rates and effects on of fruit quality in the Aegean Region,
- Identification of Potato virus Y (PVY) strains in the potato growing areas and the determination of data for control management,
- Researches on virus-free pre-basic production material in some figs cultivars and production of certified seedlings Virology Laboratory.