Plant Viruses

Head of Department: Dr. Stephan Winter

Plant viruses are pathogens and the diseases they cause present serious impediments to the cultivation of crops worldwide, threaten the harvest, the supply of food and the livelihood of many people.

The purpose of the Plant Virus Department is to promote “Plant Health” by

  • supporting the production of healthy plants and seeds free of viruses, 
  • safeguarding the exchange of germplasm across borders and continents, 
  • providing the best expert knowledge to guide disease interventions and virus control. 

To this effect, we

  • monitor the “emerging” virus diseases of world crops, 
  • characterize the viruses, 
  • develop diagnostic reagents and methods for early warning and prevention, 
  • study the etiology of the virus diseases, 
  • seek control options.

Systematics of Plant Viruses

Molecular Plant Virology

Resistance Mechanisms

International collaborations