Detectability of viruses in lily bulbs depends on virus, host and storage conditions.

Lily symptomless virus (LSV) and lily mottle virus (LMoV) are detected reliably with ELISA in bulbs of Asiatic hybrids stored at 0-2°C for at least 2-3 weeks after lifting prior to testing. If this protocol was applied to Lilium longiflorum-cultivars and Oriental hybrids, however, it generally failed in the detection of LMoV. This phenomenon was virus dependent since LSV, cucumber mosaic virus and lily virus X were easily detected. The detection of LMoV in L. longiflorum-cvltivais greatly improved after storage of scales at 20°C for 2-3 weeks under white fluorescent light (12-16 h/day, 13-16 W.m-2). This protocol was also applicable to LSV in L. longiflorum, but not for LMoV in Oriental hybrids.