Exploit potential of natural products to control plant virus diseases. Plants and micro-organisms synthesize many thousands of natural products. Wide-reaching pharmacological surveys have identified many compounds isolated from plants active against various animal pathogens, including viruses. Work on animal viruses has also provided information on the toxicity of many compounds.
Chemotherapeutic agents offer an alternative and more effective means to obtain virus-free plants.
At present, there are no practical, chemical controls of virus diseases of food crops. General Methodology . Screen plants and micro-organisms for compounds showing potential as inhibitors of plant viruses and assess the effectiveness of natural products with known inhibitory activity against animal viruses. Determine the mode of action of viral inhibitors. Determine practical ways to use such inducers in stimulating the natural defence systems of crop plants against a wide range of pathogens.