That's very sad.
I'd like to believe that if I saw RRD on a plant in my garden I would dig it up immediately, bag it, and get it out of here. I understand, though, that it would be difficult to do so - especially if it were rare and/or if it were one that I had worked of for years to get established. It's hard for me to understand how one part of a plant could harbor the virus but another part be free from it. I guess I thought that's not the way it worked.
My understanding is that the virus itself does not survive in the soil. It can, however, survive in bits of root left in the soil. And Zuzu tells a tale of a rose disappearing for a few years and reappearing. So it might be good to wait a few years before re-planting roses there.
All this vegetative propagation: it keep plants standing still while pests and diseases make evolutionary advancements.It seems to be the perfect way to breed and propagate ever more virulent plant pathogens. Makes me worry for the future of all agricultural pursuits.
