綠竹筍富含纖維及維生素,熱量低,為台灣重要的夏季健康蔬菜之一,本省各地均有零星栽培,但普遍受竹嵌紋病毒(Bamboo mosaic virus,BaMV)危害,較集中栽植的鄉鎮,罹病率高達80-100%。竹嵌紋病毒為系統性病害,主要靠耕作器具操作時之機械性傳播,截至目前並無媒介昆蟲之報導,因此利用無病毒之竹苗全面更新,應可達到病害防治的目的。台南場自1989年起利用目測並配合酵素結合抗體檢定法(ELISA)篩選健康綠竹,將無嵌紋病之母樹種植於台南場新化分場建立母樹園,開始進行利用無病毒綠竹苗防治綠竹嵌紋的示範推廣工作。1990年4月於台南縣關廟鄉設置無病毒綠竹示範圃一處,兩年後該綠竹園不但產筍量增加、竹筍品質提高,更能生產無病毒綠竹苗供應其他園區更新栽培。為建立無病毒綠竹苗之繁殖體系,另外於1993年從新化母樹園採得之無病毒竹苗種於台南縣白河鎮以前未種過竹子之新園,且園區周圍無竹園毗鄰做為繁殖圃,供應無病毒之綠竹苗給農民種植,至2001年已供苗約60,000株。
Because green bamboo shoot is rich in fibres and vitamins and delicious, it is considered an important vegetable, especially during the summer season. Bamboo mosica virus (BaMV) is the most destructive disease affecting plant growth and shoot production in quality and quantity of green bamboo. The disease incidence of BaMV in the green bamboo major growing areas around the island, based on visual symptoms, ranged between 80 and 100%. Previous studies revealed that BaMV was mechanically transmitted mainly by cultural practices via farming tools. So far, no vector was reported to be able to transmit this virus, thus, the use of virus-free clones to control this disease becomes feasible and effective. Since 1989, eye-inspection and/or the ELISA methods have been used for the indexing of the virus. A green bamboo virus-free mother plants plot was set up in 1990 at Hsinhua Branch Station of the Tainan DAIS. Yield and quality of bamboo shoots from a demonstrated plot in Kuanmiao were also recorded in 1991 and 1992, the farmer's field next to the demo-plot with BaMV-infected plants served as control. Results indicated that yield and quality from the virus-free plants were much higher and better than that from the diseased plants. Then, another plot was set-up at a farmer's field in Paiho in 1993 in an isolated area. The clones obviously were from Hsinhua stock plot. This plot is used for the propagation of virus-free plants for the farmers. From 1994 to 2001, the plot has produced about 60,000 of virus-free clones for the farmers around the island.