Sensitive analytic techniques including double antibody sandwich enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (DAS-ELISA), direct ELISA, dot-ELISA and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) are compared and evaluated for their capability to reliably distinguish between healthy and sweet potato feathery mottle virus (SPFMV) infected sweet potato plants. The DAS-ELISA is not adequate for the detection of SPFMV since almost identical ELISA values were obtained for healthy and infected plants. In contrast, an accurate and reliable detection of SPFMV could be performed by either direct or dot ELISA with quantitatively and qualitatively clearly distinguishable values (direct ELISA) or signals (dot ELISA) for infected and noninfected material. Similar results were observed with RT-PCR as a nonimmunological method. However, this method is quite laborious and expensive and therefore, not recommendable for the routine detection of SPFMV in cultivated sweet potato fields.SPM