A method for the detection of RNA viral and subviral plant pathogens was developed that combines pathogen partial purification by solid-phase adsorbed antibodies, reverse transcriptional-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and quantitation of the amplified products by fluorescence. The reverse transcription of the RNA is performed directly on the retained material without any previous thermal or chemical disruption of the virus particles. The whole procedure can be carried out in a microtiter plate. Its validity has been successfully confirmed for the detection of bean yellow mosaic virus, cherry leafroll virus, cucumber mosaic virus, citrus tristeza virus, grapevine fanleaf virus, potato leafroll virus, pepper mild mottle virus, and tomato spotted wilt virus, as well as the satellite RNA of cucumber mosaic virus and potato spindle tuber viroid. In this procedure virus-specific antibodies can be replaced by monoclonal antibodies against double-stranded RNA, thus offering the possibility of detection when no specific virus antibodies are available, or immunological methods are difficult to use (i.e., subviral pathogens like satellite-RNAs or viroids). The method described has the typical sensitivity of assays based on the polymerase chain reaction, it is not more laborious than ELISA, and an equivalent degree of automation is possible.