PLUM POX (SHARKA) VIRUS INFECTION OF APRICOT CULTIVARS

Since the first observation of the disease on apricot trees in Bulgaria in 1934 the plum pox (sharka) virus has been widely distributed in Europe.
Its economic importance is very high causing not only symptoms on fruit, but reduced growth of diseased trees.

Control methods of plum pox virus are preventive.
The major one is the use of virus-free propagating material.
Great care has to be taken for elimination of factors causing natural virus transmission such as removal of infection centres (hedges, wild-growing species, weeds) from the plantation and its surroundings, chemical control of virus vectors.
It is also important to remove suckers from myrobalan and plum rootstocks.
The most effective, but also the most timeconsuming method of prevention would be the use of varieties resistant or tolerant to plum pox virus.

The authors summarized a list of research topics on plum pox virus where the international cooperation has a great necessity.

II International Workshop on Apricot Culture and Decline, XXII IHC

M. Németh, M. Kölber

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1988.209.17