FURTHER STUDIES ABOUT THE HOST RANGE OF SHARKA (PLUM POX) VIRUS

Although 36 woody plant species of the genus Prunus ornamental shrubs of Rosaceae and other plant families were tested for their susceptibility to Sharka virus, only 5 species of the subgenus Prunophora and the section Armeniaca (Prunus brigantina Vill., Prunus holosericea Batal., Prunus mandshurica (Max.) Koehne, Prunus mume (Sieb.) Sieb. and Zucc. and Prunus sibirica L.) were discovered to be new hosts of this virus.
One of them, Prunus mume, is of main interest to the trade.

On the other hand, there are some important species of the subgenera Amygdalus (Prunus tenella Batsch.), Cerasus (Prunus sargentii Rehd., Prunus subhirtella Miq. cv. ‘Plena’, Prunus xyedoensis Mats.) and Laurocerasus (Prunus laurocerasus L.), which seem to be not susceptible to this virus.
Prunus padus L. and Prunus serotina L. of the subgenus Padus are no host plants, while Prunus triloba Lindl. (subgenus Amygdalus) sometimes seems to be a latent carrier.

Furthermore, none out of 11 species of ornamental shrubs of Rosaceae and 5 species out of 4 other plant families seem to be host plants, but back transmissions, which are under way, must prove that they are no latent carriers.

IX International Symposium on Fruit Tree Virus Diseases

G. Hamdorf

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1975.44.24