Occurrence of European stone fruit yellows (ESFY) in Slovenia: possibilities for healthy mother plant cultivation in insect-proof net-houses

• Published in: Acta horticulturae no. 917; pp. 259 - 264
• Main Authors: Ambrozic Turk, B, Fajt, N, Seljak, G, Veberic̆, R, Mehle, N, Boben, J, Dreo, T, Ravnikar, M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: International Society for Horticultural Science 01.01.2011
• Subjects: apricots; Cacopsylla; decline; peaches; Phytoplasma; planting; Plum pox virus; Prunus salicina; seed trees; spring; sticky traps; vegetative growth; vegetative propagation; wood; Slovenia
• ISSN: 0567-7572
• DOI: 10.17660/ActaHortic.2011.917.35

Fruit species are affected by severe diseases associated with phytoplasmas. European stone fruit yellows (ESFY) phytoplasma, ('Candidatus Phytoplasma prunorum'), causes important disorders and decline of trees in many cultivated Prunus species, such as apricot (P. armeniaca), Japanese plum (P. salicina) and peach (P. persica). ESFY phytoplasma is transmitted by the vector Cacopsylla pruni and through vegetative propagation. An official survey of the presence of ESFY performed in the last ten years has shown that the pathogen is present in several areas in Slovenia where stone fruits are cultivated. Since the disease is not curable, the production of healthy planting material is regulated as an important preventive measure to control the spread of the disease. Therefore, the maintenance of mother plants in the insect-proof net-house, where the infection pressure from outside is limited, presents a possibility for the production of healthy propagating material. ‘Virus free’ mother plants of stone fruits were planted in the protected environment of a net-house in spring 2007 with the aim of determining the possibility for production of healthy, technologically properly developed bud wood. Mother trees from the net-house showed good vegetative growth with large amounts of well-developed bud wood for nursery requirements. No vectors were captured inside the net-house during the study period from 2007 to 2009. On control trees outside the net-house one specimen of C. pruni was caught on yellow sticky traps in 2009, and a high population of the leafhopper Asymmetrasca decedens was found in all three years. The occurrence of Plum pox virus (PPV) was confirmed on an outside growing control tree, but no control trees were infected with ESFY in the three years after planting. No vector transmissible diseases were detected on trees inside the net-house.