Plum pox virus (sharka) sensitivity in Prunus salicina and Prunus cerasifera cultivars against a Dideron‐type isolate

Abstract

With 1 table AbstractThe behaviour of 31 plum cultivars (Prunus salicina, Prunus cerasifera, P. domestica, P. cerasifera × P. salicina and P. salicina × P. armeniaca) against a Dideron‐type isolate of Plum pox virus (PPV) (sharka) was evaluated in an insect‐proof greenhouse, grafted onto ‘Adesoto’ diseased rootstocks, during three growing cycles. All plum cultivars showed the symptoms of sharka or were ELISA positive in at least one of the replications evaluated. However, the behaviour of cultivars was different. Most of the Japanese plums were very sensitive or sensitive, showing strong sharka symptoms and being ELISA positive. Only the Japanese plums ‘Black Star’, ‘Calita’, and ‘Laroda’ showed tolerance to PPV, with mild sharka symptoms and a very low percentage of infected plants. In addition, among the four P. cerasifera studied, ‘J9’ was very sensitive, ‘Kometa’ was sensitive, and ‘P16’and ‘P2980’ were tolerant to sharka. Finally, the inter‐specific hybrids ‘J300’ and ‘Flavor Supreme’ were sensitive, and ‘Obilnaya’ was tolerant to the disease.