TRANSMISSION OF PLUM LEAF SCALD OR PHONY PEACH DISEASE, XYZLELLA FASTIDIOSA, WELLS, BY TWO BUDDING METHODS IN PEACH AND PLUM

Abstract

The transmission of plum leaf scald or phony peach, Xylella fartidiosa, Wells is compared by the slip and chip budding with peach and plum scions on two peach rootstocks, `Lovell' and `Nemaguard'. ELISA was used to determine mean concentrations of the bacteria in scion leaf petioles. There was a greater level of transmission of the pathogen using chip budding over slip budding in plums but not in peach. Further analysis of slip budding showed no difference to unbudded rootstocks wheras chip budding caused a significantly higher incidence of transmission.