1. Info Submitted by Mary McKellar, NEPDN Prepared January 2008

2. Plum Pox Virus Why is this a problem? Plum pox virus or PPV does not kill trees but causes yield losses and reduces the marketability of fruit. In Europe, reported losses of 80-100% in susceptible cultivars. PPV was originally on the select agent list. It was removed in 2005 but is still a regulated pathogen in the U.S. Photo John Hammond, USDA-ARS

3. Plum Pox Virus: Disease Distribution Confirmed locations of PPV in Canada. Map Source: Canadian Food Inspection Agency http://www.inspection.gc.c a/english/sci/surv/2003m aps/ppvonqz2003e.shtml Confirmed Locations of PPV in the United States

4. Plum Pox Virus Hosts Hosts for PPV consist of stone fruits including plum, peach, nectarine, apricots, almonds, sweet and tart cherries and ornamental Prunus species. Wild Prunus species may serve as an important secondary host for PPV including: – Blackthorn, –American plum –Western sand cherry –Mahaleb cherry –Japanese apricot –Sand cherry –Hortulan plum David peach –Nanking cherry –Canada plum –Beach plum –English cherry-laurel Photo Brian Prechtel, USDA-ARS

5. Plum Pox Virus What does it look like? Fruit –Lightly pigmented rings. –Necrotic or brown areas. –Infected plums and apricots can be deformed and have rings on the surface of the seed. Leaves –Yellow veins and yellow to light green rings. Flowers –Streaking on the petals –Pigmented ring patterns Photo Biologische Bundesanstalt für Land- und Forstwirtschaft Archive, www.ipmimages.org Photos Top: K.D. Hickey, Penn State University and Bottom: R. Scorza, USDA

6. Plum Pox Virus Disease Transmission In orchards, PPV is spread short distances by aphids. Long distance spread of the disease is accomplished by the movement of infected plants and plant parts by humans. Photo Scott Bauer, www.ipmimages.org

7. Plum Pox Virus Disease Control Control measures for PPV include: –field surveys –eradication of infected trees –use of certified nursery stock –control of aphids –use of resistant cultivars. Transgenic C5 Plum resistant to PPV contains the PPV Coat Protein. (Photo Scott Bauer, USDA-ARS)

8. Web Links for Further Information Plum Pox, USDA-APHIS-PPQ http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/plant_pest_info/ Plum Pox Information Website, Pennsylvania State University http://sharka.cas.psu.edu/ Fact Sheet: Plum Pox Virus of Stone Fruits http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/FreePubs/pdfs/ul204.pdf Plum Pox Resources, WVU Kearneysville Tree Fruit Research & Education Center http://www.caf.wvu.edu/kearneysville/disease_descriptions/ppvresources.html Plum Pox Potyvirus Disease of Stonefruits, APSnet Article http://www.apsnet.org/online/feature/PlumPox/Top.html The Plum Pox Virus Disease of Europe, The Horticulture and Food Research Institute of New Zealand http://www.hortnet.co.nz/publications/science/s/snelling/sharka.htm Pox Virus and Other Diseases of Stone Fruits Symptoms Booklet,Penn State University http://ppvbooklet.cas.psu.edu/ Plum Pox Virus Image Directory, West Virginia University http://www.caf.wvu.edu/kearneysville/disease_descriptions/PPV/PPVGallery.html Plum Pox Image Gallery, APSnet http://www.apsnet.org/online/feature/PlumPox/Gallery/Top.html

9. References NPDN Plum Pox Virus Training Module no. 0004 December 2006