STONE FRUIT - Diseases of Fruit Crops in Australia - page 238

one minute and transmit the virus to healthy plants when
feeding or probing for the same short time period. Aphids
lose the ability to transmit the virus after several hours
but can acquire virus again if they feed on infected plants.

A range of aphid species present in and around stone
fruit orchards are capable of transmitting PPV and can
cause considerable virus spread within and between
orchards.
PPV is not present in Australia and the best means
of management is to prevent the introduction of the
virus.

The most likely pathway for introduction is through the
illegal import of nursery stock and budwood.
It is a legal requirement that all Prunus introductions
enter Australia only through post-entry quarantine,
which tests for PPV and other exotic pathogens.

Fig 17.32 Leaf symptoms of Plum pox virus on peach and plum leaves.

Source of infection and spread
Long-range dispersal of PPV occurs by planting infected
nursery stock and using infected propagation materials
including buds and rootstocks. Viruses are systemic
pathogens and trees and budwood may be infected
without showing clear symptoms.

What to do if you suspect plum pox (sharka)
disease
This pathogen is a biosecurity risk to Australia. Any
suspected affected plants should be reported to the
nearest Department of Primary Industries or the Plant
Health Australia hotline [phone]).

The virus is also spread by aphids, which acquire the
virus when sucking sap from infected plants. Aphids are
able to acquire the virus in feeding periods of less than

FURTHER INFORMATION

NSW Department of Primary Industries. Orchard plant protection
guide for deciduous fruits in NSW (annual edition). NSW Department
of Primary Industries http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au.

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B e a t t i e B B , M c G l a s s o n W B & W a d e N L ( E d s ) ( 1 9 8 9 ) Post harvest
diseases of horticultural produce: Volume 1 Temperate fruit. C S I R O
Publications: Melbourne.

O g a w a J M ( E d . ) ( 1 9 9 5 ) Compendium of stone fruit diseases . APS
Press: St Paul, Minnesota.

H e t h e r i n g t o n S ( E d . ) ( 2 0 0 6 ) Integrated pest and disease manual for
Australian summerfruit . NSW Department of Primary Industries:
S y d n e y .

S t r a n d L L ( 1 9 9 9 ) Integrated pest management for stone fruits . Statewide
Integrated Pest Management Project. University of California Division
of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Oakland, California.