Detection of Plum pox virus in ornamental Prunus cerasifera

Plum pox virus (PPV) is the causal agent of sharka disease. It is a serious threat for temperate fruit, mainly apricots, plums and peaches. In order to study the ability of PPV to infect wild and ornamental Prunus species, several wild, native ornamental stone fruits and weeds were analyzed as possible reservoirs of PPV. Five species of ornamental stone fruits and 24 species of weeds were evaluated between 2000 and 2004. The virus was not found in the weeds but was detected in one species of ornamental stone fruit, purple cherry-plums (Prunus cerasifera Pissardii). The PPV strain M was identified by DASI-ELISA and confirmed by IC-RT-PCR. Additionally, mealy plum aphid (Hyalopterus pruni) was determined as a vector of PPV in P. cerasifera. This is the first report on the reservoir potential of ornamental stone fruit trees and weeds for PPV in Turkey.