Strategy to control Little Cherry Disease (BIOFRUITNET Practice Abstract)

Summary

Cultivation of varieties that are less sensitive to LChV will give a stable yield of high quality and good flavour sweet and sour cherry fruits.
Practical recommendations and information
• Two causal viruses exist: Little cherry virus-1 (LChV-1) and Little cherry virus-2 (LChV-2)
• SYMPTOMS can look like:
o Fruits are small, triangular, flattened, leathery peel
o Poorly coloured, tasteless fruits
o Reduced sugar content
o Premature reddening of leaves
o Lower tree vigour, lower tree volume
o Plants can be infected without any visible symptoms (often on ornamental species)
• HOST PLANTS:
o Species of Prunus genus, mainly sweet and sour cherries, including ornamental species
o Infections on apricots, peaches, plums and almonds have not been recorded yet
• Virus-infected trees cannot be treated; treatment options against LChV do not exist yet, so only the application of preventive measures is effective
• Vegetative virus transmission is possible, especially with infected planting material and with vegetative propagation (e.g., scions, grafts)
• LChV-2 virus is also transmitted by the maple borer (Phenacoccus aceris); the pest vector for LChV-1 is unknown
• Reliable detection of the virus is only possible by molecular methods (RT-PCR)
• PROTECTION:
o PREVENTIVE MEASURES: Healthy plant material, monitoring of maple borer upon confirmation of LChV-2 infections
o DIRECT MEASURES: Destroy all infested trees, direct control of the vector (maple borer)
• Avoid growing of LChV sensitive varieties such as Lambert, Lapins, Sam, Van, Celeste, Sweetheart, and Bing (fully resistant varieties are not known)