| Abstract: | Plum pox potyvirus (PPV), which first appeared in Bulgaria in 1915, has spread to nearly every European country, and can today also be found in various eastern Mediterranean countries. The pest is of great economic importance especially in some southern and central European countries, causing considerable losses in production of primarily plum, apricot and peach. The extent of losses varies between countries of different climates, depending on cultivars and virus strains. In joint infections with other viruses, PPV provokes synergistic effects, enhancing the economic importance of the pest. Since PPV is transmitted by insects, spread of the virus can be reduced only by eradicating sources of infection and use of virusfree propagating material. Thus introduction of more reliable detection techniques is essential, facilitating mass testing of trees. Close collaboration in studying strain-related problems of PPV and in searching for resistant and tolerant cultivars is similarly important. |
