Plum pox potyvirus found in apricot samples collected in China
In the Hunan Province of China, leaves of apricot trees (Prunus armeniaca cvs. Hong Mei, Bai Mei and a selected genotype) showed yellow rings and diffused chlorotic spots resembling those of Plum pox potyvirus (PPV - EPPO A2 list). Samples collected from 3 symptomatic trees were repeatedly analyzed using DAS-ELISA and RT-PCR during summers 2001/2003, in a laboratory located in the Czech Republic. PPV was detected in leaves, bark, and leaf buds of all 3 trees using ELISA with polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies. Results were confirmed using RT-PCR with a PPV-specific primer pair. Further analysis revealed the presence of the PPV-D strain. This is the first publication indicating the occurrence of PPV in China, but further studies are needed to better understand the situation of PPV in China.
The situation of Plum pox potyvirus in China can be described as follows: Present, isolated findings; detected in 3 apricot trees (Hunan province) in 2001/2003, further studies are needed to confirm the extent of the disease.
Sources
Navratil M, Safarova D, Karesova R, Petrzik K (2005) First incidence of Plum pox virus on apricot trees in China. Plant Disease 89(3), p 338.