Occurrence of cherry viruses in South Tyrol (Italy) by comparing growth periods in two consecutive years

Abstract

Sweet cherries (Prunus avium L.) are important as fruit crops, and can be affected by numerous viruses. An investigation on the occurrence of the three most common viruses of sweet cherry was carried out in commercially managed orchards in South Tyrol (Italy). The incidence of apple chlorotic leaf spot virus (ACLSV), Prunus necrotic ringspot virus (PNRSV) and prune dwarf virus (PDV) was investigated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) and the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction technique (RT-PCR) in spring 2018 and 2020, and during the summer and autumn of 2020. All three viruses were detected in the surveyed orchards. Comparative analyses showed that detection was more effective with RT-PCR than with ELISA, especially for detecting PNRSV and PDV. Mixed infections were detected in all the surveyed orchards. The results also showed clear differences between and during host growth periods, likely due to a variable virus concentration in the host trees.