Little Cherry Disease Testing Pt 1
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson with today’s Fruit Grower Report. Northwest cherry season is underway and one of the things growers are doing is keeping an eye out for signs of Little Cherry Disease.
Corina Serban, Extension Coordinator for WSU’s Little Cherry Disease Program, says it’s important to stay ahead of the disease by looking for the symptoms …
SERBAN … “And the symptoms appear like small fruit, poor color and flavor that pretty much makes the fruit unmarketable. The growers say they cannot put that fruit on the market. And those symptoms, they’re often referred to as Little Cherry Disease.”
Serban says there are three pathogens that cause LCD symptoms …
SERBAN … “Those three pathogens X-disease phytoplasma and the Little Cherry viruses 1 and 2. So, those three pathogens have different modes of transmission. Little Cherry virus 2 is transmitted by the mealy bug. X-disease phytoplasma is transmitted by leafhoppers. And Little Cherry virus 1 vectors are not known.”
Serban says it’s really important to test for LCD at the beginning of harvest …
SERBAN … “Yet the three can act as a source for spread throughout the entire growing season. So, identifying and removing infected trees is key to slowing its spread.”
Tune in tomorrow for more on Little Cherry Disease and why knowing the symptoms and testing is so important to prevent its spread.
