Green Crinkle Disease

12 host plants · Viral

Last updated

Your Golden Delicious apple develops deep fruit depressions and pitting on one or two limbs, with discolored vascular strands beneath. Viral agents including apple stem pitting virus cause this serious issue. Use only virus-tested planting material and remove infected trees. The disease doesn't spread readily within orchards.

Use only virus-tested (and found to be free of all known viruses) planting and propagation material. Remove and destroy infected trees.

What Should I Do?

  • Use only virus-tested (and found to be free of all known viruses) planting and propagation material.
  • Remove and destroy infected trees.
  • Reference Hadidi, A., Barba, M., Candresse, T., and Jelkmann, W. 2011.
Full management details ↓

Quick Reference

Agent Type
viral
Host Plants
12
Spread
Primary transmission: grafting with infected scion or rootstock material. Very slow orchard spread possible via root grafts between adjacent trees, though this is uncommon. No known insect vectors confirmed despite multiple viruses present. No seed or pollen transmission. No mechanical transmission in field conditions. Infected propagation material represents major nursery-stage infection risk. Secondary spread within established orchards appears minimal or absent. Source: PNW Plant Disease Management Handbook
Favorable Conditions
Symptom expression is cultivar-dependent; occurs on sensitive apple cultivars only. Fruit develops deep depressions, distortions, and cracks as fruit matures. Severe symptoms may appear on one or two limbs of infected tree, suggesting localized systemic infection or vector-mediated spotty transmission. Environmental stress may influence symptom severity. No leaf symptoms associated with disease, distinguishing it from other apple viruses. Vascular discoloration extends from fruit pits to vascular bundles, distinct from insect injury. Source: PNW Plant Disease Management Handbook

Management

Vulnerability Window

Fruit symptoms appear during growing season from fruit set through maturity (June-September in PNW), with symptom severity increasing as fruit matures. Early-season infections produce more severe cracking and deformation at harvest. Symptoms localized to one or two limbs suggest spatial restriction of virus or vector activity within canopy. Once infected, trees remain infected for life with recurring annual fruit symptoms on affected limbs. Young trees infected at planting show symptoms by first productive season. Source: PNW Plant Disease Management Handbook

What Triggers Infection

Symptom expression is cultivar-dependent; occurs on sensitive apple cultivars only. Fruit develops deep depressions, distortions, and cracks as fruit matures. Severe symptoms may appear on one or two limbs of infected tree, suggesting localized systemic infection or vector-mediated spotty transmission. Environmental stress may influence symptom severity. No leaf symptoms associated with disease, distinguishing it from other apple viruses. Vascular discoloration extends from fruit pits to vascular bundles, distinct from insect injury. Source: PNW Plant Disease Management Handbook

Cultural Controls

  • Use only virus-tested (and found to be free of all known viruses) planting and propagation material.
  • Remove and destroy infected trees.
  • Reference Hadidi, A., Barba, M., Candresse, T., and Jelkmann, W. 2011.
  • Virus and Virus-like Diseases of Pome and Stone Fruits.
  • St.
  • Paul, MN: APS Press.

Host Plants (12)

Sources & References

Primary: PNW Plant Disease Management Handbook

Data Maturity
Baseline Extension data. Expert review underway.