Sour Cherry Yellows

Prune dwarf

36 host plants

Last updated

Data Maturity Baseline

This profile contains verified disease data from extension databases. Regional field notes and expert review are in progress.

You'll see green and yellow mottled leaves with green coloring along veins on sour cherry rootstocks (Prunus cerasifera), followed by premature leaf drop and reduced fruiting spurs. Prune dwarf virus spreads through budding, grafting, and infected pollen. Use virus-tested nursery stock and establish new plantings away from old orchards. Roguing mature orchards is uneconomical; thermotherapy can eliminate the virus in propagation material.

Use nursery stock that has been tested and found to be free of all known viruses. If propagating your own trees, use both virus-indexed budwood and virus-certified rootstock.

Quick Reference

Causal Agent
Prune dwarf
Host Plants
36
Favorable Conditions
Initial leaf yellowing may appear the first year of infection, but typically ...

Management

Vulnerability Window

Trees are vulnerable to infection throughout their productive life, with enhanced symptom expression in mature, fruiting trees. Newly grafted trees are vulnerable to graft transmission of the virus. Sour cherry cultivars show greater vulnerability to systemic spread and symptom development compared to sweet cherry. Vulnerability increases when soil and nutritional stress compound virus stress.

What Triggers Infection

Initial leaf yellowing may appear the first year of infection, but typically symptoms develop after several years. Symptom expression is most favorable 2 weeks after night temperatures of 50-60°F and day temperatures of 86-95°F. Affected foliage shows a green and yellow mottle pattern with green coloration along the midrib and larger veins. Affected leaves drop prematurely, with subsequent waves of leaf drop occurring. Eventually 30-50% of leaves may drop. Fruiting spurs are reduced, creating a willowy growth habit with long bare branches. Yield quality remains high but quantity may be reduced 50%. Trees decline rapidly when sour cherry yellows is combined with Prunus necrotic ringspot virus.

Cultural Controls

  • Use virus-tested (and found to be free of all known viruses) budwood and nursery stock. Propagate only from virus-free mother trees. Establish new sour cherry plantings at distance from older orchards infected with sour cherry yellows. In young, newly infected orchards, rogue infected trees if they are few and detected early. In mature, extensively infected orchards, avoid extensive roguing. Apply gibberellic acid to manage tree vigor and reduce decline symptoms. Avoid planting sour cherry orchards near locations known to have Prunus necrotic ringspot virus, as mixed infections accelerate decline. Source: PNW Plant Disease Management Handbook

Host Plants (36)

Prunus americana Wild Plum American (Red) Plum August Plum, Goose Plum Prunus armeniaca Apricot Prunus avium Sweet Cherry Prunus besseyi Sand Cherry, Western Sand Cherry Prunus blireiana Blireiana Plum Prunus caroliniana Carolina Cherrylaurel American Cherrylaurel Prunus cascade Prunus cascade Prunus cerasifera Cherry, Plum Prunus cistena Purpleleaf Sandcherry Redleaf Sandcherry Cistena Sandcherry Cistena Plum Prunus dream Prunus dream Prunus emarginata Bitter Cherry, Wild Cherry, Quinine Cherry Prunus first Prunus first Prunus fruticosa Steppe Cherry, European Dwarf Ground Cherry, Mongolian Cherry Prunus glandulosa Dwarf Flowering Almond Prunus ilicifolia Hollyleaf Cherry, Holly-leaved Cherry Prunus laurocerasus Cherry, Laurel Prunus lusitanica Portugal Laurel Prunus maackii Amur Chokecherry Amur Cherry, Manchurian Cherry Prunus mume Japanese Apricotc Japanese Flowering Apricot Japanese Flowering Plum Prunus newport Newport Flowering Plum Prunus okame Okame Flowering Cherry Prunus padus European Birdcherry Common Birdcherry Prunus prostrata Rock Cherry, Mountain Cherry Prunus sargentii Sargent Cherry, Sargent's Cherry Prunus serotina Black Cherry, Rum Cherry Prunus serrula Birchbark Cherry, Paperbark Cherry, Tibetan Cherry Prunus serrulata Japanese Flowering Cherry Prunus snow Prunus snow Prunus subcordata Klamath Plum, Sierra Plum, Pacific Plum Prunus subhirtella Higan Cherry Prunus subhirtella var. autumnalis Autumn Flowering Higan Cherry Prunus tai Prunus tai Prunus virginiana Prunus virginiana Prunus virginiana var. demissa Western Chokecherry Prunus virginiana var. virginiana Common Chokecherry, Eastern Chokecherry Prunus yedoensis Yoshino Cherry, Somei-yoshino Cherry, Tokyo Cherry