Viroid, phytoplasma, and fungal diseases of stone fruit in Eastern Anatolia, Turkey

Stone fruit trees were surveyed from June to October (2003 and 2004) to determine the incidence of viroid, phytoplasma, and fungal diseases in the eastern Anatolia region of Turkey. Molecular hybridisation test (tissue printing and dot-blot) was used to investigate the presence of Peach latent mosaic viroid (PLMVd) and Hop stunt viroid (HSVd). A total of 16 trees out of 491 were positive for viroids. PLMVd was found in 15 peaches (Prunus persica) (3%) and a unique HSVd isolate was found only in an apricot (Prunus armeniaca) tree (0.1%). The average incidence of viroid infection was 3.2%. HSVd was detected for the first time in eastern Anatolia, whereas no PLMVd infection was encountered in the main apricot growing provinces (Malatya, Elazig). PCR analyses of the few symptomatic apricots for the presence of "Candidatus Phytoplasma prunorum" were negative. Isolates of Armillaria mellea, Cytospora spp., Monilinia laxa, Stigmina carpophila, Chondrostereum purpureum, Fusarium spp., Rosellinia spp., and Phytophthora spp. were identified from symptomatic samples collected from the region.