Diseases

Verticillium wilt of plum

Prunus L.

A fungal disease of the plum vascular system caused by soil-borne pathogens Verticillium dahliae, V. albo-atrum, and Gibellulopsis nigrescens. It is characterized by vascular infection, leading to sudden wilting and death of individual branches or the entire tree.

In the reference 6 varieties crop Plum, where this is mentioned in the description.

The primary causative agents of the disease are the soil-borne fungi Verticillium dahliae and Verticillium albo-atrum. The pathogen Gibellulopsis nigrescens has also been identified in Prunus salicina plum saplings propagated via clonal micropropagation. Plum is considered less susceptible to Verticillium wilt compared to apricot, peach, and sweet cherry.

External symptoms appear in mid-summer as sudden wilting, yellowing, and subsequent leaf drop, creating a 'scorched' crown effect. Diagnostic cross-sections and longitudinal sections of branches reveal characteristic browning or dark streaks in the wood, caused by vascular occlusion by mycelium and the plant's defense response through the formation of tyloses and gum.

Data on specific resistance genes to Verticillium wilt in plum are not available in open sources. Breeding for resistance is primarily focused on the selection of clonal rootstocks, most of which demonstrate relative or high resistance to this pathogen.

General information about the subject — on the page Verticillium wilt.

Sources8

Varieties of Plum mentioned in the description

Selection based on the description text, not on official evaluation: these data are absent from registers. For specific variety details, please refer to its profile.