Incidence of Ilarviruses in Young Peach Trees in California. J. K. Uyemoto, USDA-ARS, Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, Davis 95616. C. F. Luhn, W. Asai, R. Beede, J. A. Beutel, and R. Fenton. USDA-ARS, Department of Plant Pathology, and Cooperative Extension, Department of Pomology, University of California, Davis 95616. Plant Dis. 73:217-220. Accepted for publication 30 October 1988. This article is in the public domain and not copyrightable. It may be freely reprinted with customary crediting of the source. The American Phytopathological Society, 1989. DOI: 10.1094/PD-73-0217.

Indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) of young cling peach (Prunus persica) trees in the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys of California revealed that about 28% of first- to fifth-leaf trees were infected by either prune dwarf virus or Prunus necrotic ringspot virus, or by both. Peach trees infected by both viruses were severely stunted. Infection was confirmed in about one-half of the ELISA test trees by bud-chip inoculations onto Shirofugen flowering cherry trees (P. serrulata). These results strongly suggest that infected scion buds, rootstocks, or both were used in the propagation of nursery trees.