Potential Aphid (Hemiptera: Aphididae) Vectors of Plum-pox Virus (Virus:Potyviridae) and Status of Sharka Disease in Stone Fruit Orchards in the East Mediterranean Region of Turkey

This study was conducted in stone fruit orchards five provinces of the East Mediterranean Region Turkey between years 2009-2011. The aim to determine potential aphid vectors quarantine pathogen PPV (plum pox virus, family Potyviridae) that causes serious yield losses. During surveys, 542 orchard/nurseries were sampled and 6 species (Hemiptera: Aphididae) [Brachycaudus persicae (Passerini,1860), B. helichrysi (Kaltenbach, 1843), cardui (Linnaeus, 1758), Hyalopterus pruni (Geoffroy, 1762), Myzus (Sulzer, 1776) M.cerasi (Fabricius, 1775)] from trees 4 [Aphis craccivora (Koch, 1854), A. fabae Scopoli 1763, gossypii Glover 1877, nasturtii Kaltenbach 1843)] weeds known as efficient detected orchards. Stone samples (flower, leaf, fruit), weed tested by DAS-ELISA presence PPV. infected resulted uncertain processed conventional RT-PCR (Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction) finalize decision presence. A total 8 PPV-infected with both analyzing methods region. Three these aphids well. B.cardui collected orchard Hatay-Samandağ also run analyse for virus positive.