Determination and characterization of viruses are harmful to stem tissue of pome fruit trees by biological, serological and molecular techniques

This study was carry out in Adana, Kahramanmaraş, Mersin, Niğde and Osmaniye provinces between years of 2006 and 2009. The aim of the study was determination and characterization of Apple Stem Grooving Capillovirus (ASGV) and Apple Stem Pitting Foveavirus (ASPV) on pome fruits and evaluation of the reactions of some commertial cultıvars to the diseases. During the survey, 619 samples were collected from 134 orchards and, 18,41 % of the samples were founded as ASPV, ASGV or ASPV+ASGV infected by ELISA test. The incidence of the diseases were determined as 10,34 % ASPV, 5,49 %ASGV and 2,58 % ASPV+ASGV. The infection rate of the species were determined as 19,35, 18,33 and 17,39 % in pear, apple and in quince, respectively. The presence of these diseases was confirmed also by molecular and biological means. By the macroskobik observation of the diseases in survey area the study showed that, diseases are inducing some symptoms on the host plant especialy ASPV was resulting economical damage on quince and pear. ASPV and ASGV were determined that can have different biological activity on their host plants according their origin?s. Impact of the diseases agents were very valuable in case of being mixed infection on the indicator plants. However, no any significant differences have been observed between isolates by the molecular characterisation. Moreover, the diseases were founded that they can reduce the trunk diameter and dryweight of the woody tissues, and increase the angle of the branches on some commertial cultivars. The floem necrosis and stem grooving symptoms on some succeptible commertial cultivars were observed in the reaction assay due to the ASPV and ASGV infections.