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  • From: "Brungardt, Sam" <Sam.Brungardt@state.mn.us>
  • To: "North American Fruit Explorers" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [NAFEX] PA AG Secretary Announces First Plum Pox Detection of 2005; Virus Found in Peach Orchard
  • Date: Mon, 6 Jun 2005 09:12:17 -0500

Title: PA AG Secretary Announces First Plum Pox Detection of 2005; Virus Found in Peach Orchard

PA AG Secretary Announces First Plum Pox Detection of 2005; Virus Found in Peach Orchard

Friday June 3, 12:47 pm ET
HARRISBURG, Pa., June 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania State Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff today announced the first detection of Plum Pox Virus for 2005.  Plum Pox is a virus that severely decreases fruit production.  Infected fruit may appear deformed or blemished and could drop prematurely from trees.  It is harmless if consumed by humans or animals.

"Our testing laboratory has confirmed the presence of Plum Pox Virus in a single tree in a four-acre block of commercial peaches," Wolff indicated.  "The trees are in the already quarantined portion of Menallen Township, Adams County."

Wolff added that the Department will follow its standard procedure of establishing a 500-meter radius buffer zone around the infected block and ordering removal and destruction of all virus-susceptible stone fruit trees in the buffer zone.  Two additional blocks of peach trees totaling about 10 acres will also have to be removed as a result of this detection.  Only one commercial grower has been impacted by this find.

Once a tree becomes infected, it typically takes at least two to three years to detect the virus.  Staff from the U.S. Department of Agriculture will begin to visit residential property owners and others in the buffer zone to inform them of the Department's policy.

Surveyors already have visited all commercial stone fruit growers in the 10 townships affected by quarantine and with no other positive identifications to date.  Residential surveying also is ongoing.  More than 26,000 samples have been tested as part of the Plum Pox Surveillance Program to date.

"While we are disappointed to find a positive result, the good news is our surveillance program is working," said Wolff.  "Over the last few years, we have seen a decline in Plum Pox numbers.  The Department will continue to work to eradicate this virus from the state's stone fruit trees, and get our growers back to full production capacity."

In late 2004, the Department rescinded its Plum Pox quarantine in Southampton Township (Cumberland County), Washington Township (York County) and Quincy Township and Mont Alto Borough, both in Franklin County.  These actions marked the first time the area under quarantine decreased since the Department began its eradication program in 2000.

A ban on planting stone fruit trees is in place for homeowners in all areas under quarantine.  Plant species included in the ban on planting are peach, nectarine, apricot, cherry and plum fruit trees, as well as many ornamental and flowering fruit trees and shrubs such as purpleleaf plum, sand cherry, flowering almond and flowering cherry.  The following townships/boroughs fall within the quarantine zone:

     -- Adams County - Huntington Township, Latimore Township, Borough of York
        Springs and portions of Menallen, Butler and Tyrone Townships

     -- Cumberland County - Borough of Mount Holly Springs and South Middleton
        and Dickinson Townships

     -- York County - Conewago, Franklin and Monaghan Townships.
For more information on the Plum Pox Eradication Program, quarantine details and the history of the disease, call 717-772-5226 or visit http://www.agriculture.state.pa.us (click on the 'Animal and Plant Health' link, then 'Plum Pox').

CONTACT: Kristina L. Watson, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, +1-717-787-5085.
Source: Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture



  • [NAFEX] PA AG Secretary Announces First Plum Pox Detection of 2005; Virus Found in Peach Orchard, Brungardt, Sam, 06/06/2005

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