Download a new phone application designed to help orchardists scout, sample, and identify symptoms and insect vectors of X-disease phytoplasma and Little cherry virus, now available for both Apple and Android devices.
Designed by Washington and Oregon State Extension team members, this guide illustrates cherry and stone fruit symptoms, symptom variation, leafhopper vectors, scouting, and sampling.
Adults from the second generation of leafhopper vectors of X-disease will be present soon. This app provides multiple images of important leafhopper species to help identify what growers find in their traps and sweeps.
X-disease phytoplasma and Little cherry virus cause small cherry symptoms, often described as Little cherry or X-disease. Diseased trees produce cherries of small size and poor color and flavor, making the fruit unmarketable. This problem is at epidemic levels in the Columbia River basin, with high incidence in Yakima, Benton and Franklin Counties, and is also present in North Central Washington and The Dalles area of Oregon. Timely scouting and aggressive tree removal are essential to reduce the spread of the disease.
To download the App search, for ‘Little Cherry Scouting Guide’ in your App store. For an Apple version, click here; for an Android version, click here.
Funding support came from the Washington State Tree Fruit Research Commission and the WSU Tree Fruit Endowment.
Authors: Tianna DuPont, WSU Extension; Scott Harper, WSU Plant Pathology; Bernardita Sallato, WSU Extension; Ashley Thompson, OSU Extension. App creator: Cody Molnar, WSU Extension Assistant.
Contacts
Tianna DuPont, WSU Extension (509) 713-5346 tianna.dupont@wsu.edu
Bernardita Sallato, WSU Extension (509) 439-8542 b.sallato@wsu.edu
Ashley Thomson, OSU Extension (541) 296-5494 Ashley.Thompson@oregonstate.edu
Karen Lewis, WSU Extension (509) 760-2263 kmlewis@wsu.edu