Little Cherry Virus 2 in Australia

Publication Date

Thu, 29 May 2014, 00:00

Last Updated

June 23, 2023, 5:33 a.m.

Report Number

AUS-60/5

Country

Australia

Pest Id

Little cherry virus 2 - (LCHV20)

Report Status

Final

Hosts

Prunus avium, sweet cherry

Pest Status (old values from ISPM 8 -1998 )

• Present: only in some areas

Pest Status (ISPM 8 - 2021)

• Present: not widely distributed and not under official control

Geographical Distribution

Probably all states and territories except Northern Territory

Summary

The virus affects the overall health of the cherry tree, resulting in fruit that is smaller and lacking flavour. The fruit of sensitive cultivars may develop normally at first, but before being ready to harvest it stops maturing. Fruit remain ‘fire engine’ red and don’t progress to dark purple/mahogany/dark cherry colour. The fruit is not suitable for harvest. Overseas experience indicates that fruit symptoms vary in severity for all cultivars from season to season and from region to region. In cultivars with red or yellow fruit symptoms are milder than in dark fruited cultivars.

Danger

LChV-2 was detected in Tasmania in early 2014. Thorough tracing and surveillance were undertaken and resulted in a detection of the virus in Victoria. There are also indications that the virus may have entered Australia in plant material as early as 1976. There is a strong possibility that the virus is wide spread across Australia and may have been in the country for over 35 years – symptoms may take years to express in trees and in the past may have been attributed to other factors such as water logging or simply lack of performance; and because cuttings and grafting are used to propagate these trees.

Contact for info

Australian Chief Plant Protection Officer Australian Government Department of Agriculture GPO Box 858 Canberra ACT 2601 [email protected]

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