Plum pox virus, a stone fruit disease first found in the United States eight years ago, has the potential to spread to major fruit-growing regions such as Washington State unless more safeguards are in place, warns Phil Baugher, vice president for marketing at Adams County Nursery in Aspers, Pennsylvania. The virus affects peach, nectarine, plum, apricot, and cherry as well as ornamental Prunus species. In most varieties, it disfigures the fruit, making it unmarketable. It also reduces productivity and causes premature drop. It is primarily spread by aphids, which carry virus particles in their mouth parts while feeding, but can […]