Written by Ashley Thompson, Oregon State University Extension, October 2022
Cherry viruses and virus-like problems, such as phytoplasmas, are common in Pacific Northwest orchards. These diseases range from benign to lethal, with the most serious viruses spreading quickly, reducing fruit quality and yield, and eventually killing infected trees. Identifying and controlling these viruses is crucial for orchardists and field consultants, but symptom-based identification is often difficult due to variations in cultivar, time of year, and weather conditions. To detect issues and develop a management plan, focus on enations, rosetting, and little cherries—key symptoms of the most serious viruses and phytoplasmas in the Pacific Northwest—since controlling these threats is vital to the cherry industry.
See Oregon State University’s guide to identifying virus and phytoplasma symptoms in cherries.
