XVII International Symposium on Apricot Breeding and Culture, 6 - 10 Temmuz 2019, ss.83-88
Plum pox virus (PPV) is an important threat to apricot (Prunus armeniaca) production globally, including Turkey, the world's leading producers of apricots. Among the ten strains of PPV, Dideron (D), Marcus (M), Turkey (T), and Recombinant (R) are prevalent in Turkey. Particularly, high prevalence of PPV was observed in the European part of the country (Thrace). Early branching events in the PPV-D and existence of monophyletic groups of -M and -T isolates of European part indicate that Thrace along with European part of Istanbul as a likely diversity and origin center for PPV isolates in Turkey. A colonization of various parts of Turkey by diverse isolates from that region, followed by secondary local spread is the most likely scenario for the diffusion of PPV in Turkey. High genetic diversity in the three strains suggests a long evolutionary history for these three strains in Turkey although interestingly PPV has not created a serious epidemic in stone fruits in Turkey.