Effect of D and V cryo-plate methods for plum pox virus eradication from two plum cultivars

Conservation of plant species, particularly of those important for agriculture, has now reached a very high importance in order to ensure sustainable utilization of biological resources by preventing further losses of plant diversity. The most advanced method for plant conservation is cryopreservation. Cryotherapy that relies on cryopreservation procedure, alone or in combination with other techniques, can be used for pathogen elimination from infected plants. Viral diseases pose a significant threat to the agriculture, decreasing yields and crop quality. In this work, two cryotherapy methods (D and V cryo-plate) were evaluated for plum pox virus (PPV) eradication from autochthonous plums ( Prunus domestica L.) ‘Crvena Ranka’ and ‘Belošljiva’, widely present under different local names on the Balkan peninsula. Nine different cryo-plate treatments were performed per genotype. Cryopreservation was effective in PPV elimination from variety ‘Crvena Ranka’ in three cryo-treatments. PPV elimination was, however, not achieved in variety ‘Belošljiva’ by any of the two methods (D and V-cryoplate) and treatments applied. Key message Eradication of plum pox virus from infected plums is possible by cryotherapy methods, but the efficiency is highly dependent on the treatment applied and the given genotype.