AN APPROACH TO CONTROL APRICOT CHLOROTIC LEAF ROLL AND EPIDEMIOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS

The authors initiated in 1976 an experimental program intended to control apricot chlorotic leaf roll (ACLR) in the most important plantation of apricot trees in the Valencia area. The orchard is placed in non-irrigated land; 4 100 apricot trees were planted in the winter of 1974–75 (planting 1) and 2933 trees planted during the dormant period of 1969–70 (planting 2), all of them of the Canino variety grafted on apricot seedlings.

Three subsequent examinations of the trees were carried out during each winter, in order to mark any apricot tree showing any degree of vegetative disorders caused by ACLR; removal and destruction of diseased plants was always accomplished by the grower during the second half of February of the same winter. Also, simultaneously, any tree that was dead during the previous vegetative period was also eradicated (Forner, 1979, could verify in Valencia the death of some ACLR affected apricot trees, during the summer, which only came up to show spring or summer symptoms. On the other hand, no other significative cause of death could be detected in the orchard. In general, the replants were made in the winter following the removal.