ISHS Acta Horticulturae 373: I International Congress on Almond
THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF VERTICILLIUM WILT ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A YOUNG ALMOND ORCHARD |
| Authors: | W.K. Asai, J.J. Stapleton |
| Abstract:
Verticillium wilt (Verticillium dahliae) of almond (Prunus dulcis) is an occasional problem in California that can damage developing orchards and reduce productivity. Historical reports of Verticillium wilt of Prunus spp. usually describe individual branch or limb death, with rare losses of entire trees, usually in the second or third growing season. Severe wilt symptoms and tree mortality during the initial year of planting have been infrequently reported. Incidence of the disease within almond orchards in the San Joaquin Valley is generally confined to a few trees, and symptoms disappear as trees mature. Generally, after trees reach 5–6 years of age, they no longer exhibit symptoms of wilt. Adjacent blocks in an orchard near Modesto, CA, with a severe case of Verticillium wilt, were studied for 5 years. Trees of both the 'Carmel' and 'Nonpareil' cultivars experienced considerable tree mortality, beginning in the first growing season. The disease remained active throughout the hot summer months, and V. dahliae can be isolated from symptomatic branches year-around. Economic loss over the 5-year period, primarily due to tree removal and replacement cost, extra pruning and lost production from weakened trees exceeded $9000 per hectare. | |
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