Plum pox virus (PPV) is the causal agent of Sharka disease. Since its
discovery, Sharka has been considered as a calamity in plum orchards. PPV is
present worldwide in many Prunus species, causing great economic losses. In
highly susceptible plum varieties, such as Pozegaca, PPV causes a premature
fruit drop and reduces fruit quality, which leads to total yield loss. Eight
PPV strains (PPV-M, PPV-D, PPV-EA, PPV-C, PPV-Rec, PPV-W, PPV-T and PPVCR)
have been recognized so far. Three major strains (PPV-M, PPV-D and PPV-Rec)
are the most widely dispersed and occur frequently in many European
countries. Other strains are of minor importance due to their limited host
preferences or geographic distribution. So far, all three major strains have
been identified in Serbia. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive overview
of the research into Plum pox virus variability in Serbia. [Projekat
Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br TR-20013A i br. TR-31064. This study
was partially supported by the ECONET grant no. 10159PL, the FP7 project
SharCo]