A2B-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, October 30, 1999
Plum Pox Virus Detected
(Continued from Page A 1)
the USD A, working together,
have quarantined Huntington
and Latimore townships in
Adams County, according to Bill
Kleiner, Penn State extension
director/tree fruit for Adams
County.
The quarantine means no
transporting of plant material in
or out of the townships “and that
applies to homeowners, too,”
Kleiner said.
He said that state and feder
al agents are in the field work
ing quickly to identify diseased
trees before the seasonal drop
off of leaves. The virus is diffi
cult to identify. In peaches, the
symptoms appear in the first
leaves to expand and consist of
chlorotic vein-clearing and vein
bending, with twisting and dis
tortion of the lamina, or tissue of
the leaf.
USDA agents are also
attempting to find out how the
virus arrived in Adams County,
Kleiner said.
He theorized that hobbyists
who bud trees sometimes don’t
know the rules about transport
ing such vegetation and it’s pos
sible the disease was introduced
this way. European documenta
tion indicates the most impor
tant method of spreading the
virus is by diseased plant mate
rial. It can also spread by
aphids.
Lyle B. Forer, director of the
state Bureau of Plant Industry,
said his department has known
about the problem for about a
month. It took some time to
identify what caused the mot
tling and spotting on the peach
es because the tree disease had
never before been seen in North
America. However, the disease
has been found in Chile, South
America, and nearly devastated
stone-fruit crops in Europe
where it’s been under scientific
study for almost a century.
In fact, the USDA had to
obtain antibodies from Europe
to confirm the Adams County
virus. While waiting for the anti
bodies, Forer said, the PDA per
formed “a more generic test”
that gave the U.S. scientists a
good idea that their fears were
about to be realized.
While the outlook for growers
of stonefruits such as peaches,
nectarines, plums, and apricots
in Adams County is alarming,
state Department of Agriculture
Secretary Samuel Hayes said
consumers should not be con
cerned because “the organism
cannot be transmitted to
humans. The fruit is safe for
human consumption and not a
concern for the consumer.”
The tree is a different story,
Hayes said, noting that the
longer it is infected the more
there will be a drop-off in fruit
production.
Hayes traveled to Biglerville
Monday night to meet with
fruitgrowers to assure them that
officials are working quickly to
curtail the spread of the disease.
Hayes explained that
European scientists who are
experts in the virus will be invit
ed to the United States soon to
help with the problem. Hayes
said it’s possible some of the sci
entists will come from the
Netherlands because that coun
try has a stringent protocol for
dealing with the virus.
Forer said Europe “spent
huge amounts of money to mini
mize the impact to make sure
the trees planted were clean and
to limit distribution.”
Fortunately, the strain of the
virus in Adams County has been
identified as the D strain, which
has been described as less
aggressive than other strains.
According to information sup
plied by Kleiner, the virus was
first seen in southwest Bulgaria
about 1918. Since then, the dis
ease has been widely dissemi
nated in planting material to
most of Europe with the excep
tion of Scandinavia.
Kleiner said that while it is
still early in the investigation, if
the infected trees are eradicat
ed, the fruitgrowers, unlike the
farmers who lost chickens to
avian flu, will not be able to
start up again in a few months.
“It will take six years before a
tree produces a peach,” Kleiner
said.
To Friends of Agriculture:
The Kutztown Area Young Farmer Chapter will host the 2000 Pennsylvania Young Farmer Winter
Convention, held at the Sheraton Berkshire, Reading on February 8 -10,2000. We are excited about
this opportunity to show others our beautiful Berks County, and we ask for your cooperation and support.
More than 250 farmers and their wives from across the state will attend and benefit from the educational
tours and workshops. There will be business meetings with the state officers and delegate meetings for
Young Farmers from each chapter. The women will enjoy crafts and educational programs.
We invite your organization to participate in this Conference either educationally, financially or both. We
offer these options for your consideration;
1. Educational Exhibit -We will welcome as many exhibits as possible. However,
prime exhibit space is limited to a first-come, first-served basis.
2. Financial Sponsor - Contribution of $500.00 or more. The Conference will
recognize the individual, group or business in the printed program as a sponsor of
one of the meals. You are provided one free educational exhibit space and three
free meal tickets.
3. Financial Donor - Contribution of $200.00 or more. You are provided with one free
educational exhibit space and one free meal ticket.
4. Financial Contributor - Contribution of $lOO.OO - $200.00.
5. Financial Supporter - Gift of $99.00 or less.
All parties making financial contributions will be listed by category in the program.
If you (or your business) are willing to support and contribute to one of the options listed above,
please return this form In the self-addressed envelope before* November 25,1999.
Name:
Address:
mature:
Yes, I would like to support the 2000 Pennsylvania Young Farmer Winter Convention.
□ $5OO or more $.
□ $lOO.OO ■ $199.00
I
1
J.
Yes, I would be interested in an exhibit display at the Convention.
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VinvlTek ‘ 4LB $10.74 . Enertron Fluorescent
V 36’ $0.60/ft. S,°o N z EB ' TE ,33 60 Ugh., with ballaa.
48" ' $0.73/11. " ETONEB , TE * 5.7 or 9 Walt $5.49
62” $0.92/ft. i U L b T BA N R E S TE $2.76 * l3Watt $5 79
Prices are for single hemmed I • • 22 Watt Quad $10.85
curtain only. Other sizes are WgWk HIRED HAND New- * Other Brands also
available. Wm style Replacement available
While Supplies Last WWM igniters $21.95
Not all products may be available at both locations. We will however be happy to ship to your location
or to our store on our next re-stocking shipment Standard shipping charges apply.
Northeast Agri Systems, Inc. H
Flyway Business Park Delmarva Store HH
139 A West Airport Road 305 University Ave.
Lititz, PA 17543 Federalsburg, MD
1-800-673-2580 1-800-735-6361
Ph: (717) 569-2702 410-7544434 || WWgpS
Store Hours: Monday-Frlday 7:30 am to 4:30 pm -—I
24 Hour - 7 Day Repair Service
1 Exhibit & 3 Meal Tickets
Please indicate meet date
Tuesday Lunch _ Banquet
Wednesday: Lunch _ Awards Banquet
Thursday: Lunch
Kutztown Area Young Farmers
c/o David Schantz
1913 Woodside Avenue
Alburtis, PA 18011-2411
.Company:
□ $2OO -$499$
1 Exhibit & 1 Meal Ticket
□ $99.00 or l«M $.
David Schantz
Convention Public Relations
Phone; 610-682-4133