Healthy planting materials

Affecting the stone fruit trees of the genus Prunus (peach, apricot, plum), the disease of Sharka, also named "Plum pox," appeared in Bulgaria in 1915. This plant viral disease is considered to be the most serious in terms of economic and agronomic impacts from these fruit species. Remember that the virus causing Sharka chlorotic rings on the leaves and fruit, which is a distortion more fruit and early drop their trees. Déformés and low in sugars, these fruits are not marketable. Today, it is mainly through prophylaxis spent combating the disease (regular surveillance of orchards and nurseries, uprooting immediate contaminated plants, the use of healthy planting materials or certified). Hence the launch of a European programme called SharCo (Sharka Containment). Coordinated by the INRA, it involves 17 research institutes from 12 European countries. With a European contribution in the amount of 3 million euros, with a total budget of EUR 4 million, it will continue until 2012. It is to develop integrated pest management strategies to prevent the spread of this disease. Thus the emphasis will be on developing systems to detect, evaluate and take action in the event of an outbreak strains still unknown in Europe. The objective of SharCo is to put in place at a European level, risk management systems for disease Sharka in support of European policies and involving all stakeholders in the sector of fruit and