Jujube witches broom virus

The main external symptom is the characteristic excessive branching of shoots, which form dense "brooms" made of thin and weak twigs.

Leaves on the affected branches become small and often chlorotic, giving the crown a sick and stunted appearance.

During the flowering period, diseased plants show greening of petals and abnormal overgrowth of flower parts, leading to complete sterility.

Fruiting on affected branches is almost non-existent, and the few fruits that might set are severely deformed and have no commercial value.

• Suppression of apical growth
• Formation of dense clusters of thin shoots
• Chlorosis and deformation of leaf blades
• Total loss of fruit yield on infected parts

The causative agent of the disease known as "jujube witches broom" is a phytoplasma, formerly classified as Mersevirus jujubae. Phytoplasmas are specialized bacteria lacking a cell wall that reside exclusively in the phloem sieve tubes of host plants.

This pathogen systemically affects the vascular system of the host plant, disrupting the normal transport of nutrients and hormonal regulation of growth.

In nature, the transmission of the infection is carried out by specific insect vectors, particularly leafhoppers, which feed on the sap of infected shoots.

Once inside the plant, the phytoplasma rapidly spreads through the phloem, colonizing new areas of the tree.

The long incubation period makes controlling this pathogen an extremely difficult task for agronomists and gardeners.

The spread of the disease is directly dependent on the population density of insect vectors in the orchard.

Hot and dry weather often facilitates the active breeding of leafhoppers, triggering outbreaks of the disease during the summer.

The phytoplasma can survive in dormant parts of the tree, so the infection quickly activates in the spring along with the sap flow.

The use of infected grafting material is the primary way the pathogen is artificially spread in nurseries.

Poor agrotechnical practices and lack of weed control in orchard floors create shelters for vector insects.

The disease causes progressive weakening of the tree, which eventually leads to its death a few years after infection.

Economic losses are associated with the total loss of yield on infected trees and the necessity to remove entire plantations.

Diseased plants become a constant source of infection for neighboring healthy trees, threatening the entire orchard.

High intensity of infection makes it impossible to restore the productivity of the tree through standard pruning.

General winter hardiness and resistance of jujube to other environmental stress factors are significantly reduced.

The key method of control is the immediate removal and burning of infected trees to prevent the spread of the infection.

Regular applications of insecticides against leafhoppers and other sucking pests that transmit the phytoplasma are essential.

For planting new orchards, only certified, guaranteed healthy planting material should be used.

An important preventive measure is the destruction of weeds, which can serve as reservoirs for the pathogen or habitats for insects.

Spatial isolation of new plantings from old, abandoned jujube plots helps reduce the risk of transmission.