Pilot Study: Canine Detection of Western-X disease
Author: Heath Smith, Jennifer Hartman, Scott Harper, Rob Curtiss
Published: 2020
Summary: Cherry trees can be detrimentally affected by small size, poor color, and bitter-tasting cherries via one or more of three pathogens in Washington state: Little cherry virus 1 (LChV1), Little cherry virus 2 (LChV2), or Western-X phytoplasma (WX). The first step in this pilot study is to determine if canines can detect Little cherry virus 2 (LChV2), or Western-X phytoplasma (WX) in inoculated leaves. Although our results are preliminary, it does appear that canines can detect both LChV2 and WX in inoculated leaves. Further steps will include testing of bark samples and more field trials.
