Infected Seedlings Become a Serious Threat: Alarm Raised

Agriculturalist Harutyun Mnatsakanyan raises an alarm that infected seedlings have become a serious problem for agriculture.

He wrote on his Facebook page: “Serious challenges await us in the agricultural sector. Our relevant institutions, it can be said, have done nothing in recent years, and an excessively large number of sick seedlings have been imported into our country, which have begun to become a source of infection and a serious threat to our already vulnerable agriculture. One of the businessmen imported pear seedlings infected with bacterial burn (Erwinia) at a low price, causing the infection to spread through pollinator insects across the Aragatsotn region. Now, there are discussions that seedlings infected with a disease known as Sharka (plum pox) have been imported from Turkey, which affects peach, apricot, plum, and cherry trees. These diseases are very dangerous and are among the most harmful diseases in horticulture.

Dear gardeners, farmers, and businessmen, please try to avoid purchasing seedlings from unknown sources as much as possible. When buying seedlings, make sure to consult with specialists beforehand and show them the seedlings before planting; otherwise, you will not only harm yourself with unintentional actions but also become a source of infection harming your neighbors.