Incidence and Severity Distribution of Sweet Cherry (<i>Prunus avium</i>) and Their Influencing Factors in Southwest China

Root rot disease is a significant constraint to sweet cherry production in the highlands of southwest China, causing substantial yield losses. While the disease is prevalent, the complex interplay of climate, topography, soil, and management practices on its development remains poorly understood. To address this knowledge gap, a field survey encompassing 95 field sites was conducted to assess disease incidence (DI) and canopy damage index (_CDI). Our results showed that the average DI and _CDI were 27.04 and 20.52%, respectively. DI and _CDI were influenced by management practices: they both increased with the number of planting years and were lower with <i>Cerasus szechuanica</i> rootstock and composted animal manures compared with Da-qingye rootstock and uncomposted animal manures. Climatic and topographic factors also played an important role in observing higher DI at higher altitudes and shady slopes (<i>P</i> < 0.05). Moreover, both DI and _CDI demonstrated positive correlations with the aridity index and sunshine duration and negative correlations with mean annual temperature and mean annual precipitation (<i>P</i> < 0.05). Soil properties, including moisture content, bulk density, pH, and sand content, were positively associated with DI and _CDI, while clay content and available potassium exhibited negative correlation. The present study emphasizes the combined impact of multiple factors on root rot disease in sweet cherry, with management practices and soil properties having a more decisive effect than climate and topography. These findings provide crucial insights for developing effective disease management strategies.