Persimmon stem stains?

[gray]

In grafting some persimmons onto D Lotus (I think), not that it really matters.

But I noticed some stem staining, black streaks through the wood of the stem. I noticed this last year, but I thoght nothing of it, until I got a virtual zero graft take.

As these rootstocks were all from the same batch bought in last year, should I destroy them all and start afresh. The last years growth ontop of the rootstock is growing well and looks healthy though.

Any advice please

[SMC_zone6]

@Barkslip has had some experience with this. I believe he told me it’s the kiss of death. I have a tree that has that in the branches and will be curious to see if it survives the summer.

[mamuang]

I received scionwood like that one year. Grating them anyway. None took.

[Barkslip]

And here I am @mamuang 1-second after your post. I don’t know what it is but I said to @SMC_zone6 that I call it “the black streak.” All I know is it immediately told me to clean my tools and not use any wood whether scion or rootstock that looks that way. I don’t have any idea what it is, but, it’s not right.

[tonyOmahaz5]

I called that SDS in Kaki. Once there are black veins then it is toasted.

[gray]

I suppose its a virus then.

But I would like to know what it is.

Also if it can cross over to my orchard persimmons.

[tonyOmahaz5]

The literature called it Sudden Death Syndrome sometimes due to the cold and it won’t spread to other trees. I lost a few trees to SDS in the past. I am not sure they have an actual name for the virus.

[ramv]

Crap.
I received some scionwood that way and grafted it anyway. They appear to have taken but may take the rootstock down with it.

[Primoz]

Input from @Mikatani and @Arhus76 is appreciated!

[Arhus76]

I could not answer absolutely.
I do not see any problem and contrary to what has been said that does not prevent the resumption of the transplant.
I also had this phenomenon on a pear tree once.
I often see this on hybrids.
I think it is due to several phenomena which perhaps combine: water stress during growth, cold period before harvesting grafts and poor conservation due to the parameters previously described.
For example, if the sample is collected in good conditions, I have scionwoods that I have just used which have just spent their third winter in my fridge.
In the photo a Russian hybrid, the wood has black marks! but that won’t be a problem. I would not necessarily have these marks in the wood after grafting.

[Mikatani]

I have also seen this on rootstock that has been growing under stressful conditions like drought, to much water, frost injury, root rot… I do not think that it is a disease but rather a physical phenomenon. Maybe this batch of rootstock has been out of the ground and kept for to long under averse conditions… Although I believe that if the rootstock is cared for and replanted in optimal conditions it will probably recover, personally I wouldn’t use it anymore because it will not make a healthy tree. The black streaking is caused by concentrations of tannin like the black patches you may often find in the fruit and the same phenomena that causes Chocolate and Coffeecake persimmons to have dark flesh.

[Arhus76]

100% agree. Tannic reaction due to external stress.
No viruses here, no grafting problems.

[gray]

I am not sure if it is the same problem, or 2 different problems. But in my photo I have the staining in the bark/rind as well as the wood.

Investigating the black streaks in the rind, they coincide with black lesions on the outer bark. They are not lined with any pinched out shoots. Also they do not appear to cross over to the wood at the same point

I presume this is not related.

[SMC_zone6]

I have a tree that has that in the branches and will be curious to see if it survives the summer.

Just wanted to follow-up on this. None of my trees or grafts that had black streaks or stains have died on me. They’re all growing just as well as everything else. @ramv, how did your grafts end up doing?

[ramv]

I had no unexplained failures— other than one Morris Burton that suddenly died after clearly taking — lots of growth even. That didn’t have any black striping on the wood.

I did have a purchased Rojo Brillante die suddenly after a lot of growth this season. Possibly Kaki sudden death. I cut it off and regrafted a DV. We have to see if it makes it. The wood below the graft union had turned slightly black but the bark was still slipping.