What Is It? | Facts in Depth | For the Professional Diagnostician
Tomato Diseases | Tomato Mosaic
Tomato Mosaic
Descriptions of Plant Viruses Website provides extensive information about viruses, viroids, and more including descriptions, taxonomic notes, and sequence analyses.
Identification
Foliage:
- Alternating light and dark green coloring between yellowing leaf veins.
- Leaves curl and become “fern-like” (filiform) or pointed in appearance.
- Yellow streaking or spotting appears until leaves are completely yellow, or chlorotic.
- Newer growth is deformed and distorted.
Fruit:
- Brown spots or blotchy discolored areas may appear on the outside of fruits.
- When infection is severe, the fruit appear distorted or deformed with non-uniform fruit color.
- Plants may also be stunted and yield a low quantity of fruit.
Favorable Environmental Conditions
Symptoms caused by ToMV are more severe at 24°C than at higher or lower temperatures. Low light conditions also promote symptom expression.
Often Confused With
- Herbicide Damage
- Tobacco etch virus
- Potato virus Y
Scouting Notes
- Throughout the season, plants should be checked for mosaic, mottling, and yellowing symptoms.
- If plants are infected, they should be removed and destroyed to prevent spread of the disease.
- Healthy plants should not be touched after handling infected plants. Dipping hands in milk (e.g. reconstituted nonfat dry milk) inactivates the virus.