What Is It?

What Is It? | Facts in Depth | For the Professional Diagnostician

Tomato DiseasesTospoviruses


Tospoviruses

Descriptions of Plant Viruses Website provides extensive information about viruses, viroids, and more including descriptions, taxonomic notes, and sequence analyses.

Identification

Leaves:

  • Yellow or brown spots or streaks on the foliage, leaf petioles and stems.
  • Leaves develop a pale green color and become very distorted.
  • Stems can develop purplish-brown streaking.
  • Newer plant growth may be very stunted.

Fruit:

  • Plants infected early in the season may produce few or now fruit.
  • Green immature tomato fruit mottled, with faint concentric rings.
  • Distinct red or yellowish-white rings on mature fruit.
  • Blotches with sunken areas.
  • Necrotic ringspots form on tomato fruits with Tomato chlorotic spot virus.


Pictures of symptoms caused by Tomato chlorotic virus (left; center) and Tospovirus (right).

Favorable Environmental Condtions

Dry and warm conditions (approximately 75ºF) are favorable for thrips reproduction.

Often Confused With

  • Fusarium wilt
  • Verticillium wilt
  • Pepino mosaic virus

Scouting Notes

  • Look for signs of thrips damage on the plants or keep sticky traps around the high tunnel to catch thrips.
  • Remove any plants exhibiting viral symptoms.