Tomato leaf curl disease poses a major threat to plant productivity. In this article on your site, WORLD OF PLANTS, we provide advice on preventing and treating this disease
What is tomato leaf curl disease virus?
Tomato leaf virus is among a number of viral diseases that infect plants and hinder their growth, ultimately leading to their death.
It is spread to other plants physically through the Whitefly. This insect picks up the virus while feeding on an infected plant. Once the whitefly is infected, it retains the virus for about two weeks and transmits the viral infection to any other tomato plants it feeds on during that period.
The virus will leave their bodies after ten to twelve days and require them to be infected again in order for it to spread. However, they are still long enough to infect a large number of plants.
Introduction to tomato leaf curl disease
Tomato leaf curl disease is a viral disease sometimes called tomato curl disease. It is one of the serious diseases in which the loss may reach more than 80%, and this indicates a certain loss to the farmer. Viruses are known to have no cure and the solution is to get rid of the plants. Therefore, we must search for the cause of transmission of this virus to avoid infection, which is the only solution to avoid infection.
What is tomato leaf curl disease and its symptoms?
It is a serious viral disease that infects tomato plants and causes yellowing and curling of the leaves. Therefore, this disease is not transmitted mechanically, but rather through plant juices, and this is done through the whitefly. This necessarily means that there is at least one plant in the place infected with the virus. Therefore, it is important to obtain healthy seedlings from the source so that this injury does not occur. One of the symptoms of infection is the cessation of growth, whether of the vegetative system or the flowers, as the flowers fall or small fruits form, which means a loss of production.
It is worth noting that wrinkling may have other unknown causes other than viruses, which makes the farmer very confused. However, we can tell that the infection is viral by the location of the infection, as the infection occurs on several plants only and randomly. The presence and spread of the whitefly is a strong indicator of infection with this dangerous virus, which may lead to the destruction of the farm with no line of return for the farmer.
Do not resist the virus, resist the causative agent
Tomato leaf curl disease is not successful in treatment, no matter what you do, the loss is great, even if you get rid of the infected plants. In short, the virus does not show its symptoms until after 3 weeks, which means that getting rid of the infected plants is only removing the plants that showed the infection, but the ones that carry the disease are what It is removed in the field and will be the center for the outbreak of the disease and the reappearance of its symptoms, which means there is no solution except through prevention and prevention only. What is the method of preventing tomato leaf curl disease?
Whitefly
Methods of preventing tomato leaf curl virus
1. Whitefly resistance
The whitefly is an active vector for transmitting viruses from one plant to another, from an infected plant to a healthy plant. The insect’s transmission is fast and nothing can stop it. The feeding of an adult insect for 15-30 minutes on a plant is sufficient to transmit the virus. What makes matters more dangerous is that the virus remains in the insect’s mouth and digestive system for 20 days after the insect’s last feeding. The female insect is also more active than the male insect, and the insect in general never stops feeding. The solution here is to combat the whitefly and prevent the infection from occurring. This is done through several methods:
Hanging yellow traps is important as evidence of the presence of whiteflies before making the decision to control them. It is also considered a source of control because the traps contain adhesive materials
Spreading biological control by releasing predatory insects of the whitefly, such as the ladybug or other insects that are beneficial to farms.
Do not exaggerate irrigation and fertilization, as it has been observed that whiteflies are attracted to plants with juicy foliage, and this increases with nitrogen fertilization and increased water.
2. Chemical control
Through the use of effective systemic insecticides, whether to combat the egg stage, the nymphs, the adult insect, or all stages together.
Pesticides are the last option that should be used after identifying the insect and knowing its presence on plants.
3. Cultivation of virus-resistant tomato varieties
This does not mean that these varieties are not infected, but rather they have the ability to resist the tomato leaf curl virus and remain in a state of lower growth and production. These varieties are widespread and known to most farmers in the Arab world. They are mostly high-priced items and are imported in tightly sealed containers.
4. Buy from a trusted source
One of the most important things to consider when purchasing from a nursery is to note that the farm has closed the nursery well and the absence of birds, as this is evidence of the presence of insects, especially the whitefly. Therefore, you can move the plants with the palm of your hand to ensure that the whitefly, the main carrier of tomato leaf curl disease, is not present. You must also trust the nursery owner that he sprays the appropriate pesticides for the seedlings and that he grows varieties that are resistant to tomato leaf curl virus.
5. Protecting tomato plants
In protected agriculture, you can place a 50-mesh net with small openings so that whiteflies and others cannot enter the greenhouse. Thus, you can protect tomatoes from tomato leaf curl disease. This can be done in open agriculture, but it remains more difficult and expensive for the farmer.
6. Getting rid of weeds
Weeds are a major source of root insects, especially whiteflies, for the place. Therefore, it is preferable to get rid of weeds by hoeing or using specialized pesticides, whether before or after planting.
At the end of our article on tomato leaf curl disease, we emphasize that the virus is difficult to resist except through prevention by eliminating the cause of the infection, which is the whitefly, so try not to have it on tomato plants because it will destroy your crop.
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Sources
Tomato leaf curl: a virus Reasons | Tomato leaf rolling treatments - wissam-elebda3
Tomato leaf curl disease - panadoora
Viral diseases of tomatoes...and ways to distinguish them from heat stress and phytoplasma - misrelzraea
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