Plant Disease Notes Tobacco Etch Virus

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www.aces.edu T obacco etch virus (TEV) infects tomatoes and peppers along with other plants in the Solanaceae family. Symptoms. Leaves of infected plants are severely mottled, puck- ered, and wrinkled, and plants in- fected at an early age are severely stunted.

Fruit from infected plants are mottled and never achieve mar- ketable size. The younger plants are at time of infection, the greater the reduction in yield. Persistence and Transmission.

The occurrence of TEVin tomato 5 elds is closely associated with other infected solanaceous crops, especially pepper, and natural weed hosts, which serve as virus reser- voirs. Thistle, lamb 9 s-quarter, sick- lepod, jimsonweed, and black nightshade, among others, can act as alternate hosts for TEV. The virus can be transmitted by at least 10 species of aphid in the nonper- sistent manner, meaning the aphids need to feed on a TEV-infected plant for only a few seconds to pick up the virus.

There are no reports of seed transmission in any host plant. Control. TEVcan be controlled by the following strategies: " Eradicate all biennial and perennial weeds and wild reservoir hosts in and around 5 elds.

Maintain a distance of at least 30 yards be- tween susceptible crops and weeds or other ... more. less.

susceptible plants, including those in ditch banks, hedge or fence rows, and other locations. " Plant earlier to avoid high aphid populations that occur later in the season. " Plant late settings as far as possible from 5 elds used to pro- duce early tomatoes and peppers. These areas can act as sources of viruses and aphids for subsequent crops. " Scout 5 elds for the 5 rst occur- rence of virus disease. Where feasible, pull up and destroy infected plants but only after spraying them thoroughly with an insecticide to kill any insects they may be harboring. " Use re 6 ective mulches to repel aphids, thereby reducing the rate of spread of aphid-borne viruses. " Monitor aphid populations early in the season and apply insec- ticide treatments when needed. Tobacco Etch Virus ALABAMA A&M AND AUBURN UNIVERSITIES Plant Disease Notes ANR-869 Edward J. Sikora, Extension Plant Pathologist, Professor, Entomology and Plant Pathology, Auburn University Formore information, call your county Extension of5ce. Look in your telephone directory under your county 9s name to 5nd the number. Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work in agriculture and home economics, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, and oth er re- lated acts, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M University and Auburn University) offers educational programs, materials, and equal opportunity employment to all people withou t regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status, or disability.Web Only, Revised Sept 2004, ANR-869 ©2004 by the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. All rights reserved. ANR-869

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