Is this Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus

[shelleybean]

And now it's here, just as predicted. I found one infected Stump of the World just before dark and a storm. I'll pull it and put in a replacement tomorrow. I hate pulling a plant when it's loaded up with a bunch of fruit, even if it's all still green.

[shelleybean]

I have to replace my third Stump of the World this mornnig. Keeping my fingers crossed that this is the last one that will come down with the virus this season. Seems like in previous years that if I can get through June, I don't see any/many newly infected plants after that. I hope I'm remembering that right. Do the thrips visit early in the season and leave after that?

[dice]

Detailed information about thrips:

http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/entomolog...1/444-281.html

[caascher2]

Well I think I have my first TSWV on a Cherokee Green. Darn it, was my only lagre green tomato. I will check it after work and pull it. I have a few replacements I can put in.

[tlcmd]

Y'all,
I've been very aggressive in my battle with TSWV and will update you toward the end of the season.
What has been and is being done (Greensboro,N.C. Zone 7) in my 30 x 50 ft garden) which has been decimated over the past several years with TSWV.

1) Companion Planting with Mexican Marigolds (6' tall now and quite pungent)
2) Borage where ladybugs like to live
3) Basil (supposedly improves the falvor of tomatoes when planted near them
4) Wormwood (Grand Absinth) which deters most bugs except ladybugs (and I've kept one plant on my deck which has deterred swallowtail butterflies and parsley worms on the parsley adjacent to it) and in the evening, when we sit near it, no mosquitos!!! If we don't sit near it, mosquitoes!
5) Mulched with newspapers (full section thickness) and covered with straw
6) Silver reflective tarps (which I've had lying around) placed around my tomato patch (this camoflages the garden from thrips).
7) Have planted my non-TSWV resistant plants and "circled the wagons" with BHN444, Bolseno, and Super Chromo F1 (roma type tomato) TSWV resistant plants as,hopefully, a passive protection for Parks Whoppers, Parks Beefy Boys, Brandywine (Suddreth), and Hillbilly.
8)8) Released ladybugs, the T Rex of the garden pests.
9) have kept the area around my garden well groomed and free of debris)
10) wear white T-shirt whin working in the garden (some other colors attract thrips)
11) Kept my garden well weeded.
12) Am also growing okra, pole beans, cucumbers, squash, zuccini, lettuce, romain lettuce, bell peppers, spanish melons, and a few "volunteer tomatoes".


Here's part of the note I received from the the head of the NC State University Plant pathology department (and their virus expert) re my statement that I was also struggling with TSWV and describing the above actions which I was taking.

"I would say you are pretty much "state of the art".

If anyone wants the whole correspondence, I'll send it to them.

And I'll update y'all in late September. Last year I lost my non-resistant varieties in early September, but my resistant ones bore until the first frost in November.

Jim