Yellow Leaf Curl

[MargeH]

I know that Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl is mostly a problem just in Florida and south Georgia in the U.S., but does anyone here have any experience with it or knowledge of it.

I got it in my plants last year. It was my first time growing tomatoes and by the time I knew what was going on, just about all of my plants had it.

This year's plants that I grew from seed have been outside since early February (I have 41 plants) and all of them have tomatoes set, a couple more than 30. I am pretty sure that the virus is starting again. I was worried about one plant last week; it wasn't a variety that I was really excited about so I pulled it.

This week I think I am beginning to see it in my Extreme Bush plant that should be starting to give me ripe ones in another week or two. It is loaded with tomatoes. The leaves on that one already curl up which makes it harder to identify, but I am beginning to see some yellowing on the newest leaves in one place that doesn't look like the color of new growth.

I know that the whitefly is the vector for this virus. I have seen a few out there but not to the point that I would be spraying for them normally. I guess at this point I need to know what is the best thing to use to kill them.

From everything I have read, it doesn't take much for the insect to spread this virus. So I need to get rid of as many whiteflies as I can to give my plants as much time as I can to set fruit.

Marjorie