Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus (w/ Pix)

[amideutch]

All, Check out Polar_Lace's thread concerning putting pie tins at the base of the plants. She might have something. This might help in controlling thrips according to what Feldon found concerning reflective mulch. Ami
http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=2883

[honu]

Vince chemist, Are the growing tips of the plant affected? Does your plant appear to be stunted?
According to a plant pathologist at our University, viral symptoms are often most obvious in an area of active cell division, i.e., the youngest leaves, the growing tip.
A publication from our University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture says of TSWV:
"Tomato plant growth ceases and senescence is promoted after infection with spotted wilt virus. In older plants, leaves near the growing tips show dark, bronze or purplish, circular necrotic spots. Fruits also show circular concentric marks. Tomato spotted wilt virus is the only virus known to be transmitted by thrips."

[Lee]

Great information folks! Honu, that description is spot on. (excuse the pun..)
Univ of Fla is also another really good source of information about this problem.
I don't have the ariticles handy, but I saw a report of some research they did
that determined over-fertilization (N mainly) tended to increase the likelihood of
infection, perhaps by attracting more of the vectors (thrips)....

This is a great post Vince, and I sincerely hope you don't have TSWV!

Lee

P.S. Anyone think we should take the information here and add it to the TSWV
sticky as well?

[MsCowpea]

feldon30, that article is similar to one that I read (may have been the same authors) that also advocated the use of spinosad. I found it in a small quantity at Garden's Alive in the product Bulls-Eye. Peaceful Valley (groworganic.com) also has a smaller container by Monterey.

It is supposedly less toxic to beneficials (though still very toxic to bees). I used it very sparingly and found it effective at killing the thrips. The problem is that once you see thrips on the plants they can already be infected w/TSWV.

I have also used aluminum foil on earth boxes instead of the plastic mulch. Not much of a test though because the plants quickly grew and covered the foil thereby completely defeating its purpose.

Recently had a conversation with 2 certified organic growers who grow south of me and they have never experienced TSWV. They are in the heart of tomato growing land. They recommended releasing beneficials that control thrips. I had considered this a couple years ago but never got around to it. I will look into it again.

[NCTIM]

It looks as though my Stump of the World has got the junk. I lost two plants last year to TSWV. I first noticed the problem yesterday and a mere 24 hrs later it has progressed quite a bit. I'll get rid of the plant today.

Tim

[shelleybean]

Oh, that sucks, Tim. I lost a Stump to TSWV last season. I was hoping with the colder winter we had, this wouldn't be such a problem. I'll keep a close eye on my plants. Good luck with the rest of yours!

[feldon30]

Tongue planted firmly in cheek...



blahblahblahblahblahblahblahblahblahblah

[shelleybean]

I just put out the blue sticky traps. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

[hasshoes]

Is this that?

Most of my plants seem to have it. . .

It happened the day after I went a bit crazy with the Serenade and the Neem oil. . .

[shelleybean]

That does not look like TSWV to me. No spots. Look back at the first page of this thread for pictures.

[hasshoes]

there are spots, it's just so bright out it's not capturing well. . . look at the first picture just above where the leaf is brown. . .

also, on some of the plants, the new spots are still just super tiny. . .

[Worth1]

That Aint TSWV thats just a tired tomato leaf from all of the hauling around it has been through.

Just keep the dead stems and leaves cut off and let the plants grow.
Don't go crazy with the clippers either.
Don't worry so much.

Worth

[hasshoes]

I can't help it Worth. . . my little garden plot is so abused it's like The Little Plot of Horrors!

Thanks for humoring me. . . I owe you tomatoes if I ever get any ;-).

[shelleybean]

It's baaaack! So far just on Evergreen and I have a back up plant. I hope it don't have the problems I had last year with this virus. I can see some thrips on these blue sticky traps but I wonder how much activity there was before I put them out and how much they really help. This is the third year I've had TSWV (though not three years in a row) and it makes me feel like I want to plant fewer varieties but more of each one. This year I only grew singles of the cherries. I have two or three of everything else. Now I'm beginning to get scared that won't be enough. Last year was really bad and I was hoping it was because we had such a mild winter. This past winter was a good bit colder but not cold enough, I guess. And it needs to be cold further south too or they just migrate up here. When I think about last year, it's hard not to feel discouraged.

[nctomatoman]

I just put one my dwarf plants (the lone Sneezy F2 potato leaf) in isolation (grow bags with the handles makes transportation to nether regions easy) - it looks like TSWV. Still, there are some blossoms, and am hoping that the plant hangs on sufficiently to spit out a ripe fruit, hence some seeds (esp. if it is something rare, like the yet-to-be-found large fruited green PL!).

Also have a wispy family heirloom - Shannon (looks similar in plant habit and sounds similar in description to Prue), that someone sent me for trial - that's started the Fusarium thing (grown in a bleached pot with sterile soil, and tied to a new stake....suspect either wind blown contaminated soil or an insect vector), but fingers crossed that it will hang in there long enough for some ripe fruit.

Feeling pretty good, though, with only 2 problems out of 80 plants, and a week of low 80s forecast.