TYLCV

[duajones]

Added by Mischka: TYLCV = Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus

It looks like I may be dealing with this virus again. I am noticing a more an abnormal upright growth pattern on most of my plants along with some leaf cupping as well as reduced leaf size. Much like what I noticed last year on the 5 plants that I ended up pulling. As they age a bit more the symptoms should be more dramatic so I guess I will know before too long. If so, I just dont know what to do anymore about those darned whiteflies. I am using sticky traps and inspect the plants daily. I havent noticed a ton of whiteflies but have noticed a few. I have also sprayed with pyola a couple times as well as insecticidal soap.
If I lose most of my plants to this again, I will be flat out devastated.

[RandyG]

Do you have pictures of the symptoms that are more advanced than what you showed earlier? This needs to be diagnosed by identifying the virus to know for sure if it is TYLC. Are the symptoms showing up in the same area where you had them last year, and is it possible it is some other cause such as herbicide contamination? There are now several new hybrid tomato varieties with TYLC virus resistance. Although they may not be the type of tomato you prefer to grow, it may be your only choice if this is TYLC, and you wish to control the disease. This virus as well as TSWV cause devastating disease symptoms and destroy edible fruit production, and where they occur severely year after year, growers have had to resort to using resistant varieties. Thank world wide movement of infected plants and the associated whitefly species and thrips species that vector these viruses for their continued rapid spread and buildup through out tomato production areas of the world.

[duajones]

I do not have pictures that show any more advanced symptoms at this point, but regretfully I think I will soon. I will post them at that time

[MargeH]

I live in a commercial tomato growing area of Florida and have been fighting this virus for four years now. I feel your pain. I have tried several of the resistant hybrids. They have all been supermarket-type determinates. Nothing special. One I grew that was polific was Polina; I think it was one of the first resistant varieties. I don't know the names of a couple of the others. The place I get them from is a commercial grower and he just calls them TYLC resistant.

Once the virus shows up, every plant eventually comes down with it whether I pull them or not. I have stopped pulling them if I already have tomatoes on the plants because those usually ripen; I just don't get any more tomatoes.

It has been unusually chilly here this year so I am hoping that the whiteflies will stay away for a little longer. Haven't seen any yet this year.

Marjorie

[duajones]

Thank you so much for your reply Marjorie. I too was hoping that the colder than average winter would put a dent in the whitefly population. Truth is, I think it did as I havent seen as many this year to this point. But I am seeing them and I definitely see symptoms or irregular growth that isnt normal in my plants. The virus was first reported in South Texas in 2006 and in my opinion is on the move. I truly feel that it will be something for Texas tomato growers to think about and deal with in the near future, starting with South Texas where it has been confirmed. It is a nasty virus that has wiped out crops all over the world.

I happen to live in an area where there a ton of weeds, etc . and yards that are unkempt which means there are probably tons of host plants in my immediate area. I dont know a ton about the virus but it appears to be a problem that could keep one from growing tomatoes as they have in the past. I am truely devastated and not sure what my next step will be concerning growing tomatoes, which has become such a passion for me.

[amideutch]

Duane a couple links for White Fly control. Ami

http://www.growquest.com/whitefly_control_page.htm

http://www.bugspray.com/article/whiteflies.html

[MargeH]

The problem, from what I have read, is that it only takes one infected whitefly feeding on your plant to spread the virus. So, by the time you see them it could be too late. I am sure that it is in host plants around my house.

It is worse in the fall because the whitefly population is already established. I didn't grow any tomatoes last fall because I was so discouraged. Spring is usually better because my plants have time to get established before the whiteflies show up. If I grow fall tomatoes again, they will probably mostly be resistant varieties.

The commercial grower I get those varieties from says that the big-time growers here are only growing resistant varieties now.

Marjorie

[Mischka]

PDF file about Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus attached.

[duajones]

I am using yellow sticky traps, a couple of different soap sprays and have also sprayed the yard and perimeter with a combination of permethrin and Nylar as it helps with the fleas as well

edit to add: a local county extension agent is supposed to come by and look at my plants sometime next week. If TYLCV is suspected I am hoping they will follow up to confirm without me having to pay for it

[RandyG]

Duane,
Have the symptoms advanced on your plants, and do you have a diagnosis or pictures you can post to show more advanced symptoms? A post yesterday from another person in Texas has pictures with deformed leaf growth that appears that it could be from the herbicide aminopyralid, which is in Milestone. This herbicide is widely used for broadleaf control in pasture and hayfields and can carry over in manure and even compost from manure as well as in grass or hay used as mulch. Also, it can remain in the soil for several years and cause severe damage to tomatoes and other crops. Have you added any manure, compost or mulch to your tomato beds that came from an outside source and may be contaminated with the herbicide? This is becoming an increasing problem.
RandyG

[duajones]

Randy, my plants symptoms havent advanced to the point that I am sure it is TYLCV. I am still seeing some things on some of the plants that have me worried but am in a wait and see mode at this point. The pictures posted in the other thread look very similar to my 3 plants that were inadvertently sprayed with herbicide drift by a neighbors lawn service. 2 of the plants are still alive but the new growth looks much like what is picture in the other thread. I add manure from the local nursery to the soil each season and have since I started. The brand is Back to Nature and I also use their cotton burr compost. I have been paying attention to what you have posted in this thread as well as the other. I am planning to go another route the next time I add to the soil because of what you have posted just to be on the safe side.

[amideutch]

Here is a link concerning Aminopyralid. Evidently Dow markets it under different names. Ami

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environmen...od.agriculture

[duajones]

Still not completely sure about my plants. They have good size now with most being in the 3 to 4plus ft range. All of the plants seem to be struggling to set fruit and temps arent a problem. Same thing happened last year to plants that eventually showed advanced stages of what I believe was TYLCV. They are flowering nicely but just arent setting fruit. My plants should be fairly loaded with fruit right now and at most I may have one plant with 5 fruit on it. Gregori's Altai for example, set 4 fruit early and has not set any since.