Resilient Tomato Virus frustrates growers

First observed in tomato plants in Israel in 2014, ToBRFV was formally reported as a new viral disease by researchers in Jordan in 2016. European observations followed shortly afterwards in several countries. By fall of 2018, the virus was reported in North America at a California greenhouse facility. It is likely ToBRFV was present soon afterwards in Canada with the first reports in 2019. The virus has now been officially recorded in more than 20 countries globally, with researchers suspecting its distribution is far larger than records indicate.

The symptoms of ToBRFV range widely from different growing regions, growing systems, and tomato varieties around the world. The virus may be hardly noticeable on foliage while it has also been reported to kill plants outright. It is the impact on the fruit however that causes the most economic damage. Tomato fruit from infected plants are often blotchy, pale, ripen unevenly, malformed, and can be undersized. Up to 100 per cent of fruits from infected plants can be rendered unmarketable.

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Source: The Grower