from Jingjing Yin, CAAHP Commercial Horticulture Educator
New Tobamo viruses have shown up in a few calibrachoa cultivars. They are in the group similar to Tobacco Mosaic Virus or TMV. The symptoms caused by Tobamo viruses range from mild mottling on foliage or petals (lighter and darker(ish) green or yellow areas – or petal colored) to yellowing and necrotic spots. You can use a TMV test which will cross-react for these newer Tobamo viruses – it won’t tell you which virus is affecting your plants, but it will tell if your plants have one of them. Since management for all Tobamo viruses is the same, that’s still useful.
Tobamo viruses are spread via plant sap, so can easily be spread on tools and your hands. If there is damage to leaves so that sap can move from one plant to another, the disease can spread. If you discover infected plants, restrict access to the area and remove them (if possible); otherwise always work in the affected area last and decontaminate yourself and equipment before working elsewhere.
Using hot water and strong detergent, wash any clothing that has come into contact with diseased plants. When removing any infected plants from the greenhouse, make sure not to touch other plants. Then wash your hands.
Keep an eye on any plants of the same species that you think might be infected. Check other Solanaceous crops such as petunia, Browalia, Datura, Nicotiana, tomato, pepper, eggplant.
For more information:
http://e-gro.org/pdf/2022-11-20.pdf
Jingjing Yin can be reached at jy578@cornell.edu or (518)429-8608.
