Southeast Vegetable Growers on Alert for New Virus
April 1, 2020 
Tomato brown rugose fruit virus can cause greenhouse tomato plant leaves to crinkle as seen on left. Leaves on right are from a greenhouse tomato plant not infected by the virus. Photo: Kai-Shu Ling, USDA U.S. Vegetable Laboratory
Greenhouse vegetable growers in the Southeast U.S. are being warned about the potential threat of a new virus that could potentially be devastating for tomato producers.
The tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) was only discovered in Florida in late 2019, and since its discovery, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) has restricted imports of tomato and pepper seed lots and transplants from all countries where the virus exists, as well as restricting tomato and pepper fruit imported from Mexico, Israel, and the Netherlands.
While ToBRFV has yet to be detected in South Carolina, plant experts at Clemson University are not taking any chances.
“Currently, officials are inspecting all tomato plants and all tomato fruit that are being shipped into the U.S.,” says Steven Long, Assistant Director of Regulatory Services in the Clemson Department of Plant Industry. “If you see something you believe may be the virus, contact your local Extension agent. The agent can contact us if they believe it is the tomato brown rugose fruit virus and we can come sample the plant or plants and have tests run to determine if it is indeed the virus.”
Read more here.
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