Tomato Mosaic Virus
Tomato Mosaic Virus (TMV) : The disease is characterized by light and day green mottling on the leaves often accompanied by wilting of young leaves in sunny days when plants first become infected. The leaflets of affected leaves are usually distorted, puckered and smaller than normal. Sometimes the leaflets become indented resulting in "fern leaf" symptoms. The affected plant appears stunted, pale green and spindly. The virus is spread by contact with clothes, hand of working labour, touching of infected plants with healthy ones, plant debris and implements.
Control: Seeds from disease free healthy plants should be selected for sowing. Soaking of the seeds in a solution of Trisodium Phosphate (90 g/litre of water) a day before sowing helps to reduce the disease incidence. The seeds should be thoroughly rinsed and dried in shade. In the nursery all the infected plants should be removed carefully and destroyed. Seedlings with infected with the viral disease should not be used for transplanting. Crop rotation with crops other than tobacco, potato, chilli, capsicum, brinjal, etc. should be undertaken.
