Tomato virus: how to spot it?

Only two greenhouses in an agricultural exploitation of Finistère are now affected by the tomato virus in France.But the tomato-virus or "tomato brown rugose fruit virus" (Tobrfv) could spread by the vegetable gardens of amateur gardeners.

"The difficulty is that today about 50 % of the plants in France are marketed to the general public, towards the vegetable gardens and there, as it is a very resistant virus in the environment, it canGoing from one plant to another through the fruit, by the leaves, by the tools and therefore contaminating from garden to garden, "said Roger Genet, managing director of the National Food Safety Agency, ofthe environment and work (ANSES) during a press point at the Agricultural Show.

"We can have a real epidemic situation difficult to regulate, and it is obviously very difficult to go and decontaminate the gardens and the tools of people, so we are extremely vigilant on these introductions and, when there is an infection point, to go back to the source to be able to circumscribe, "he added.

TOBRFV can infect up to 100 % of plants

Identified for the first time in the Middle East in 2014, the TOBRFV has appeared since 2018 in Mexico, the United States, Europe and Asia since 2018 and in Asia.Safe for humans, it represents a real threat to tomatoes, peppers and peppers."Dangerousness comes from its ease of transmission: simple contact by hands, clothes, tools, insects or any other contaminated medium transmits the disease to the plant," explains the Ministry of Agriculture.And once in the plant, the virus spreads from cell to cell and invades the whole plant."Seeds, plants and fruits remain infectious and can convey the virus over long distances," explains ANSES.Up to 100 % of plants on a production site can be infected and all tomato crops can be affected: conventional, organic farming, in integrated organic protection, in greenhouse and full field.To date, no treatment or no variety resistant to virus exists.The only solution is to tear off the plants, then not to plant anything for a few weeks or even months.

How to recognize the tomato virus?

The symptoms of the tomato virus are as follows:

What precautions should be taken ?

To avoid the propagation of the virus on French territory, the Ministry of Agriculture recommends amateur gardeners to avoid buying seeds on the Internet, favor purchases in France and to choose seeds with a certificate or passportphytosanitary guaranteeing their unscathed status vis-à-vis the virus.

He also advises to wash his hands before gardening and after, as well as disinfecting his tools and equipment regularly.In the event of suspicion of the virus in its vegetable garden, you must quickly contact the Regional Directorate of Food, Agriculture and Forestry (DRAFF) of its region to report the suspicious signs to it.