Curly top - BCTV

The symptoms of Curly top appear on the apical leaves, stunting their growth, followed by scorching. Then the plant develops an abnormal number of young leaves, and they curl. In the field, the symptoms can be confused with the tomato spotted wilt virus disease, but growth-stunting tends to be more uniform, not in unilateral form, as it occurs with spotted wilt.

Curly top is transmitted by a leafhopper (Agallia sp.) a tiny insect very common in pasturelands.

Damages can be considerable, especially in the early stage of the crop. In this case the plants remain small and the leaves do not develop, becoming useless. When infections occur later, only the older leaves are usable, as the younger ones have not developed.

There are no cultivars resistant to this disease and, therefore, preventive measures should be adopted, especially in areas with disease history and previously infected.

In addition to applying preventive insecticides in fields with a history of high incidence, it is also necessary to keep under control the leafhoppers that transmit the disease, and normally survive in the surrounding fields and pasturelands.

Symptom disease pictures: