First Report of Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus in Greenhouse Tomatoes in Kentucky

• Published in: Plant health progress Vol. 2008
• Main Authors: de Sa, P.B, Seebold, K.W, Vincelli, P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Plant Management Network 2008
• ISSN: 1535-1025; 1535-1025

Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV), genus Begomovirus in the family Geminiviridae, was identified for the first time in the United States in Florida in 1997 and since then has been reported in other states on tomato in greenhouse and in field production environments. During 2005 symptoms typical of geminivirus infection were observed on tomato plants grown in a greenhouse production system in Jefferson Co., KY. A nucleic acid-based pathogen detection approach was used and TYLCV infection was confirmed in tomato plants collected from the greenhouse and in symptomless Acalypha ostryifolia growing outside the greenhouse. To our knowledge, A. ostryifolia has not been previously described as a host of this virus. This find raises concerns regarding the introduction of TYLCV to the state in infected transplants or in viruliferous whiteflies transported on infested plants, and its potential impact on economically important crops in the state.