Effects of water stress on tomato spotted wilt virus
In Argentina, experiments were carried out to study the effects of water stress on symptom expression and infection by tomato spotted wilt virus (potential EPPO A2 organism) on tomato.
The experiments showed that water stress decreases the virus concentration in tomato plants as well as the systemic infection symptoms. Therefore, the authors conclude that in tomato-growing areas, subject to water stress, visual inspections of tomatoes for tomato spotted wilt tospovirus could lead to underestimations of the disease incidence.
Sources
C¢rdoba, A.R.; Taleisnik, E.; Brunotto, M.; Racca, R. (1991) Mitigation of tomato spotted wilt virus infection and symptom expression by water stress.
Journal of Phytopathology 133, 255-263.