Renewed outbreaks of tomato spotted wilt virus in France on ornamentals and vegetable crops
In France, tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) was reported in the 30’s and 40's, mainly on tomato, but thereafter was hardly detected again. In recent years, the virus has reappeared in France causing serious damage; it was detected in 1987 (also reported in 1987 in The Netherlands, in Spain and in 1989 in Italy). Moreover, the virus is highly polyphagous and can infect more than 200 species of plants (monocotyledons dicotyledons), including ornamentals and vegetable crops of economic importance as well as weeds. In France, up till now, the virus has been detected on the fallowing crops: Solanum lycopersicum, Capsicum spp., Vicia spp., Lactuca sativa, Solanum melongena, Chrysanthemum hybrids, Impatiens New Guinea hybrids, Senecio cruentus, Sinningia, Chrysanthemum leucanthemum, Tagetes, Zinnia, Cyclamen, Salvia, Limonium, Gazania, Dahlia, Vinca, Antirrhinum, Gerbera, Celosia, Begonia and Verbena. This rapid rise of TSWV is probably linked to the introduction and spread of Frankliniella occidentalis which can transmit the virus. In the face of this threat, the French Plant Protection Service has implemented a series of phytosanitary measures and tried to encourage the production of healthy plant material. Now TSWV is listed as a quarantine pest in France and statutory control is applied.
Sources
Berling A., Llamas-Bousquet N., Malezieux S., Gebre-Sélassié
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Gebre-Sélassié K., Chabrière C., Marchoux G. (1989) Un virus qui se réveille : le tomato spotted wilt sur cultures légumières et florales. Phytoma, 410, 30-35.
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