Tomato Little-leaf Syndrome—A Possible Explanation
| Autor: | Stephen M. Olson, D.O. Chellemi, P.C. Andersen |
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| Rok vydání: | 1995 |
| Předmět: | |
| Zdroj: | HortScience. 30:767B-767 |
| ISSN: | 2327-9834 0018-5345 |
| DOI: | 10.21273/hortsci.30.4.767b |
| Popis: | Since the fall of 1986, tomato growers in northwestern Florida and southwestern Georgia production areas have encountered plants in their fields with unusual growth characteristics. Early symptoms consist of interveinal chlorosis of the young leaves. Subsequent top growth becomes severely distorted with leaflets along the midrib failing to expand properly, resulting in a “little-leaf” appearance. Additional symptoms included cessation of terminal growth, leaves with twisted and brittle midribs, and axillary buds failing to develop properly. Fruit that set on mildly affected plants are distorted, with radial cracks extending from the calyx to the blossom scar. In severely affected plants, fruit failed to set. The problem usually occurs at very low levels, but in 2 years since 1986, the problem has caused some economic damage. To determine a possible cause, samples were taken for virus detection. None were detected in affected plants. Samples were also taken of tissue and soil from affected areas for nutrient and pesticide analysis. No explanation could be developed from any of the tissue or soil samples. The problem usually occurs in wet areas and after very warm temperatures. The problem appears to be very similar to a nonparasitic disease that occurs in tobacco, called “frenching.” In tobacco, frenching occurs in wet, poorly aerated soils with a soil pH >6.3 and during warm temperatures. There seems to be an organism or organisms present under certain conditions that live on the root surface and exude chemicals that cause this distorted growth. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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