TSWV Tomato spotted wilt virus
- TSWV infects over 1,000 plant species and causes significant economic damage to many agronomic and horticultural corps.
- Symptoms of tomato spotted wilt differ among hosts and can be variable in a single host species.
- Orthotospoviruses are responsible for serious economic losses in agronomic crops worldwide.
- The genus Orthotospoviruses are vectored by thrips in a circulative-propagative manner.
- TSWV is a type species in the genus Orthotospovirus.
Host range
- TSWV has a large host range and is mostly, but not exclusively, a viral disease found in field crops.
- Many vegetable and ornamental crops are impected, including tomato, pepper, lettuce, potato, bean, pea, and basil.
How it is spread
- The TSWV is transmitted by several species of thrips and replicate in both the thrips vectors and the plant hosts. (https://www.apsnet.org/edcenter/disandpath/viral/pdlessons/Pages/TomatoSpottedWilt.aspx)
- The most common species that vectors these viruses is the western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis).
Symptoms
- Symptoms may appear on plants within a few weeks after infection.
- Symptoms include ringspots, mottling, chlorotic blotches and line patterns on leaves.
- Both leaves and fruit are often distorted with dark spots or ring patterns on fruit.
- Wilting and purpling of leaves can occur and necrotic lesions can develop on stems of affected plants.