Coping with an outbreak, thanks to Pocket Diagnostic
Detecting disease early is a key part of managing its spread, and rarely more so than with Pepino mosaic virus in tomatoes.
According to Mike Wainwright, technical manager at Humber VHB's Runcton site in the south of England, the Pocket Diagnostic test for PepMV proved very helpful in controlling an outbreak of the disease at the beginning of this year.
Mr Wainwright carries out regular PepMV testing of plants with suspicious symptoms as part of his routine management. In mid-season, blotchy fruit on a tomato plant were tested with a PepMV Pocket Diagnostic, and clear positive results seen. From this point on, the crop was managed according to the UK government’s (Defra) guidelines for this notifiable organism.
Defra recommends the local Plant Health Inspector is informed and that all work in the infected area is suspended and isolated to prevent any personnel inadvertently entering the infected zone. All trolleys, boxes, knives and other equipment used in the infected area should be disinfected..
Regular monitoring of tomato plants for PepMV in previous years had shown the Runcton site to be free of the virus, giving crop managers reassurance that hygiene measures were working effectively. Pepino mosaic virus can spread rapidly once in a nursery and monitoring of plants from very early in the growing season is a sensible precaution for protecting plant health. This virus is readily spread via contaminated tools, human hands or clothing, and by direct plant-to-plant contact. It can also be transmitted by grafting or when taking cuttings from infected mother plants.
A new, more severe strain of Pepino mosaic virus, named US2, has been detected in several countries, including the UK. This is highly infectious, with a wider host range, and can produce severe necrotic symptoms on fruit. Thankfully, the Pocket Diagnostic tests do show positive results with this new strain.
On-site testing of plants with symptoms is becoming an increasingly important part of maintaining high hygiene standards on nurseries. Rapid testing gives the grower early insight into disease pressures, and means informed decisions can be made quickly. Most nurseries keep a supply of PepMV test kits to hand, just in case symptoms are seen. To order your PepMV test kit today, please click here.