Co-Authors:
Lapidot, M., Dept. of Virology, Volcani Center, Agricultural Research Organization, P.O. Box 6, Bet Dagan, Israel
Polston, J.E., Dept. of Plant Pathology, University of Florida, 1453 Fifield Hall, Gainesville, United States
Abstract:
Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) is one of the most devastating viruses of cultivated tomatoes in tropical and subtropical regions. TYLCV is a monopartite begomovirus, first described in Israel (Cohen and Nitzany, 1966). Although originally found only in the eastern Mediterranean, it is now a problem in the western Mediterranean, the Caribbean, Japan, and the southern U.S. (Polston and Anderson, 1997; Polston et al. 1999). Infection of susceptible tomato plants results in cupping of leaves, chlorosis, prominent stunting of the growing point, and flower abscission. Depending on the timing of infection, yield losses can reach 100%. In many tomato-growing areas, TYLCV has become the limiting factor for production of tomatoes in both open field and protected cultivation systems (Lapidot and Friedmann, 2002). © 2006 Springer. All rights reserved.