Protection methods

• During cultivation

Once established in a crop, this jaundice is not easy to control. Unlike cryptogamic diseases, there is no curative control method making it possible to effectively control viruses, and in particular ToCV, during culture. Usually, an infected plant will remain infected for the rest of its life.

It should be noted that the risks of introduction and reintroduction of this virus, linked to the trade in infected tomato plants or various plants coming from contaminated areas and harboring viruliferous whiteflies, are not negligible. ToCV is the subject of a compulsory control decree in several European countries, including France: the technical annex to the decree of July 8, 2002 makes it compulsory to declare the presence or suspicion of the presence of ToCV, the control against whiteflies and the uprooting of affected plants.

Given the lack of specificity of the symptoms, their early detection is not always easy, which makes it difficult to identify this virus, and to eliminate the very first affected plants. In the presence of doubtful symptoms, we advise you to have your diagnosis confirmed by a specialized laboratory.
It is also necessary to control the level of vector whitefly populations, which is not easy in greenhouses.
At the end of the culture, the plants will be eliminated quickly, the whiteflies specifically destroyed, and a crawl space will be created for several days.

• Next crop

It will be necessary to implement a set of measures which will aim to prevent or at least limit as much as possible the introduction of the virus, but especially of its vectors, and their extension in tomato crops.
We will be very vigilant on the quality of the plants, and in particular on their origin: we will be particularly wary of plants from countries or regions already affected by ToCV. Nurseries should be insect-proof . We can also use agrotextiles to insulate the plants (non-woven veils, mesh fabrics ). The mechanical barrier thus created will delay infections.

Means making it possible to detect and control chemically or biologically * ( e-Phy ) the development of whiteflies will be implemented.

Careful weeding of plots (nursery or crop) and their surroundings will be carried out in order to eliminate virus reservoirs and / or sources of vectors. New crops will not be planted near already affected crops

Currently, there is no tomato variety resistant to this virus.

We advise you to also consult the Protection section of the sheet dealing with TYLCV . Indeed, several additional measures making it possible to control this virus, also transmitted by whiteflies, can be used in the case of ToCV.


* Chemical control : As the number of pesticides available for a given use is constantly changing, we advise you to always confirm your choice by consulting the e-phy site of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries which is an online catalog of plant protection products and their uses, fertilizers and growing media approved in France. This also applies to all biological products based on microorganisms or natural substances.