Mosaic virus is a common plant disease that affects more than 150 plant species. The disease causes yellow, white and green spots and stripes on leaves and they look like a “mosaic” of these colors. You can find out how to fight mosaic virus in this article.
Mosaic viruses are among the plant viruses that can cause major damage to your plants. This disease spreads quickly and can badly affect plants and crops. There are steps you can take to reduce the damage and prevent the infection. However, first you need to learn how to recognize the mosaic virus.
How does the disease work?
The mosaic virus is a parasite that destroys plants down to the molecular level. The parasite cannot be seen with the naked eye. Parasites infect the living cells of an organism and continue to multiply until they kill a plant.
The disease is transmitted from plant to plantand can destroy the entire crop. The virus movement can spread quickly to an entire leaf, then the entire plant is affected, and finally the infection spreads to other plants in the area.
Which plants are affected?
Many fruits, vegetables and flowers are susceptible to mosaki virus, including tomatoes, pumpkins, cauliflower, cucumbers, beans, tobacco, potatoes, melons, peppers, roses. Mosaic viruses are spread primarily by insects, particularly aphids and leafhoppers.
What types of mosaic viruses are there?
- TheBean Common Mosaic Virus (BCMV)and thatBean Yellow Mosaik Virus (BYMV)are the primary mosaic viruses that affect all types of beans. They are transmitted by aphids and by seeds.
- This is one of the most common mosaic virusesGurkenmosaikvirus (CMV). It is also transmitted by aphids and affects many plants, including cucumbers, pumpkins, melons, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, potatoes, lettuce, spinach. Mosaic virus was first detected in cucumbers, so the name “cucumber mosaic virus” originally comes from the fact that cucumbers were one of the first crops proven to be infected by this virus.
- The tomato mosaic virus (ToMV)is an equally common virus. It occurs worldwide and attacks tomatoes and many other plants. The foliage of affected tomato plants shows blotching with alternating yellowish and dark green areas, the latter often appearing thicker and having a blister-like appearance.
- The tobacco mosaic virus (TMV)spreads by seeds and direct contact. The best way to avoid the infection is to grow resistant varieties.
- The rose mosaic virusaffects many types of rose plants. The leaves show yellowing along the leaf veins and appear light green to whitish. Alternating yellowish spots or rings often appear.
How do plants get the virus?
The mosaic virus is widespread all over the world. Mosaic viruses can be spread by weeds, infected seeds, an infected plant, or certain insects. Infected soil, starter pots and containers can also be infected and transmit the virus.
Aphids, leafhoppers, whiteflies and cucumber beetles are common garden pests,that can transmit this disease. The mosaic virus overwinters on perennial weeds and is spread by these insects that feed on them. If you control aphids, you reduce the risk of the viral disease.
Rose mosaic virus and most other rose viruses are not transmitted by insects or pruning tools. Viruses infect roses by budding, grafting, or rooting cuttings from infected plants. Roses infected during propagation may remain asymptomatic until they are planted and growing in the landscape.
What damage can the disease cause?
How do I know if my plant has mosaic virus? Typical symptoms of mosaic virus include:
- The leaves are mottled with yellow, white, light and dark green spots.
- Wrinkled, curled or small leaves. The plants are often stunted or grow poorly.
- Pronounced yellowing of the veins.
- Stunted growth and lower yields.
- Infected fruits appear mottled and develop “warty” areas.
- Dark green bubbles.
- Twisted or deformed young shoots and stems that dry out quickly.
- Infected plants are stunted and often exhibit “shoestring syndrome,” a characteristic malformation in which the leaf edges fail to develop and the leaf veins develop as long, narrow stripes.
How quickly does the infection spread?
When the virus is caused by insects such as aphids, they only transmit the viruses for very short periods of time (minutes to a few hours). Therefore, it often spreads very quickly to a large number of garden plants.
How long does the virus stay in the soil?
The virus can survive in the soil for 2 years. Tomato mosaic virus and tobacco mosaic virus can survive for up to two years in dry soil and dead plant debris, and in moist soilthe pathogens remainonly a few months in the ground. In particular, tomato mosaic virus is a particularly stable virus that can survive for several years in soil or other substrates, especially in leaf and root debris, which are the main source of transmission and spread of the virus.
Is mosaic virus harmful to people or pets?
No. Mosaic virus is not harmful to humans or pets because the virus is specific to plants. Infected fruits can be eaten. The danger only exists for the plants because the harvest is affected by the disease.
How are viruses eliminated from soil?
There are simple methods for eliminating viruses from soil. Heating the soil is very effective and the soil can be used immediately after cooling, unlike chemically treated soil. Many plant pathogens are killed by brief exposure to high temperatures. Most plant pathogens can be killed by temperatures of 60°C for 30 minutes.
How to fight mosaic virus?
There is no cure for mosaic viruses, so prevention is key and you should make every effort to prevent the disease from entering your garden! However, if plants in your garden show symptoms of mosaic viruses, you can minimize the damage by taking a few simple steps:
- To combat mosaic virus, remove and destroy all infected plants. DO NOT put them in the compost pile as the virus can remain in the infected plant material and spread. Burn infected plants or throw them away with the trash.
- Monitor plants that are near infected plants.
- Disinfect all garden tools after each use. Have a bottle of antiviral disinfectant handy to wipe down your tools.
Prevention of mosaic viruses on plants
- A sure way to avoid the disease is to plant virus-resistant varieties in your garden or purchase transplants from a proven source.
- You can cover your plants with a floating row cover or aluminum foil mulch to prevent the insects from infecting your plants. Reflective mulch can reduce or delay infections because it helps repel insects from plants.
- Maintain good garden hygiene. Control weeds in the garden because aphids, which carry the disease, can spread from weeds to your garden plants. Remove all perennial weeds within 100 meters of your garden plot.
- Wash your hands frequently and disinfect garden tools, stakes, pots, greenhouse, etc. to reduce the risk of contamination.
- DO NOT save seeds from infected plants.
- Controlling aphid populations is critical to controlling transmission of the virus. Check the underside of leaves for aphids and, if present, treat immediately with an insecticidal soap, neem oil, or organic pyrethroid-based products. Predators that feed on aphids can also be used. You can also use natural pesticides like diatomaceous earth to reduce the number of disease-carrying insects.
- Viruses spread easily when plants are wet. Therefore, avoid working in the garden in damp conditions.
- Avoid using tobacco near susceptible plants. Cigarettes and other tobacco products can be infected and spread the virus.
