virus questions

19 years ago

After putting a lot of effort into garden preparation this year, things are going downhill fast. Some of the issues can be corrected next year, like covering broccoli plants before the cabbage loopers set in, or experimenting with more preventative measures for blight and aphid control. But my beans and all my tomatoes have been beset with viruses this year. The beans are mottled yellow and some of the leaves are puckering. The tomatoes have twisted and misshapen leaves and have not grown well. Now additional diseases are setting in with the humidity.

This affected ALL my tomatoes and beans, four different varieties of each. So I assume this is not a seed-related issue. I have never experienced plant viruses in the garden and I wonder if this is because I used heirloom seeds almost exclusively this year (less disease resistance?), and I mulched with straw for the first time (can disease be brought in on the straw?). It certainly was a banner year for aphids, and I am sure that had something to do with my problems.

Since I am at the depressing point of pulling out a lot of plants, I want to start thinking about next year in case there is something to be done to the soil now to prevent the viruses. Half of the tomatoes and beans were in new beds, so this was not a pre-existing condition, UNLESS something came in on the compost I bought. If I pull out all the diseased plants, can I solarize the soil for the rest of the summer? Will this help? Should I avoid planting in these areas next year? That cuts out a big portion of my garden, which is small to begin with. I have read that disinfection is important when a virus is detected. How does one do this for large garden equipment? I saw one extension site that recommends boiling and states that bleach won't kill a virus. Finally, do soaker hoses in these areas need to be discarded and replaced? Will they harbor viruses? Thanks, in advance. I am at my wits end!

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Comments (6)

fruitgirl
19 years ago
Viruses are most commonly spread by insects (aphids!), pollen, and nematodes. They can't survive in a non-living host, so there's no way they'd survive in a soaker hose or anything like that. It's unlikely the virus came in with the compost, unless there were nematodes in the compost carrying the virus. However, I think this is fairly unlikely.

There are some viruses that affect both beans and tomatoes. If it's an aphid-borne virus, all it would have taken was one infected seed to spread to all of your tomato and bean plants.

There is absolutely nothing that will kill a virus once it's infected a plant.
liv2learn
Original Author
19 years ago
On further investigation of my potato problems, I found leafhoppers to be the culprits. Since they are on the potatoes, they are likely on the beans too. The symptoms of leafhopper damage to beans sounds just like what I am seeing: leaves mottled and curled down, puckered, tiny white spots, and bronzing of upper leaf surfaces. I know they transmit viruses as well. It's too late to control the leafhoppers, not that there is a good way to do that anyway. But what about any viruses that they have transmitted? Are those going to be in the garden year? I am running out of places to do crop rotation. Will solarizing the soil now help?
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fruitgirl
19 years ago
As I said above, viruses will not survive outside of a living host. The leafhoppers won't survive the winter, nor will the beans or tomatoes. If the virus has spread to a perennial plant of some sort then you may have a problem.
liv2learn
Original Author
19 years ago
"If the virus has spread to a perennial plant of some sort then you may have a problem."

Well, all bets are off on that one. I am sure the leafhoppers have been busy in all parts of the garden. :-(
fruitgirl
19 years ago
Not necessairly. Most viruses only infect certain species of plants, and if so, usually only infect close relatives. When I read your question, I did a quick google search, and happened across a virus that infects both tomato and bean. So, unless it's a virus with a really broad host range, you might be ok. Try doing some research to figure out which virus you have (google search "tomato bean virus") and take a look at pictures to try to self-diagnose what virus you have. Then try to find info about its host range and see if you have any perennial plants that might be a host.
liv2learn
Original Author
19 years ago
I have been looking online quite a bit trying to diagnose the plant problems. The trouble is that several viruses produce similar symptoms and can infect multiple types of plants. To further complicate things, plants can be infected with more than one virus at once, plus have secondary bacterial infections. It gets confusing!

But I have taken some new photos and I will be back online trying to ID what is going on now that the symptoms are more pronounced. I am also going to start looking for more disease-resistant heirloom seeds between now and next year.