Viruses in vegetable crops in Australia: integrated virus disease management
Viruses are a major cause of loss in many Australian vegetable crops. This 6-page fact sheets answers the questions: What are viruses?; How do plant viruses spread?; How do viruses survive?; and How can you manage virus diseases? A list of vegetable crops and the viruses infecting them is provided. Persistent and non-persistent transmission is discussed. The importance of host plants including weeds to the life cycles of many viruses and their vectors (which are mostly sap-sucking insects) is also discussed. Management options include: Exclusion/Avoidance (eg plant virus-free seed and seedlings); Reduction in Virus Inoculum Levels (eg control weeds and destroy old crops promptly); and Protection of the Host (eg use resistant or tolerant varieties, use reflective mulches and oil sprays, and use insecticides strategically). It is critical to accurately identify the virus and then use an appropriate combination of management options.