Solanum leaf curl begomovirus

Solanum leaf curl begomovirus (Begomovirus solanumdepravationis) is a destructive plant virus belonging to the Geminiviridae family. It is recognized as a significant constraint for solanaceous crop production worldwide, specifically impacting the plant's vascular system and disrupting essential physiological processes like nutrient translocation and photosynthetic activity.

The primary host range includes economically important species such as tomatoes, peppers, and potatoes. While cultivated crops are the most impacted, the virus can also persist in various wild solanaceous weeds, which act as crucial viral reservoirs, maintaining the disease cycle in the ecosystem throughout the year.

Symptoms of the infection typically include severe leaf curling, rugosity, and stunted plant height. As the virus progresses, the leaves often display chlorotic mosaic patterns and yellowing, leading to reduced leaf area and significant yield loss. Fruit production is severely hampered, with observed symptoms including poor fruit set, small size, and malformation.

The virus is primarily transmitted by the silverleaf whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) in a persistent, circulative manner. Once the insect acquires the virus during feeding, it can transmit it to healthy plants for the rest of its lifespan. Warm and dry weather conditions are highly conducive to whitefly population growth, thereby significantly accelerating the spread of the virus within fields and greenhouses.

Effective management requires an integrated approach (IPM) to minimize viral transmission:

• Cultivation of virus-resistant or tolerant crop varieties.
• Strict control of whitefly populations using targeted systemic insecticides.
• Removal of infected plants and surrounding weed hosts to eliminate viral sources.
• Use of fine-mesh exclusion screens in greenhouses to prevent whitefly entry.
• Implementation of crop-free periods to break the viral life cycle.