Identification and management of tomato brown rugose fruit virus in greenhouses in Mexico

Abstract

Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) has become a cause of great concern in the global tomato agro-industry since its first report in Israel in 2014. Global tomato production is affected by ToBRFV, and management practices are being evaluated. We tested seed lots from international producers as well as greenhouse substrates and water wells as possible sources of virus contamination. We identified a second introduction of ToBRFV in Mexico by a strain closely resembling isolates from the Netherlands and the Middle East. ToBRFV was detected by RT-PCR in seed coats and epicotyls (from commercial seeds and seedlings obtained from infected tomato plants), indicating a transmission rate of 9%. Virus-like particles (VLPs) were found in wells used for irrigation in greenhouses, but these exhibited low infectivity. These findings suggest that water sources could serve as ToBRFV reservoirs. We evaluated four chemical and six thermal methods for sanitizing substrates, plasticware, and other greenhouse utensils, using detached leaf bioassays in Nicotiana rugosa. The most effective chemical sanitization method was treatment with glutaraldehyde plus quaternary ammonium salts and pentapotassium salts. The most effective heat treatment was at 92°C for 30 minutes, which inactivated the virus. Tomato producers could implement these sanitization methods to control ToBRFV.