The Tomato brown rugose fruit virus, has been identified in Australia within two sites on the northern Adelaide Plains. According to South Australia's chief plant health officer, Nick Secomb, the virus, while not harmful to humans, compromises the quality of solanaceous vegetable crops. The introduction of the virus is suspected to have occurred through infected seeds, prompting an immediate response from the South Australian Primary Industries Department (PIRSA) to form an incident management team aimed at assessing the extent of the spread and implementing containment strategies.
The presence of the virus manifests through discolouration and deformation of leaves, alongside fruit exhibiting wrinkled spots and uneven ripening. The highly contagious nature of the virus facilitates its spread through direct contact among plants or indirectly via contaminated tools and human interaction. First identified in the Middle East in 2015, its global transmission has largely been attributed to the movement of infected seeds, underscoring the challenges in controlling its distribution. Despite the potential for a 15% reduction in crop yield, containment efforts are underway, focusing on the immediate vicinity of the detected outbreaks without impacting other vegetable production in the region.
Source: abc.net.au