

Spread of tomato yellow leaf curl in California tomatoes arrested
The Issue

Tomato yellow leaf curl symptoms.
Immediate action was needed to inform tomato growers of the new threat to their industry and to attempt eradication of TYLCV from California.
What Has ANR Done?
Eric Natwick, Imperial County Cooperative Extension director, collected tomato plants with TYLCV-like virus symptoms from a greenhouse in Brawley, Calif., in March 2007. Dr. Robert Gilbertson at UC Davis determined that TYLCV was the cause of the virus-like symptoms in the tomato plants.ANR immediately notified the Imperial County Agricultural Commissioner’s office and California Department of Agriculture. We worked with the Agricultural Commissioner and CDFA to attempt eradication of all sources of TYLCV in the county. Further, educational presentations were given to growers in Imperial County, Calif., and Yuma County, Ariz., newsletter articles were published by Imperial County Cooperative Extension, and a TYLCV educational flyer was published through the UC Integrated Pest Management Program, both print and on-line, to inform and educate tomato growers, tomato and pepper transplant producers and pest control advisers statewide of the threat of TYLCV to California tomato production.
The Payoff
Spread of TYLCV stopped
Although it is not yet possible to say that TYLCV has been eradicated from California, we can say that the spread from Brawely to other parts of the state has been arrested. This was due to the combined efforts of UC ANR, CDFA and the Imperial County Agricultural Commissioner's Office to rapidly define the geographic area with TYLCV-infected tomato plants and to get voluntary destruction of all infected plants in commercial and home garden tomato production.Through UC ANR educational efforts, growers and allied industries were informed of methods to stop the spread of TYLCV infected plants and whiteflies that carry the virus.
Contact
Supporting Unit:
Imperial County , UC ANR Cooperative Extension and UC Davis Plant Pathology - CAESEric Natwick, (760) 352-9474, etnatwick@ucdavis.edu