Stolbur (phytoplasmosis) of tomatoes: control and prevention measures

Stolbur is usually called one of the most common gardeners (mostly in the southern regions of Ukraine) and dangerous diseases of tomatoes and other vegetable crops. Usually, infection with this disease is so detrimental to vegetables, including tomatoes, that their yields are sharply reduced by half, or even more. How can tomato stolbur be detected, and what control measures will help to cope with it?

How does stolbur affect infected tomatoes?

The appearance of stolbur in vegetables is associated with their infection with the virus Lycopersicum virus 5 Smith, belonging to the category of phytoplasmic microorganisms. 2 types of disease identified:

• causes stripes on fruits;
• causes foliage to turn anthocyanin.

With a large number of pathogens in the plant, this leads to disruption of vital processes that occur in its cells and tissues, which leads to clogging of blood vessels and the development of chloroticity.

Phytoplasmas, as a rule, begin to be located in plant cells along the cytoplasmic membranes. The stronger, more dangerous will be the manifestations of phytoplasmosis and its consequences for tomatoes, the more of their cells will be filled with harmful phytoplasma microorganisms. Also, under the influence of stolbur, there is a sharp decrease in the volume of dry substances contained in the vegetable crop, which also worsens the commercial quality of the fruits obtained.

Symptoms indicating infection of tomatoes with phytoplasmosis

Usually, the manifestation of stolbur occurs on the foliage, flowers and fruits of tomatoes. At the beginning, the color of the stems of the plant changes: the tops, shoots, and then the lower leaves of the tomatoes become pinkish-purple, which is associated with a high content of anthocyanins in the cells.

The foliage of diseased vegetable crops becomes small, chlorotic, it twists to the top, as a result of which the leaves of tomatoes take the shape of a boat. From the fact that the tissues are overflowing with starch, there is a roughness and brittleness of foliage and stems.

Deformation of the affected tomato flowers begins, an increase in sepals in size, which can often grow together at the same time, as a result of which, they become shaped like bells. The stamens and pistils cannot develop sufficiently, while the petals become small, colorless or greenish.

Important! Such infected flowers, as a rule, are sterile, but if they do form fruits, then only small, woody ones with uneven coloring. These tomatoes are forbidden to eat.

How can stolbur spread?

Phytoplasmosis is an extremely western disease spread by sucking insects such as different types of cicadas. In the winter season, mycoplasmas, which are unicellular microorganisms of the pathogen virus, can persist for a long time in the root systems of perennial weeds, namely, dairy, plantain, etc.

Important! In the same place, the larvae of cicadas usually arrange wintering, which, eating the juice of diseased plants, are affected by the virus themselves. In the middle of summer, adult insects begin to disperse and, accordingly, infect weeds and vegetables with phytoplasmosis.

The rate of development of mycoplasma and its activity varies every year, which is associated with changes in the wintering conditions of disease-carrying insects. If climate conditions do not have a favorable effect on the rate of development, reproduction and migration of vectors (for example, in the region there are very cold and little snow winters), the harmfulness of tomato stolbur decreases. The opposite effect is noted in areas with high air and ground temperatures.

What are the ways to deal with phytoplasmosis

There are no measures to combat tomato stolbur as such. When a plant is already infected with a disease, there is no way to cure it, it remains only to get rid of the diseased bush as soon as possible in order to protect the rest of the plants.

For this reason, tomato stolbur is recommended to be prevented through some preventive measures.

These include:

• disinfection of seeds - they should be kept for 20 minutes. in water that was preheated to 50 degrees, or disinfect them using a one percent solution of potassium permanganate;
• it is necessary to carefully observe the norms of spatial isolation of tomatoes and other vegetable crops among themselves - the distance between the plots must be at least 500 m;
• need to mulch the soil under the tomatoes in a timely and regular manner, using straw as mulch in the aisle;
• to carry out activities that are primarily aimed at increasing the fruiting rate of tomatoes (for example, properly selected top dressing during this period), in order to be able to harvest most of the crop before the disease appears;
• periodically, as needed, fight weeds that accumulate infection in themselves, and do this both in the field and on the roadsides;
• you can spray tomatoes with insecticides to control the sucking insects that carry the disease (three times during the growing season of the plant).

In conclusion, it should be noted that you need to properly monitor and care for vegetable crops, including tomatoes. As a result, it will be possible not only to count on large volumes of tomato crops, but also to prevent infection of plants with various dangerous diseases.

If you follow the above recommendations regarding preventive measures, then you can not be afraid that signs of phytoplasmosis will suddenly appear on tomatoes. Vegetable crops will actively develop and delight the gardener with abundant tomato crops for a long time.

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