Are you ready for Tomato Brown Rugose?
Are you Rugose ready?
Since August 2024, the New Zealand fresh tomato industry has been nervously watching the situation in Australia following the first detection of Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus (ToBRFV). This disease has spread to every continent in the world and is now present in most major tomato growing regions. We know that at some stage it will arrive in NZ so we have been preparing for this for awhile.
What we know about this disease:
Like many other virulent tomato diseases, it is spread via infected seed and sap. Sap affects people, tools, transport including crates, irrigation water and waste plant material. The virus is very persistent and once in a country, can easily move from greenhouse to greenhouse, including on people’s clothes and anything they touch like cell phones.
Like many other tomato diseases, the best way to stop the spread is with good hygiene practices:
Seed - use seed that has been legally imported so that it has been tested. Check your seed company is a member of Seed and Grain NZ.
People - wash and sanitise hands, greenhouse only clothes and shoes, closed door policy (i.e. no visitors in your greenhouse)
Tools - don’t share tools, sanitise tools if possible after every row
Transport - can the driver remain in the truck? If not, they should wear at a minimum covers on their shoes and sanitise hands
Crates - keep these out of the greenhouse – use in the packing shed only. Have your own boxes/containers for use in the GH and make sure these are washed regularly
Irrigation water - this should be flushed through with a cleaning product at the end of each plant cycle
Waste plant material - If you leave this on site, it has the potential to spread disease to your whole growing operation and to any neighbouring properties. Best practice is to send this offsite or for it to be contained eg in a covered skip
Why is hygiene so important when ToBRFV isn’t in NZ?
With PepMV, we now have information to suggest that it was likely circulating in the Auckland area 6 months before the first official detection. In that time it had probably spread to at least 5 properties. Hygiene measures will protect your property from unknown risks.
ToBRFV resistant seeds
All the major seed companies with representation in New Zealand, have varieties of tomato plants that make claims about being resistant to ToBRFV. While we know that seed companies are working on improving the yield and flavour as well as the resistance of their seeds, it is still a good idea to trial what works and doesn't work in YOUR greenhouse environment ahead of time. In the future, it's likely that the majority of seeds available will be the resistant varieties and once ToBRFV is circulating in NZ, these varieties might be important if you want to grow symptom free tomatoes.