Tomato prices have soared up to Rs 100 to Rs 150 in just one week leaving consumers baffled across the country. The reason behind the price hike was reportedly crop losses due to pest attacks and spoiled crops in the months of March and April.
Now, farmers from Maharashtra and Karnataka have blamed two specific viruses which attacked the tomato crop leading to reduced harvest.
Farmers in Maharashtra said their tomato crop was attacked by the cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), while tomato growers in Karnataka and other southern states blamed the tomato mosaic virus (ToMV) for crop losses, according to an Indian Express report.
The increased infestation with these two viruses has led to partial to complete crop losses in recent years.
CMV and ToMV viruses
The two plant viruses cause damage to the crop by stunting its growth and affecting the final yield.
CMV has a larger host pool as it infects crops like cucumber, melon, eggplant, tomato, and members of the gourd family, like squash, pumpkin, zucchini, and some ornamental plants as per the report.
The other virus, ToMV belongs to the Virgaviridae family, closely related to the tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) and it affects crops including tomatoes, tobacco, peppers, and certain ornamental plants.
The two plant viruses cause similar damage to crops.
Plants infected by CMV are severely stunted with malformed leaves. The fruit of the plans is unmarketable because of poor quality and malformation.
The ToMV damages the leaves, stems, and fruits of plants, leaving a mosaic and mottled appearance or dark green spots on the leaves.
Both viruses can lead to 100 percent crop loss if not treated on time. The two viruses belong to separate viral families, thus, they spread differently.
The ToMV spreads mainly through infected seeds, saplings, agricultural tools and the hands of nursery workers while the CMV is commonly spread by aphids, which are sap-sucking insects.
Conditions of high temperature and intermittent rain, allow aphids to multiply, and spread MV, Dr M Krishna Reddy, a former head of crop protection at the Indian Institute of Horticulture (IIHR), Bengaluru, told the Indian Express.
On the other hand, farmers in Maharashtra have blamed seed manufacturers and nurseries for the spread of ToMV.
(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)
First Published: Jul 6, 2023 3:07 PM IST
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