Control of ToCV and TICV

Key guidance to follow if your crop falls victim to either virus.

If you suspect an outbreak, the finding must be reported to the Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate immediately.

B tabaci are also pests of quarantine significance and, if you suspect an outbreak of this species, the finding should, again, be reported immediately.

In England and Wales, call the Plant Health Helpline on 0300 1000 313 or email planthealth.info@apha.gov.uk to report a suspicion of a quarantine plant pest or disease, or for advice and guidance on plant health regulations.

In Scotland, contact the Horticulture and Marketing Unit at hort.marketing@gov.scot for further advice.

As with other virus diseases, once a plant is infected with a virus there is no cure.

Measures should be taken to minimise sources of inoculum and the presence of vectors to minimise the risk of further transmission.

Isolated glasshouse outbreaks can probably be eradicated by destruction of both the vectors and the affected host plants.

There is no recognised resistance to these viruses in commercial tomato varieties and, therefore, control of whitefly vectors is key.

Silverleaf whiteflies (B. tabacibiotype B) are reportedly capable of developing resistance to all groups of insecticides.

Parasitic Chalcid wasp Encarsia formosa can be used as a biocontrol agent against the Greenhouse whitefly (T. vaporariorum), but it is less effective against the Silverleaf whitefly species.

The content for this web page was originally authored for AHDB by Adrian Fox and Adam Buxton-Kirk (Fera Science Ltd).