Tobacco mosaic virus showing up on petunia

Members of the Univ. of Md. Central Maryland Research and Education Center are advising growers of petunias to be on the lookout for symptoms of tobacco mosaic virus. Of the virus diseases to which petunia is susceptible, tobacco mosaic virus is the one detected most often.

The virus causes mosaic symptoms on the leaves, distortion and crinkling of the leaves and stunting of the plants. Suspect plants can be sent to university or commercial diagnostic testing labs for positive identification.

Since the virus is long-lived in the soil and on various greenhouse surfaces. It is spread mechanically through plant sap on tools, plant-to-plant contact and by workers handling the plants.

University extension personnel recommend that workers who smoke or use other tobacco products should wash their hands before handling plants. Infected plants should be discarded and greenhouse surfaces that have been in contact with the plants should be disinfected.