Effects of tomato leaf curl virus on growth and yield parameters of tomato crop

Abstract

Tomato is an important vegetable crop, belongs to the family Solanaceae and is the second most consumed vegetable following potatoes. The tomato crop is grown all over the world in both summer and winter seasons, and plant viruses are a major threat to tomato production. Among these viruses, tomato leaf curl virus (TLCV) causes considerable yield loss to tomato crop. This virus is transmitted by a whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) vector. In this study, the effect of TLCV infection, on the following tomato growth and yield parameters, was evaluated: Plant leaf number and area, plant biomass, plant height, root length, and plant stem diameter and yield. Tomato plants were transplanted in well-prepared plots with 4 replications. The control group was covered with polyethene bag to avoid whitefly infestation. Plants were scored on the 15th and 30th day after inoculation and TLCV disease severity was recorded. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed the significant differences between the healthy and infected tomato plants. Moreover, growth and yield parameters were reduced with the increase in disease incidence, disease severity and whitefly infestation. Disease severity was increased with the increase in temperature during the growing season. It can be concluded from this study that TLCV significantly affects growth and yield of the tomato crop.