The tomato mosaic virus disease, which is raging these days in the Negev, is destroying entire tomato greenhouses, Yediot Ahronot reported. In tomatoes, the virus causes the foliage to show mosaic (mottled) areas with alternating yellowish and dark green areas. Leaves are sometimes fern-like in appearance and sharply pointed. Infections of young plants reduce fruit set and occasionally cause blemishes and distortions of the fruit.
The dark green areas of the mottle often appear thicker and somewhat elevated giving the leaves a blister-like appearance. Often the entire plant is dwarfed and flowers are discolored.
Since Rosh Hashanah eve, Israeli consumers have been suffering from a shortage of some vegetables—most notably tomatoes and cucumbers—and a sharp rise in prices. The exceptionally hot weather in Israel in August and early September, in addition to the virus, has hit tomato and cucumber crops.