In Germany, a plant disease has been detected for the first time that mainly attacks cucurbits, zucchini and pumpkins. Franconia is also affected. If the cucumber virus spreads, massive crop losses are to be expected, InFranken reported.
Last summer, several Bavarian farmers complained that their cucumber plants were infected with an unknown disease. Overall, the harvest yield dropped by up to 50 percent. Researchers at the Leibniz Institute German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures (DSMZ) in Braunschweig have now scientifically proven what the plant disease is all about.
This is the "Cucurbit aphid-borne yellows virus" (CABYV), which was first discovered in France in 1988. The pathogen is transmitted by aphids and infests cucurbits such as cucumbers, zucchini or pumpkins. Among other things, an infection leads to chlorophyll deficiency and leaf thickening. The consequences are dying leaves and fruits, which sometimes lead to massive harvest losses.
At least ten cases in Franconia
Even Franconia has not been spared the new cucumber virus in Germany: As research by inFranken.de has shown, the infection has been proven in several cases for the garlic country in central Franconia alone. "We had ten samples from the Nuremberg area examined. They were all contaminated," says Patrick Nastvogel, consultant at the Garlic Land Vegetable Growers' Ring.
Source: InFranken