After the declaration of the phytosanitary alert throughout the country due to the tomato rugose virus, an inter-institutional training for professionals and technicians on symptoms, prevention, detection, containment, and eradication measures in relation to this virus was held in the Chaco towns of Makallé and Laguna Blanca.
The training was conducted by agents from the National Directorate of Plant Protection and the Corrientes-Misiones Regional Center of Senasa, who already have experience in taking samples in areas where the virus has already been detected.
The training was held in greenhouses in the Chaco towns of Makallé and Laguna Blanca and was aimed at technicians from the Chaco Formosa Regional Center of Senasa, the National Institutes of Agricultural Technology (INTA), and Seeds (Inase) and the ministries of Production and Environment of Formosa and of Production, Industry, and Employment of Chaco.
During the two days, specific recommendations were provided on the symptoms of the disease, management practices, containment and eradication of the virus within the batch, how samples are taken, and biosafety measures, all with the aim of minimizing its impact on crops and preventing their dispersal.
Tomato rugose virus, or Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRVF), is a new virus detected for the first time in Israel in 2014, which damages tomato and pepper crops. It does not affect human health.
It causes symptoms such as brown spots on the fruits, deformations, loss of quality, and reduction in production. Furthermore, its rapid spread through seeds, infected plants, and work utensils, which represents a challenge for producers, who must implement effective control and prevention measures.
If the presence of the disease is suspected, it is essential that producers do not touch the plant in question, isolate the sector, and notify the Senasa, Inase, or INTA office closest to their location.
In Buenos Aires and Corrientes
The official Laboratory of the National Agri-Food Health and Quality Service (Senasa) confirmed the detection of the tomato rugose virus in mid-2023 in official samples taken in the towns of La Plata and Mar del Plata in the province of Buenos Aires and in the town of Lavalle, in the Province of Corrientes. The findings correspond to samples from tomato plantations that presented symptoms compatible with the virus and that were collected during monitoring carried out by Senasa.
For this reason, a phytosanitary alert was declared for the entire national territory regarding the virus. The objective of the norm, through public-private inter-institutional work, is to strengthen actions in order to determine the situation of ToBRVF in the country, contain and eradicate the outbreaks that are eventually detected, prevent their establishment and dispersion, as well as inform producers and society in general of the situation.
Source: diarionorte.com