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Signs of damage
- Spotting and mosaic patterns.
- Bronze leaves. A bronze-colored or purplish cast that later develops into dark spots.
- Wilting and curling leaves. Usually, curling happens inwards, and the top part of the plant begins to wilt.
- Dark streaks in the main stem.
- Stem necrosis.
- Deformed fruit. Fruit will develop unevenly, with deformities and bumpy surfaces, and ripening will also be heterogeneous.
- Stunted growth.
- Reduced vegetative output.
- Death.
How to prevent
This issue is difficult to control, both because of the inability to monitor viruses and the high proliferation of vectors. Patrol for thrips and keep their populations under control since removing vectors will reduce the probability of infection. Insecticides are effective against these insects, as well as gently beating branches and shaking foliage onto cloth or paper, forcing them to fall over. Netting can also be employed to keep insects away.
Infected plants should be removed, even if inserted in groups of different species, due to the wide range of suitable hosts.
Tools and hands should be kept clean and sanitized regularly between handling each plant.
Heal
Unfortunately, there’s no cure for this virus. The best course of action is to remove the infected plants and destroy them to prevent spreading.
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