Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus (TOSPO)

Now Tomato planting is nearly finished in all potential tracks of Maharashtra and Karnataka. For summer tomatoes TOSPO is the major threat and produce fetch very less marketable price. In maximum cases produce gets rejected when markets are on lower side. Cultivating summer tomato is really a challenging job especially due to high temperature, water stress and epidemics of sucking pests like white fly, thrips and mites. Following is the detail information along with remedies 1. This disease is transmitted by Thrips. 2. Infected plants never recover so need to carryout precautionary measures instead of control. 3. Earlier symptom of disease is appearance of brown spots (Alterneria) on growing tips. 4. Formation of light green rings on ripe fruits and brown rings or chlorotic spots on mature fruits are the prominent symptoms. Remedies: 1. One week before Tomato cultivation, sow three dense lines of Maize along all borders. Don't follow this measure in areas where Pigs problem is severe. In such case Install 6 feet high Insect net or 90% Shadenet along all borders 2. Use atleast 200 kg Neem Cake per acre in basal dose 3. Use Poly much to avoid earlier vector attack 4. Strict weed control should be followed 5. Avoid water stress and excess use of Nitrogen base fertilizer 6. Insecticides for thrips control A. Initial stages: Fipronil, Thiomithoxam, Lambda Cylohythrin, Imidacloprid.  B. Later stages: Spintor, Spinetorum 7. In organic cultivation spray garlic extract or Bougainvillea leaf extract & also use bacteria like Beauveria bassiana or Verticillium lecani in seed treatment, seedling root dipping, drip or foliar application 8. Use Neem Oil along with insecticides for better control. 9. Install atleast 100 blue sticky traps per acre. Thanks