Brazil: Tomato disease recorded in northern Argentina

Authorities in Argentina have recorded the occurrence of tomato rugose virus in crops in the north of the country. Identified by the acronym ToBRFV (abbreviation of the English tomato brown rugose fruit virus), the pathogenic agent is a major threat and its detection in Argentina puts Brazil on alert to protect its tomato crop. According to data from Embrapa, the virus was first described in 2014, in the southern region of Israel, in the Middle East. Since then, it has been reported in Asia, Europe, North and Central America and now in the South American continent. The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa) informs that there is still no official record of the presence of ToBRFV on Brazilian soil, however, its detection in a region close to Brazil demands attention from producers and authorities. Researcher Alice Nagata, phytopathologist at Embrapa Hortaliças (DF), defends mobilization and discussion actions to inform producers, technicians and authorities in order to reduce ...