RECOVERY FROM CURLY-TOP DISEASE IN TOMATO SEEDLINGS

Plants of commercial varieties of tomato cease to grow normally and usually die, when infected by curly-top virus by means of the beet leafhopper. Only rarely does an infected plant resume and maintain growth, i.e., recover. However, when tomato seedlings were infected with curly-top virus by means of the beet leafhopper, some plants of six of seven commercial varieties recovered. The best recovery of plants in a single trial was 20% in ‘Penn Orange’ infected with the Paso Robles strain of virus. The per cent and degree of recovery of infected seedlings were influenced by the variety of tomato, severity of the virus strain on the seedlings, and probably by factors affecting rate of development of both plant and virus.