08 December 2021
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Pepino Mosaic Virus
PEPINO mosaic virus (PepMV) causes pepino mosaic disease in potatoes.
Symptoms of infection can vary and there may be no significant yield loss or fruit impacts, but there can be damage to leaves and occasionally some mottling or marbling of the tomato fruit skin.
The presence of PepMV was recently confirmed on tomato plants in greenhouses at an Auckland commercial
facility and, as a result, Biosecurity New Zealand is working with industry partners to investigate the situation, how it may have arisen, how widespread any infection is and how it is affecting crops.
The new instance is the only report of PepMV in New Zealand to date. It is spread by seed, stalks and leaves and very easily through mechanical contact including contaminated tools, hands, clothing, direct plant-to-plant contact, and propagation.
Bumblebees used as pollinators and white fly are also known to spread the disease. It does not present any food safety concern or risk to people.
Symptoms appear two to three weeks after infection and tend to spread along the row.
Source: PotatoesNZ
