Spinach Plant Ringspot Virus: What is Spinach Tobacco Ringspot Virus?

Spinach ringspot virus affects the appearance and palatability of leaves. It is a disease common to many other plants in at least 30 different families. Tobacco ringspot in spinach rarely causes plant death, but the foliage is diminished, discoloured and reduced. In a crop where the foliage is the crop, these diseases can have serious effects. Learn the signs and some prevention measures for this disease.

Signs of spinach and tobacco ringspot

Spinach with tobacco ringspot virus is a minor disease. It is not very common and does not usually affect an entire crop. However, tobacco ringspot is a very serious disease in soybean production, causing epidemics and a lack of pod production. The disease is not transmitted from plant to plant and is therefore not considered an infectious problem. However, when it does occur, the edible part of the plant is usually unusable.

Young or adult

plants can develop spinach ringspot virus. Younger foliage shows the first signs with obvious necrotic yellow spots. As the disease progresses, these enlarge to form larger yellow spots. Leaves may be dwarfed and rolled inward. Leaf edges will turn bronze. The petioles are also discoloured and sometimes deformed.

Severely affected plants wilt and atrophy. The disease is systemic and moves from roots to leaves. There is no cure for the disease, so prevention is the first line of control.

Ringspot transmission in spinach and tobacco

The disease infects plants through nematodes and infected seeds. Seed transmission is probably the most important factor. Fortunately, plants that are infected early rarely produce many seeds. However, those that contract the disease later in the season may flower and set seed.

Nematodes are another cause of infection of spinach with tobacco ringspot virus. The dagger nematode introduces the pathogen through the roots of the plant.

It is also possible to spread the disease through the activities of certain groups of insects. These include grasshoppers, thrips and tobacco flea beetles, which may be responsible for the introduction of tobacco ringspot into spinach.

Prevention of tobacco diversion points

Buy certified seed when possible. Do not harvest and save seed from infected beds. If the problem has occurred before, treat the field or bed with a nematicide at least one month before planting.

There are no systemic aerosols or formulas to cure the disease. Plants must be removed and destroyed. Most studies on the disease have been conducted on soybean crops, some strains of which are resistant. To date, there are no resistant spinach varieties available.

The use of disease-free seed and the elimination of the dagger nematode in the soil are the main methods of control and prevention.