Papaya Ringspot Virus Alert

Symptoms:

Leaves develop chlorosis, mosaic-like patterns, and often become distorted. Water-soaked oily streaks appear on the petioles and upper part of trunks. Trees that are infected at a young stage will remain stunted and will cease to produce economical yields. Fruits may exhibit uneven coloring (color breaks) and develop ringspots.

Who Am I?

Papaya ringspot virus (PRSV) is a viral disease transmitted by aphids. Not all aphids carry the virus, but the ones that do can infect healthy plants within minutes of landing on them.

Control Measures

Using insecticides to control the spread of Papaya ringspot virus is limiting since the virus is transmitted in a non-persistent manner;

Aphids may have transmitted the virus before the insecticide killed them or aphids may have landed on healthy plants for a brief moment before realizing it was drenched with insecticides. Nevertheless, that moment is all it takes for the virus to “change hands”. It is not feasible or suggested to spray against aphids every several days.

Azadirachtin, neem oil, pyrethrins, and potassium salt of fatty acids

*Names marked in red are considered to be highly poisonous to beneficial insects.

*Names marked in green are considered to be organic and IPM (integrated pest management) compatible.

Caution and careful notice should be taken when using any plant protection products (insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides). It is the grower’s sole responsibility to keep track of the legal uses and permissions with respect to the laws in their country and destination markets. Always read the instructions written on labels, and in a case of contradiction, work in accordance to the product label. Keep in mind that information written on the label usually applies to local markets. Pest control products intended for organic farming are generally considered to be less effective in comparison to conventional products. When dealing with organic, biologic, and to some extent a small number of conventional chemical products, a complete eradication of a pest or disease will often require several iterations of a specific treatment or combination of treatments.

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