Issue: February 9, 2008 Can last year's seeds cause curly-top
virus problems this year? I had a severe problem with curly-top
virus in my tomatoes last year. This disease was identified by
my local County Agent. I am preparing to start my seedlings now
and was wondering if plants grown from seed I saved last year
will cause this year's plants to be infected with curly-top.
Santa Rosa, NM Dr. Natalie Goldberg, NMSU Extension Plant
Pathologist, assured me that curly-top virus is not seed borne.
So, your saved seeds will not be a source of reinfection this
year. However, Dr. Goldberg warned that since you had a problem
last year, you can anticipate problems again. There are measures
you can take to reduce the problem, and perhaps the weather this
winter was also helpful in reducing the potential for curly-top
next summer. If the fall and winter were dry, the curly-top
virus may not have over-wintered well. The winter annual weeds
that allow the virus to survive may not have developed or
survived this winter. The