Eradication of tomato brown rugose fruit virus in Poland
In Poland, tomato brown rugose fruit virus (Tobamovirus, ToBRFV – EPPO Alert List) was found for the first time in March 2020 in a greenhouse producing tomato fruit (Solanum lycopersicum) (EPPO RS 2020/122). The infected seedlings used in this greenhouse were of the variety Tomimaru Muchoo grafted on the variety Maxifort. Official investigations showed that these seedlings had been grow from seed originating in Peru* and imported via the Netherlands. The Polish NPPO investigated all (119) companies where both seed varieties had been purchased and tested 101 samples. All tested negative for ToBRFV. The NPPO of the Netherlands tested additional seed lots in the Dutch company that had originally imported the seed from Peru and the variety Maxifort tested positive. It is concluded that the origin of the infection in Poland is seed from Peru* of the variety Maxifort.
Official measures were applied in the infected greenhouse as well as in greenhouses where tomatoes of the same variety were planted. They included surveillance for symptoms, strict hygiene during growing, harvesting and fruit packaging. No further symptoms were observed on plants and fruits. At the end of the season, tomato plants will be destroyed under the supervision of the NPPO and greenhouses disinfected. The infected seed lot was also withdrawn from the market to be destroyed. Surveillance will continue in these greenhouses in the next growing season.
The pest status of Tomato brown rugose fruit virus in Poland is officially declared as: Absent, pest eradicated.
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* Note of the Secretariat: ToBRFV is not officially reported as present in Peru but the Netherlands has reported an interception on tomato seed (EPPO RS 2020/068).
Sources
NPPO of Poland (2020-09).