We have been breeding in southern Baja where whiteflies inject TYLC into most every plant. The first year there we found that about 2/3 of our tomatoes were very susceptible to this disease.
Since then we have been strongly selecting for resistance. In resistant plants you can see infection in upper leaves has stopped right at the sight of infection (it does not quickly move through the plant from cell to cell.
We have also found that plants selected for TYLC resistance also seem to resist other viruses as well.
Give our experience, finding varieties with any viral resistance may help, and you can expect a significant minority of varieties without advertised resistance will have it as well. You might have just got unlucky in your selection this year, but I would definitely save seed from that Pink Berkeley Tie Dye. Because I would bet that it has been infected, but it was able to resist spreading. Look on the upper leaves. If you see little yellow dots it will indicate infection sites where the virus did not spread.
Disclaimer RE seed saving: The seed we have collected resistant plants does not seem to be infected. But
infected seeds from resistant plants have been reported. I would definitely use bleach or TSP during seed processing to reduce this possibility.
Quote:
Originally Posted by elight
Thank you both. In looking at photos of both viruses, I would say that the yellow leaf curl virus is probably the answer, especially given the prevalence in Florida as of late (based on some stuff I just read from the extension office). I don't see the "mosaic" patterns on the leaves. I guess that's relatively good news since it doesn't seem nearly as nasty as the mosaic virus.
I do use the yellow sticky whitefly traps and spray occasionally with Neem or spinosad to control whitefish and leaf miners. I guess perhaps not enough.
The only plant right now showing no signs is a Pink Berkeley Tie Dye.
I think the (also-diseased) citrus trees in my yard contribute to the whitefly problem. I'm probably having them removed soon since they are no longer producing edible fruit.
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