Greenhouse-Grown Tomatoes: Microbial Diseases and their Control Methods: A Review

Abstract

The cultivation of tomatoes in greenhouse structures is becoming increasingly common as a crop production system. However, the environmental conditions inside a greenhouse favour the development of microbial diseases. These diseases have an adverse effect on the tomato yield and can lead to serious economic losses. This review will give an insight into the major diseases affecting greenhouse-grown tomatoes, the respective causal agents and recommended control strategies. Some of the major diseases are of a bacterial, fungal, viral or nematode origin and include bacterial spot and speck, bacterial canker, early blight, gray mold, leaf mold, powdery mildew, tomato mosaic virus, tomato big bug and root knot. For each disease, the symptoms and risk factors responsible for disease development are described. In addition, the different structural designs and set-ups of tomato greenhouses are covered along with their advantages and limitations, especially any adverse effects on yield and susceptibility to disease. Although conventional control measures are discussed, greater emphasis is laid on the use of alternative biocontrol measures that include Effective Microorganisms, natural antimicrobials and nanobiopesticides. Moreover, information gathered in this review is based on a combination of available literature and expert guidance. This compilation is hoped to be instructive for tomato growers opting for greenhouse farming and assist them in the application of timely and more effective control measures

One-Step Reverse-Transcription Recombinase-Aided Amplification CRISPR/Cas12a-Based Lateral Flow Assay for Fast Field Screening and Accurate Differentiation of Four Major Tobamoviruses Infecting Tomato and Pepper

“…Several tobamovirus species are known to infect tomatoes and peppers. The symptoms usually include chlorotic mottle, distorted or mosaic leaves, and small, discolored, deformed fruits; these symptoms generally affect both the quantity and quality of production. − The virus particles are produced to a high titer in susceptible host species and are very stable; thus, the symptom severity varies with virus strain and host genotype. − Seeds from tobamovirus-infected plants can easily be externally contaminated with the virus, which spreads the viruses through the international trade of pepper and tomato seeds that are unknowingly contaminated. , …”