How to recognize and combat tomato rugose fruit virus (TOBRFV)

Tomato rugose virus (ToBRFV) is a highly contagious pathogen belonging to the family Virgaviridae and the genus Tobamovirus. This virus has a positive-sense single-stranded RNA genome. Infection begins when the virus enters tomato cells through wounds or abrasions on the surface of leaves or stems. Once inside the cell, ToBRFV hijacks the tomato's cellular machinery to replicate its RNA and produce new viral particles. These particles move from cell to cell through the plasmodesmata and spread systemically through the vascular system, infecting new areas of the plant. ToBRFV is particularly stable in the environment and can persist in infected plant remains, in soil and on contaminated surfaces, facilitating its spread and increasing the difficulty of controlling it in the field.