⚠ CriticalSmall, cupped, yellow-margined new leaves on a stunted plant — TYLCV, spread exclusively by whiteflies.
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Growth
Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus (TYLCV)
Commonly affects: Solanum lycopersicum (Tomato)
New leaves emerge small, cupped upward, and yellow along the margins, with the whole plant becoming visibly stunted and bushy. Flowering drops sharply and existing fruit rarely matures normally once symptoms appear.
Potential Causes
- 1A begomovirus transmitted exclusively by whitefly feeding — not spread by seed, tools, or touch
- 2High whitefly populations in the growing area, especially in warm climates
- 3Infected transplants bringing the virus (and often the whiteflies carrying it) into a garden
Solution Steps
- 1Remove and destroy infected plants immediately — there is no cure once a plant is infected.
- 2Control whitefly populations aggressively with sticky traps and insecticidal soap to stop further spread.
- 3Use reflective mulch to disorient whiteflies before they can feed on young plants.
- 4Choose TYLCV-resistant varieties in regions where the virus is established.
Prevention Tip
Because TYLCV spreads only via whiteflies, controlling whitefly populations early in the season is the single most effective prevention — the virus itself cannot be treated.
