Potato Mosaic Disease, Wrinkled Leaves: Treatment, Photos

Rugose mosaic is a slow death knell for potatoes. It's an inherited disease, the initial symptoms of which are almost unnoticeable. This is where the danger lies. Furthermore, wrinkled leaves on the tops are incurable, so the infected crop is doomed to die.

Growing a good potato harvest requires considerable effort from gardeners. Besides caring for the plants, protection is also essential. However, fertilizers and insecticides aren't always enough to save the tubers. Curly leaves appearing on the tops of the potatoes indicate a rugose mosaic virus. There is no cure for this virus. Only prevention can save the harvest, and complete destruction of the plant can stop the spread of the virus.

There are several types of potato mosaic virus, but in this article we will look at one of the most dangerous viruses – rugose mosaic virus.

Rugose mosaic: Description of infection

Viral infection manifests itself as severe swelling of the plant's leaves. This causes the leaves to curl downward. Not every experienced gardener will be able to detect the virus on their potato plants, as it is weakly expressed in the first year. However, infection can be detected in the second and subsequent tubers.

Infected potatoes lag significantly behind healthy plants in growth. The tops become curled, especially noticeable when compared to healthy leaves. Sometimes, the stems fall to the ground due to the mosaic. The plant soon dies.

Often, due to the prevailing conditions of plant growth and development, viral pathogens can remain latent, making their diagnosis by external symptoms difficult. In such cases, other detection methods must be used, primarily serological diagnostics.

Causes and pathogens of rugose mosaic

There are several viruses that cause rugose mosaic:

• Potato virus Y (PVY);
• combination of viruses X and Y (PVX+PVY).

The virus most often spreads in the south of Russia, but other regions of the country are no exception. The first signs of the disease are difficult to detect – initially, small, barely noticeable bumps form between the leaf veins. Then, the leaf edges begin to curl. Plant cells infected with rugose mosaic can no longer retain moisture. Consequently, on particularly sunny days, the plant dies.

If seed potatoes are infected with mosaic, their tops will be scanty and wilted. These plants quickly die. Before they can nourish the tubers with beneficial micronutrients, all the greenery falls off. In such cases, yield losses can reach up to 80 percent.

The virus is transmitted by insect pests and rodents, as well as other means. However, the most common route of transmission is from one plant to another through the sap of an infected tuber or leaf. This should be taken into account when digging up potatoes. If the tuber is damaged, it is the first to become infected.

Fighting rugose mosaic

Unfortunately, there's no treatment for rugose mosaic. The only thing that can protect your crop from the virus is some preventative measures. These are usually simple: healthy seeds and timely insecticide spraying.

Mosaic disease can also be carried by pests, so it is extremely important to protect your crops from insects and rodents.

Virus pathogens are often hidden from the naked eye. Detecting mosaic virus by any signs is quite difficult. In such situations, quarantine inspection services can be helpful.

All infected plants should be dug up and burned as far away from the garden beds as possible to prevent the spread of the disease to healthy plants. Even partially infected plants should also be destroyed. Mosaic disease is not kind to any crop, and the longer the virus remains in the garden, the further the infection spreads.

Prevention of potato mosaic

Since there is no cure for potato mosaic disease, farmers must take preventative measures to avoid infection with potato mosaic:

1. If faint spots begin to appear on the leaves, the plant should be taken to a laboratory to determine the extent of the infestation and the cause.
2. All viruses dangerous to potatoes are killed at temperatures above 60 degrees Celsius. Therefore, cooked potato tubers can be fed to animals but should not be consumed by humans. Damaged potato tops should be burned to kill the virus.
3. To avoid potential mosaic disease in other plants, it is not recommended to plant tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants near potatoes, as all nightshade species are also susceptible to this dangerous virus.
4. All weeds must be carefully dug up along with their roots, as they are also susceptible to mosaic infection and can transmit the virus to potatoes and other crops.
5. Seed potatoes should always be stored separately from those intended for consumption. This prevents possible contamination of the seeds.
6. On large farms, infected potatoes are tested under ultraviolet light. When exposed to the light, diseased tubers turn blue or even blue.
7. Before planting, potatoes are treated with insecticides. This not only prevents potential virus infections but also protects against pests.
8. If you're growing potatoes again in a plot previously infested with mosaic, it's not recommended to remove the blossoms from the tops. Otherwise, the virus may enter the cut, and the plant's death will be inevitable.

Every gardener and vegetable grower puts 100 percent effort into their plot. A good harvest requires attention and is often forgotten, and for many, fruit is the only way to survive the cold winter. Therefore, losing it can be catastrophic. It's crucial to take care of plant protection in advance to avoid losses in the fall.