Rural Development Administration, public control of tomato brown fruit virus confirmed farms

(Jeonju = Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Jin-bang = The Rural Development Administration announced on the 10th that it will promote public control of farms affected by Tomato Brown Flute Fruit Virus (ToBRFV).

Tomato brown wrinkle fruit virus is a plant virus that mainly occurs in tomatoes and peppers (including paprika) and is designated and managed as a quarantine-level pest.

When infected, symptoms include yellowing of leaves, bright spotting, and narrowing of leaves like needles. In the case of fruit, poor coloring and surface deformation (brown spots, wrinkles, cracks, etc.) occur.

Currently, it has been confirmed that 39 tomato farms in Chungnam, Jeonbuk, Gyeongnam, and Busan have tested positive.

In the event of a virus outbreak according to the public control designation, ▲ Public control is promoted for the affected farm ▲ All plants, products, and media from the confirmed cultivation facility (house unit) are disposed of, and the inside and outside of the facility is disinfected. ▲ Plants, work tools, and distribution boxes are prohibited from being taken out, and worker access is controlled. ▲ Determination of whether to replant through residual inspection is promoted. ▲ Support for control costs and replanting costs is promoted.

The inspection is conducted 4 weeks after completion of disinfection for soil cultivation farms and 2 weeks after completion of disinfection for hydroponic cultivation farms. However, if a virus is detected in a hydroponic farm, a final decision is made after re-disinfection and re-testing one week later. Farms affected will be followed up for 3 years.

This virus spreads rapidly through contact with hands, work tools, or clothing during agricultural work, and can also be transmitted through infected seedlings or contaminated nutrient solution.

Farmers must strictly follow quarantine rules, including ▲ using healthy seeds and seedlings ▲ disinfecting hands and work tools before and after work ▲ prohibiting the sharing of work tools and shipping boxes ▲ restricting the entry of outsiders and dividing work flow lines.

The Rural Development Administration plans to inform provincial and provincial Agricultural Research and Extension Services and related organizations of public pest control methods, and establish a pest control task force at central and local rural development agencies to promote public pest control and check the occurrence situation on a daily basis.

In addition, we plan to investigate the status of the emergency outbreak among tomato farmers nationwide by the 19th and conduct an epidemiological investigation focusing on the outbreak farms and related nurseries in cooperation with the Agriculture, Forestry and Livestock Quarantine Headquarters.

Kim Sang-kyung, Deputy Director of the Rural Development Administration, said, "We will do our best to prevent further spread by promptly implementing public control measures," and asked, "Farmers should also follow preventive rules such as disinfecting work tools, and if they see any suspicious symptoms, quickly report it to the nearest agricultural technology center."