Tomato plant leaves are sensitive to some viral diseases that cause the leaves to curl. Remedies for leaf curl in tomato plants ( Lycopersicon esculentum ) depend on the cause of the curling leaves.Tomato yellow leaf curl virus is one possible cause, but your tomato growing practices could also cause the leaves to curl. Physiological leaf curl happens when moisture, nitrogen, temperatures and other environmental stressors damage the plant. The leaves also curl upwards and towards the middle of the leaf (Figure 1). Root damage during transplant (a form of transplant shock) is another common cause of stress and leaf roll in tomato … The disease is spread by whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci). Curling of leaves in tomato can also occur because of hot weather and consistent low moisture content in the atmosphere. The most obvious symptoms in tomato plants are small leaves that become yellow between the veins. The tomato leaf curl virus (ToLCV) can attack tomato plants. In seedlings, the shoots become shortened and give the young plants a bushy appearance. Older leaves become leathery and brittle. Leaf curl can be quite frustrating to deal with as multiple conditions can cause it or a combination of any and the only way to deal with it is by identifying the exact cause. Leaf curl of tomato is a very serious disease that get transmitted through white fly.However in some cases curling of leaves doesn’t means that the plant is affected by tomato leaf curl virus. Curling Leaves & Tomato Plant Diseases. If you notice that the new leaves or maybe all the leaves of your tomato plant are curling up it is recommended that you investigate your plant and its surroundings to determine the cause of the problem. The nodes and internodes are significantly reduced in size. Plants can exhibit yellowing of leaf edges, reduced leaf size, upward cupping of leaves, dropping of flowers, lack of fruit production, and growth stunting. The plant becomes stunted, and leaflets curl and grow increasingly smaller, exhibiting a puckered appearance. The stress could either be environmental, biological or chemical related. Leaf curl Damage symptoms. Yield loss: If unchecked, insect will cause 100% yield loss. Leaf curl disease is characterized by severe stunting of the plants with downward rolling and crinkling of the leaves. Tomato plants respond to stresses and diseases in different ways. Whiteflies cause this disease and help it to spread from plant to plant. One of the most prominent being the curling or rolling up of their leaves. These viruses affect the … Tomato yellow leaf curl (virus: tomato yellow leaf curl virus, TYLCV) is one of the most devastating virus diseases of tomatoes, and total yield loss has been reported when vector populations were high. Tomato plant with Tomato yellow leaf curl virus. It takes about 15-30 minutes for the whitefly to become infected by the virus. Root Damage. Treat Diseases. Also, although tomato production is reduced by infection, the fruit appears unaffected. Identification: Effects of TYLCV on tomato plants can start at an early growth stage and continue throughout their life cycle. Tomato plant leaves respond to various stresses by rolling or curling up. Zachary Boone Snipes, ©2015 Clemson Extension Symptoms in tomato plants are the upward curling of leaves, yellow (chlorotic) leaf margins, smaller leaves than normal, plant stunting, and flower drop. TYLCV is transmitted by adult whiteflies. A tomato plant will curl its leaves to prevent this from happening. The tomato yellow leaf curl virus is not seed-borne and is not transmitted mechanically. However, if you want extra protection against leaf curl due to wind, you will need to take action (more detail on this later!) The newly emerging leaves exhibit slight yellow coloration and later they also show curling symptoms. 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