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Ljubljana, Slovenia

Last year season the virus destroyed my so I am looking for any advice how to minimize the risk of infection. I know that some vegetables can be a reservoir and that various insects transmit them. However, I will not give up my tomatoes and also I have to limit the use if insecticides because I grow in a city. Any experience shared is appreciated!

Jernej

PS: last year I had ZYMV (zuccuni yellow mosaic virus). It was confirmed in the lab.

4/11/2004 12:13:37 PM

Ljubljana, Slovenia

I messed with copy&paste...

4/11/2004 12:15:07 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Identify local weeds that serve as host to the pathogen. Eliminate or reduce those weeds. Aphids feed on the alternate host & vector the disease or virus to your patch. So controlling the aphids will help as well.

4/11/2004 12:34:04 PM

Ljubljana, Slovenia

Thanks Steve. I think that I should primarily improve my weeding practice = get down on knees.

Another question is how many of growers have experienced virus infection and how successfully they manage to keep them down?
I saw that Boily had a devastating virus epidemics this season. Are infections sporadic or they come in epidemics?
Finally, are there any wooden species known as reservoirs?
I know that very little is known about virus infections so any experience is welcome.
Thanks, Jernej

4/13/2004 12:29:47 AM

Montoursville, PA

When anyone has a horrible experience one must ask following what practices and for how long.

The best way to avoid such problems known and unknown is to run a healthy patch program using maximum natural manures and compost with minimum if any harsh chemicals.

Your patch with high natural humus content and working natural fertilizers, in good ballance will be able to sustain and even overcome all difficulty, in time. Adding more harsh chemicals to a so called sick patch will only give temporary help if any to the problem. The end result of killing practices is death to the very biological factors within the patch that can in time cure the problem.

Osomocote is a good example...It is designed to emulate the natural even feeding of natural fertilizers. However it contains nothing that will support life. All that those little wonder pills do is coat the poison and cause it to be delivered in smaller doses over a longer period of time.
The end result is that it just takes longer to go from a little bitty headache to a whole lot sick.

4/13/2004 10:58:08 AM

Cornwall UK.(50N 5W)300ft.

Jernej

Here is a link to a site called plant viruses online.
http://image.fs.uidaho.edu/vide/family050htm#Cucurbita%20maxima

4/13/2004 1:52:52 PM

Utah

I couldn't get the link to work ... :(
but after a little investigating i got this one to work...

http://image.fs.uidaho.edu/vide/famly050.htm

then click on
Cucurbita maxima
which just takes you farther down the same page.

4/13/2004 3:34:03 PM

Ljubljana, Slovenia

Thanks. Docgipe I agree that stability of the soil is a prerequisite for the healthy plant. This season I will try to resist over-fertilizing. In fact I may need no fertilizers at all.
gt1 the link is very useful. Hibiscus might be a non-susceptible host for ZYMV and I have one right next to my pile. I will cover it with insect-proof net until it will be tested in the lab.
Jernej

4/16/2004 4:55:44 AM

Montoursville, PA

Jernej...........I load up with the manures and composts almost to the point of wondering if I am nuts! Then I add Minerals, yellow corn meal, and Mycros very gingerly plus an organic fertilizer reading low like 4-2-4 and kelp meal.
All of which may be an excess by test but we are growing or hoping to grow a fruit in excess of normal too. My humus is 16% down one from last test. It holds and utilizes even moisture and highly active bacteria which convert and bring all that the fruit needs to develop from the natural healthy patch.
...My latest adventure was to hand pick and add hundreds of night crawlers to my patch. I nuked them last summer making one of my mistakes in management judgement. I'm hoping the leaching and gypsum has cleaned up my patch. I shall be happy if the worms stay around.

4/16/2004 10:28:09 AM