After the coronavirus, the tobamovirus this time threatens French agriculture. On February 3, the National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety (ANSES) published a warning concerning ToBRFV, a virus which contaminates vegetable plants, in particular tomatoes, pepper and chilli, and potentially eggplant, making them non-marketable. Worse, the plantations must be confined and then incinerated to avoid any contamination. With 712,000 tonnes of tomatoes produced in 2018 in France, the stakes are high.
Monday evening, the Ministry of Agriculture confirmed a first case of contamination in a greenhouse in Finistère. According to AFP, three other farms "have been identified as having received the same type of plants" and are currently under control. The contagion is all the more worrying as there is no known treatment for this virus. Back to five questions on ToBRFV.
Where does the virus come from?
Tomato brown rugose fruit virus, or ToBRFV, is not new. It was first detected in Israel in 2014, before infecting Jordan. According to ANSES, reports have been increasing since 2018 in Mexico, the United States, then in Europe, especially in Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, and Asia. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the infected plants checked in France "come from the United Kingdom but come from seeds produced in the Netherlands".
"Field tomatoes, intended for processing (ketchup, tomato sauce, etc.) do not require the importation of seeds, unlike greenhouse tomatoes, the seeds of which are often imported," explains André Bernard, president of the professional of the tomato industry. This is due in particular to the low number of French nurserymen and the high cost of labor. Researcher at the National Institute for Agronomic Research (Inrae), Eric Verdin would however like to recall that "regulations have been put in place at European level to protect the sector by guaranteeing the good health status of seeds and plants" .
How is it manifested?
In its press release, ANSES describes "symptoms on the leaves (chlorosis, mosaics and marbling), as well as necrotic spots on the peduncles, calyxes and floral peduncles". The fruits show “discoloration resulting from irregular ripening, with yellow or brown spots, deformations and sometimes symptoms of characteristic roughness, thus becoming non-marketable. "
Infected tomatoes are not dangerous for humans, as confirmed by Eric Verdin, who works in the plant pathology unit of the Inrae Paca center. On the other hand, "the contaminated fruit loses all its taste qualities", estimates ANSES.
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How does it spread?
The virus can spread in the plant "by micro-injuries caused by physical contact with any carrier carrying the virus: plants, hands, work tools, manipulative clothes, pollinating insects, birds or irrigation water", explains the Anses.
The high density of plants in greenhouse production facilitates the spread of the virus. Especially since "an operator works around seven times a week on the same plant," says André Bernard. ToBRFV can thus infect 100% of plants on a production site.
Is there a known treatment?
For the moment, there is no known treatment for the virus. A worrying element when you know that the virus can remain "several months on inert supports without loss of infectious power", according to ANSES. However, the organization recalls that Germany and the United States have managed to overcome the problem by adopting drastic control measures: "the more the detection of the virus takes place early after infection, the more chances of eradication will be effective ”, judge Eric Verdin of Inrae. For the moment, ANSES recommends uprooting the contaminated plants and then incinerating them.
A monitoring plan for each region is being implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture. Reflex sheets should be sent to producers on Thursday, detailing the surveillance and containment measures, as well as the equipment to be adopted, such as protective suits. On the other hand, the researchers are working on "genetic improvement to research and introduce sources of resistance to this virus", explains Eric Verdin.
What can be the consequences for the tomato industry?
About 1,500 producers are potentially affected by the virus, according to Laurent Bergé, president of the association of tomato and cucumber producers in France, quoted by AFP.
According to Jacques Rouchassé, President of the Interprofessional Technical Center for Fruit and Vegetables (CTIFL), the consequences can be heavy on the industry, especially since the tomatoes have already been planted from December. "Millions of euros are at stake", he judges. Same story with André Bernard, who judges that the losses "can be catastrophic if we consider that one hectare of lost production represents 500,000 euros in turnover less".
The president of the tomato industry professional recommends that imports of plants and tomatoes be banned until further notice to limit the spread of the virus. The tomato remains the favorite fruit of the French with 13.9 kg consumed per household each year.