NSW surveillance for the exotic disease Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus (TYLCV) has so far found no signs of the virus, discovered for the first time in Queensland in March.

Symptoms of the virus on tomato plants can include stunted plant growth, curled stiff leaves with mid-vein yellowing and small dry fruit.

NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) horticulturists have been inspecting commercial tomato and other crops on the NSW North Coast and in the Sydney basin to determine whether TYLCV has spread from Queensland.

So far, the searchers have found no signs of the disease in NSW but the concern remains that TYLCV can be spread by a very mobile insect vector – the silverleaf whitefly.

This new virus was detected in intensive market garden crops in south west Brisbane on March 17 this year.

Now Queensland has more than 35 known positive cases – around Brisbane, the Lockyer Valley and Bundaberg.

NSW DPI is working with the vegetable and nursery industries to manage the impact of TYLCV, with a key part of the strategy focussing on control of the vector.

The first step is to determine how far the silverleaf whitefly has spread the virus.

Because the virus has not yet been found in NSW, movement restrictions and treatment conditions are soon to be placed on tomato seedlings and other commercial host plants from Queensland.

The restrictions will require Queensland commercial producers to have management strategies in place against the virus and the whitefly before they can export to NSW.

In the meantime, growers and commercial operators should keep up to date with their present silverleaf whitefly control measures and remain alert for virus symptoms.

Unlike other plant diseases, there is no chemical control for the virus.

TYLCV has a wide range of host plants including tomatoes, capsicums, eggplants and beans, as well as the nursery plants such as euphorbias (including poinsettia) and Lisianthus.

Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus does not affect humans and tomatoes are still safe to buy and enjoy.

NSW DPI is calling on commercial operators and backyard gardeners to remain vigilant and keep a look out for anything unusual on their tomato plants.

Contact your nearest NSW DPI horticulturist or regulatory officer if you see any of the virus symptoms, if you want more detailed information on the virus and the silverleaf whitefly, or if you need to know about the movement restrictions from Queensland.