ToBRFV in Austrian tomato production - studies on the course of infestation, spread and control

Duration:
01.01.2023 to 30.06.2025

Financing:
Bundesministerium für Landwirtschaft, Regionen und Tourismus

National Partner/Project management:
Sabine Grausgruber-Gröger & Team; Österreichische Agentur für Gesundheit und Ernährungssicherheit (AGES)

Contact person:
Julia Vierheilig

Project Staff:
Norbert Kreuzinger, Irina Dielacher, Philipp Raunjak, Daniela Reif

Links: https://dafne.at/projekte/jordanvirus, opens an external URL in a new window

Brief information on the project

Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) is a highly infectious plant pathogenic virus that is spread mechanically and via seeds. The virus first appeared in Jordan in 2014 and was also discovered in Austria in 2021. It is now being treated as a quarantine pathogen, as the infestation of tomato plants can lead to major crop failures. The project aims to answer questions about the spread and control of ToBRFV. This will be done in three work packages: (I) Tomato farms will be monitored during the production periods, (II) selected wastewater from all over Austria will be examined to determine the spatial and temporal spread of ToBRFV and (III) the effectiveness of disinfectants and measures against tobamoviruses and ToBRFV will be summarized through comprehensive data, fact and literature research. A pilot test with filtration systems will also be carried out in order to reduce ToBRFV in contaminated irrigation water. TU Wien is particularly involved in work package II on the spread of ToBRFV in wastewater and in the pilot test on the filtration of irrigation water as part of work package III.