Virus attacking south Georgia tobacco fields

ENIGMA - Tim McMillan strides across his tobacco field in enigma in south Georgia, stopping to point at a sickly plant marred by brownish splotches. The leaves are curled and their network of veins -- the ductwork that carries life-sustaining nutrients -- are brown, instead of green. <br> <br> McMillan and other Southern flue-cured tobacco growers have been hit by the worse outbreak of tomato spotted wilt virus in years. The disease is likely to reduce growers&#39; yields and the quality of their tobacco in a year when prices and demand are already low. Scientists don&#39;t know why the disease is worse some years and not others, and there is no cure. <br> <br> Tomato spotted wilt virus is spread by tiny insects known as thrips. They become infected by feeding on infected plants -- even weeds around fields. Then they pass it on to tobacco plants when they scrape the leaves to feed on the juices. <br> <br> Although infected plants can&#39;t be cured, some chemicals show promise in preventing infected plants from developing the full-blown disease. <br> <br> The virus also attacks other important Southern crops, such as cotton, peanuts and tomatoes. <br> <br> Spotted wilt damage in Georgia tobacco alone could easily run into the millions of dollars this summer.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/5/194552