Seasonal development
and life cycle—Curly top
The curly top virus has a wide host range that includes beans, tomatoes, peppers, sugarbeet,
melons, and other crops. It is not known if a single virus strain infects all these crops or whether
distinct strains damage different crops. It is known that the virus overwinters in perennial and
annual weeds in areas such as the foothills surrounding the Central Valley of California. The
virus is acquired from these hosts by the beet leafhopper and is transmitted to beans and other
crops by this insect as it migrates from the foothills and into agricultural areas. The disease
is not seed borne. |
Bean
plant infected with curly top
An
adult leafhopper
|
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