Beet Curly Top Virus Cannabis

Hop Latent Viroid

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Botrytis Fungus

Beet Curly Top Virus Cannabis - 10 / Fusarium Fungus MyFloraEdu pic 4

Beet Curly Top Virus

Beet Curly Top Virus Cannabis - 11 / Fusarium Fungus MyFloraEdu pic3

Fusarium Fungus

01.

What is Cannabis Beet Curly Top Virus (BCTV)?

Beet Curly Top Virus (BCTV) is a highly contagious disease that can severely economically impact crop populations. That’s no exaggeration – Beet Curly Top Virus nearly destroyed Idaho’s sugar beet population before farmers bred new cultivars immune to the virus in 1935. First discovered in 1907, the virus affects more than 300 different plant species, including Cannabis.
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02.

BCTV symptoms: Fusarium Fungus Cannabis

Beet Curly Top Virus has a wide variety of symptoms in Cannabis plants. New growth may turn yellow in BCTV’s early stages, and can easily be mistaken for some micronutrient deficiency. In the disease’s middle stages, leaves exhibit mosaic mottled patterns. New leaves may also appear gnarled and twisted, or “curly,” hence this virus’ name.

03.

How does BCTV spread?

BCTV currently has only one known vector: the beet leafhopper. These tiny (about 3.5mm long) bugs consume infected tissue from one plant before moving to feed on another, spreading the disease. While other pests may present a vector for BCTV, researchers haven’t identified them yet.

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Beet leafhopper adult A.C. Magyarosy, Bugwood.org
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04.

Key for BCTV
spread management on cannabis

Regular monitoring and testing of plants to detect the virus early
Implementing good agricultural practices, such as rotating crops and avoiding overcrowding
Implementing measures to reduce the presence of beet leafhoppers, such as insecticide applications and maintaining healthy plants
Using sterilized tools and equipment to prevent the spread of the virus
Using disease-free seeds or cuttings. Make sure your providers provide you with negative results for pathogen testing.
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05.

Testing for
Beet Curly Top Virus

Beet Curly Top Virus can lurk asymptomatically, spread quickly, and trigger significant economic loss to crops. Nurseries, breeders, and flower cultivators must for it proactively and periodically to prevent outbreaks. At MyFloraDNA, our best-in-class pathogen tests can help you mitigate damage from BCTV.

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