Pacific Pests, Pathogens and Weeds - Online edition

Pacific Pests, Pathogens & Weeds

Lettuce mosaic (228)

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Photo 1. Small yellow lettuce with down-turned leaves infected with Lettuce mosaic virus. Compare with green healthy plant behind.

Photo 2. Patches of yellow and green patterns - a mosaic - on a lettuce leaf infected with Lettuce mosaic virus.

Summary

  • Worldwide distribution. On lettuce and chicory, ornamentals and weeds in the daisy family.
  • An important virus disease.
  • Stunted plants; light and dark green patches on leaves, margins rolled under, distorted, brown veins.
  • Spread is by aphids and seed (up to 40%).
  • Cultural control: certified seed; avoid overlapping crops; weed; collect and burn trash after harvest.
  • Chemical control: not effective: aphids spread the virus from diseased to healthy plants very quickly, faster than it takes an insecticide to kill them. If insecticides are needed to kill aphids, use white or horticultural oil, or soap.

Common Name

Lettuce mosaic

Scientific Name

Lettuce mosaic virus; the abbreviation is LMV.

AUTHORS Grahame Jackson
Information from CABI (2019) Lettuce mosaic virus (lettuce mosaic). Crop Protection Compendium. (https://www.cabi.org/cpc/datasheet/30269); and (Photo 1) Diseases of vegetable crops in Australia (2010). Editors, Denis Persley, et al. CSIRO Publishing; and Lettuce mosaic virus. Wikipedia. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lettuce_mosaic_virus); Lettuce mosaic virus (Lettuce mosaic virus, LMV). GroVeg. (https://www.growveg.com.au/plant-diseases/uk-and-europe/lettuce-mosaic-virus/). Photo 2 Kohler F, et al. (1997) Diseases of cultivated crops in Pacific Island countries. South Pacific Commission. Pirie Printers Pty Limited, Canberra, Australia.

Produced with support from the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research under project PC/2010/090: Strengthening integrated crop management research in the Pacific Islands in support of sustainable intensification of high-value crop production, implemented by the University of Queensland and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community.

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