Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) has been detected at a tomato glasshouse facility in Victoria in seedlings recently moved from South Australia.
Victoria's Chief Plant Health Officer, Dr. Rosa Crnov, confirmed that quarantine controls are in place at the property and that Agriculture Victoria is working closely with the business to prevent the spread of the virus and ensure its eradication.
"After national agreement on a pilot protocol to support trade, tomato seedlings were moved without authorization from a decontaminated production nursery in South Australia to the Victorian business in mid-December 2024," Dr. Crnov said.
"Following notification that a plant grown in association with these seedlings had tested positive in SA, Agriculture Victoria implemented movement controls on the glasshouses at the Victorian facility and conducted extensive surveillance, which identified an infected plant.
"This detection is linked to a specific movement of plant material, and there is no evidence that ToBRFV is present in any other location in Victoria."
The seedlings moved from South Australia into Victoria have been kept in glasshouses separate from other plants on the Victorian property and remain under biosecurity control.
"We acknowledge this has significant impacts on the business, and we're committed to working with them to eradicate the virus from their property," Dr. Crnov said.
"Response activities are being implemented in line with the nationally agreed response plan that is in place in South Australia, with the aim of eradicating the virus from Australia.
"The entire property has been placed under biosecurity control to stop the movement of host products until further investigations are completed.
"We maintain confidence in the freedom of the rest of the state from ToBRFV and continue to monitor the national situation closely to determine if changes to our biosecurity measures are required."
There will be no further movements to Victoria under the pilot protocol following the detection of ToBRFV. Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) is a highly contagious plant virus that affects tomatoes, capsicums, and chilies. It poses a serious threat to Australia's tomato, capsicum, and chili industries.
The virus spreads easily through contaminated tools, hands, clothing, and direct plant-to-plant contact, including grafting and cuttings. It can also be transmitted through seeds and irrigation water. ToBRFV remains viable in seed, plant waste, and contaminated soil for months. Once a crop is infected, eradication requires destroying all infected plants and materials. There is no risk to food safety or human health from consuming tomatoes infected with this virus.
ToBRFV was first detected in South Australia in August 2024 and is currently known to be present on three properties in SA. Victorian tomato and capsicum producers, as well as home gardeners, are encouraged to monitor their crops and contact Agriculture Victoria if they suspect the disease may be present.
For more information:
Agriculture Victoria
Tel: +61 1800 226 226
Email:[email protected]
www.agriculture.vic.gov.au