Plants are stunted or dwarfed. Leaflets are rolled upwards and inwards. Leaves are often bent downwards and are stiff, thicker than normal, have a leathery texture and often have a purple tinge to the veins on the underside. Young leaves are slightly chlorotic (yellowish). Flowers appear normal. Fruit, if produced at all, are small, dry and unsaleable. Affected plants tend to be distributed randomly or in patches.
Tomato leaf curl viruses are not transmitted in seed, soil or from plant to plant by handling. They stay in infected plants, some of which may be weed plants that do not show symptoms. The viruses are transmitted between plants by silverleaf white fly (SLW), Bemisia tabaci biotype B, which is a horticultural pest in coastal and some inland districts of Queensland and New South Wales. SLW is an established pest in Western Australia and cotton production systems in Queensland.
