Its common symptom is light to dark green mottling on the leaves , often accompanied by wilting of young leaves on sunny days when plants first become infected. The leaflets of affected leaves are usually distorted, puckered, and smaller than normal. The plant is reduced in size and becomes pale green and spindly Occasionally, brown markings and blotches occur on green and ripe fruit of greenhouse cultivars that have incomplete resistance to tomato mosaic virus.
Tomato mosaic virus used to be common and widespread, but most modem cultivars are resistant. The virus exists in several strains. Disease symptoms are greatly influenced by temperature, day length, light intensity, age of plant, virus strain, and cult&r of tomato. Various strains of tomato mosaic virus cause winter necrosis, summer necrosis, or crusty-fruit diseases.