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Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV)
Find out about the symptoms, spread and outbreaks of this damaging virus. Plus, learn about the hygiene recommendations to protect your tomato and sweet pepper crops.
This information was last updated in 2022.
For up-to-date information on ToBRFV, including outcomes from virus management research and notifications of the latest outbreaks, please click on the link below. Please note, this AHDB ToBRFV hub remains as a static repository of background information on the virus and is not being updated post-2022.
ToBRFV resources, Fera Science Ltd
What is ToBRFV?
Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) was first identified in Israel in 2014 and affects tomato and sweet pepper crops around the world. It has caused significant economic losses and has the potential to continue to impact commercial production due to reduced crop quality and yield, and the need to implement extra biosecurity measures to minimise risk of infection. The first UK outbreak was reported in June 2019.
ToBRFV steering group
Originally formed in collaboration between AHDB and the Tomato Growers' Association (TGA) in 2019, the ToBRFV steering group exists to help the industry form a response to, and mitigate for, this virus threat from a UK perspective.The group consists of commercial tomato and pepper growers, researchers, and representatives from Defra Plant Health and Fera Science Ltd.
The goal of the group is to support the tomato and pepper industry in the following ways:
- Keep up to date on UK, EU and global outbreaks, including plant and seed interceptions
- Discuss updates and feedback to Defra on legislation and protocols affecting the management of this virus in the UK and EU
- Prioritise research activity, including work on outbreak prevention through understanding virus survival, spread and disinfection
- Ensure accurate and timely information on ToBRFV is shared through mutliple channels
- Gain feedback from industry on what support they require
- Horizon scan and form international links to share information on prevention, detection and control of ToBRFV
- Support the management of media and press enquiries around this virus, to ensure appropriate, accurate, reliable and timely information is released, and commercial sensitivities are respected
- Collate information on UK outbreaks with affected businesses, where agreed and appropriate, and signpost them to further information and support
All information raised, discussed, and actioned by the group, unless mutually agreed otherwise, remains confidential.
Following the end of the AHDB horticulture levy and wind down of research work, AHDB is no longer involved in this group, but the TGA and other industry parties continue to lead it. No further updates on ToBRFV will be added to these pages post March 2023.
Please email Phil Morley (group chair and Technical Executive Officer of the Tomato Growers' Association) or Adrian Fox (Fera Science Ltd's Principle Plant Virologist) if you would like more information or to get in touch with the group.
Outbreak management and reporting
Read the latest information on UK and international outbreaks of ToBRFV from Defra’s plant health portal and the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO) global database. Find out who you should contact and what procedures you should follow in the event of a suspected or confirmed outbreak.
ToBRFV: Outbreak management and reporting
What are the symptoms?
Learn about the biology and key symptoms of ToBRFV, which include mosaic patterning on leaves, brown necrotic streaks on stems, and brown wrinkled (rugose) patches on fruit. View our symptoms gallery for signs of ToBRFV in crop.
Survival and disinfection
Find results from the AHDB-funded ToBRFV survival and disinfection research project. Learn how long the virus can survive on different glasshouse surfaces, and which disinfectants are most likely to control the spread, and reduce the risk of infection.
ToBRFV: Survival and disinfection
Hygiene best practice and biosecurity
Hygiene best practice procedures should be implemented as standard in any horticultural business. Find out how to use precautionary measures to reduce the likelihood of infection and minimise the impact of an outbreak, should one occur.
ToBRFV: Hygiene and biosecurity
Grower experiences of a ToBRFV outbreak
Three case studies were carried out with UK growers who have had a ToBRFV outbreak on their sites, to explore their first hand experience. Find out how the virus was found and reported, the symptoms that were observed, pattern of spread and how the outbreak was managed.
Testing for ToBRFV in tomato seed
Fera Science Ltd. is the only UK organisation to offer seed testing for ToBRFV at present.
Email contact: Adrian Fox.
The recommended number of seeds to test and the associated costs are outlined in the table below:
Seed |
Detection limits |
Cost |
Turnaround |
3,000 |
0.1% infection |
£450 + VAT |
10 working days |
1,000 |
0.3% infection |
£226 + VAT |
10 working days |
A similar service is provided by Naktuinbouw in the Netherlands.
Other information
Useful links and resources
Watch our latest webinars and listen to our podcasts
View AHDB’s Biosecurity Guide in Protected Edibles
ToBRFV: Key take-home messages for industry from the 2019 tomato conference
ToBRFV factsheet produced by the Julius Kűhn Institute in Germany
Research project PE 035: LAMP for detection of ToBRFV
Government resources and guidance
Visit the UK Plant Health Risk Register
Defra Plant Health Portal's latest update on ToBRFV - August 2021
Government guidance on plant health controls
Scottish Government’s plant health policy
Northern Ireland’s Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
Information from the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO)
Download the EPPO data sheet on ToBRFV
Read the EPPO standard describing a diagnostic protocol for detection and identification of ToBRFV
View the recorded presentations from the online British Tomato Conference 2020
Online British Tomato Conference 2020 – full recording
View presentations on ToBRFV from the 2019 British Tomato Conference
ToBRFV Survival and Disinfection – Anna Skelton (Fera)
Hygiene management for ToBRFV – Jasper Verhoeven (Royal Brinkman)
ToBRFV: EU legislation and outbreak management – Matthew Everatt (Defra)
APS: Actions to prevent ToBRFV – Phil Pearson (APS)
ToBRFV: Current status and perspectives – Aviv Dombrovsky (Volcani Institute)
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