curtovirus

Curtoviruses are a genus of viruses belonging to the family Geminiviridae. They are known to cause a significant plant disease called "curly top". This viral disease affects a wide range of cultivated and wild plants globally, leading to stunted growth, thickened and curled leaves, and often early death of young plants, resulting in substantial crop losses.1

The curtoviruses are transmitted primarily by the beet leafhopper (Circulifer tenullus) in North America, Europe, and Asia, and by Agalliana ensigera in South America. These insects acquire the virus from infected wild hosts and then transmit it to crops. Management strategies include early planting, weed eradication, and the use of insecticides, although developing resistant crop varieties has proven challenging for most plants, with the exception of sugar beets.1