That causes abnormalities and weird growth. Chile plants infected with curly top develop yellow, curled leaves and stiff, thickened stems that break with a snap. Diseased plants may produce a few dull, wrinkled peppers that ripen prematurely. Farmers can sometimes compensate for curly top damage by planting a thick stand and thinning out diseased plants. This year, cold night temperatures and high winds interfered with germination and growth, leaving fields with weak stands and large skipped sections.
Curly top is one of the most common viruses seen in New Mexico's chile.
Researchers expected problems this year after mild winter weather allowed beet leafhopper numbers to build. In addition to curly top, alfalfa mosaic, cucumber mosaic and tomato spotted wilt viruses can cause damage, Goldberg said. Because little can be done once viral diseases strike, they can be particularly devastating. Aside from viruses, pepper plants suffer from plenty of other problems. We have numerous fungi, bacteria, viruses and nematodes.