Hot weather has halted the spread of an incurable plant disease that most recently attacked commercial chile fields, a New Mexico State University plant pathologist said. Curly top virus is spread by a tiny insect called the beet leafhopper, which died off in large numbers as temperatures rose, said Natalie Goldberg with NMSU's Cooperative Extension Service. Curly top symptoms include yellow, curled leaves and stiff, thickened stems that break with a snap.
Infected plants produce a few dull, wrinkled peppers that ripen prematurely.
Once plants are infected there is no treatment to help them recover. Earlier this season, curly top swept through home and truck gardens, infecting tomatoes, eggplants, beans, squash and cucumbers, as well as chile. Previously infected plants will continue to show symptoms of curly top, Goldberg said. Some chile growers say this year's outbreak of curly top is the worst since 1977. The disease is cyclical, peaking every 10 to 15 years when an especially cool spring follows a mild winter, Goldberg said.