Inspect incoming plants, especially ornamentals, for virus symptoms and thrips infestations. Remove and destroy any symptomatic plants. Controlling thrips with insecticides, particularly in the field, usually does not reduce disease because thrips are able to infect plants before the chemicals can act to kill them. An intensive thrips management program in conjunction with other control tactics, may be more effective in a closed greenhouse system. Resistant tomato varieties adapted to Oklahoma are not currently available, but are being developed.
Nematodes are microscopic round worms that live in soil.
Some nematode species feed on plant roots and cause diseases. Repeated cropping of susceptible crops may result in nematode populations rising to levels that cause economic damage. Reduced plant growth and yield result from the poor root development and function caused by nematode feeding. Nematodes are most damaging in warm sandy soils. Poorly drained soils with high clay content often do not support high nematode populations.