General symptoms on tomato are faint mottling and slight distortion of the leaves. Severe symptoms include dark brown, dead areas in the blade of nearly mature leaflets. Leaflets at the terminal end of a leaf usually are most adversely affected, often showing severe necrosis. In many cases, all leaflets are affected. Leaves formed after the onset of PVY exhibit mild wrinkling, slight distortion, and mild mottling.
Stems often show a purplish streaking, but no symptoms are produced on the fruit.
Mature plants are stunted and unthrifty, and yield is reduced. Near total crop failures have been reported when PVY was detected early in the season and high aphid populations were present. Persistence And Transmission. PVY is transmitted in the nonpersistent manner by many aphid species. Aphids can acquire the virus in less than 60 seconds from an infected plant and transmit it to a healthy plant in less than 60 seconds.