Tracking Down the Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus

Changins/Wädenswil, 24. The tomato brown rugose fruit virus poses a new threat to Swiss agriculture - especially to tomatoes and peppers. Agroscope is playing a key role in controlling this quarantine organism in Switzerland. A newly created research group diagnoses submitted plant samples in the quarantine laboratory via a PCR test. A positive test result requires tough measures to prevent spread and contain damage: recently, an entire delivery of 6000 seedlings had to be destroyed at Zurich airport. Films are based on stories like this: a delivery of around 6000 tomato seedlings arrives in Switzerland by aircraft. Inspectors from the Swiss Federal Plant Protection Service (SPPS) take plant samples and send them to Agroscope Changins (canton of Vaud).