September 2013. A member asked if the chilli plants were infected by a virus.

A member from New Zealand wrote: It looks very similar to damage seen on chillies (and other solanum crops) here in NZ caused by broad mite. Confirm by microscopic examination of young expanding leaves. If it is broad mite, we have found that buprofezin is effective in controlling broad mite, and this product also has low toxicity and is IPM friendly

There’s a fact sheet on Pestnet. Go to the website site and click on Pest Fact Sheets, and look at the index, or download the app for smartphones and tablets: Pacific Pests & Pathogens.

Later (April 2014), another image was sent, and again the same sender as before asked if the symptom was caused by virus. On this occasion a member wrote: “almost for sure a whitefly-transmitted begomovirus – may be chili leaf curl virus, but could also be others. Are there whiteflies in the fields?”

There were other suggestions, including phytoplasma (so check for leafhoppers) and mites. It was suggested the the plants are sprayed with a miticide to see if they recover. The sender of the message thought that mites cause a downward curling of the leaves, but that is nt necessarily so. He said that he would spray some of the plants with bifenazate and see what happens. He also said that about 20% of the plants are affected.

Later (April 2014), the grower from Gujarat, India) reported that plants were pruned and sprayed with bifenazate but new growth was still deformed (see lower images). Samples have been given to local department of agriculture officials to examine for viruses. The conditions appeared to be spreading to other farmers’ plots adjacent to the infected field.