The viroid spindle tuber diseases (PSTVd), or tuber of the potato spindle, mainly affects the culture of potato and tomato and tobacco, present in America and Europe, this time they attacked tomatoes, the strain varies from mild to severe. According to the Ministry of Primary Industries, the virus was found in New Zealand greenhouses before Christmas which caused tomato cultivation to be destroyed and replanted.  

Biosecurity teams are investigating how the virus arrived in the country, including seed tracking and rootstocks of the infected crop. Biosecurity in New Zealand protects agriculture and biodiversity, with strict border control measures being taken to prevent unwanted organisms from enter the country. 

Symptoms of virus infection may vary, as some infected plants show no signs of disease, but have a below-normal yield. In tomatoes, the fruit can be small, have dead spots and stretch marks and not ripen normally. According to the country's director of biosecurity, John Walsh, the infected tomatoes in the greenhouses were ripped out and buried. 

Source: Agrolink