Research is trying to get the insect that spreads the curly top virus to realize it doesn’t prefer to feed on tomato plants.
Leafhopper Deterrent for Tomatoes
The beet leafhopper migrates from the foothills down to the valley floor to feed. The insect starts eating tomato plants before realizing that isn’t what it likes and then moves on. The contact, however, is long enough to spread the curly top virus, and UC Davis Plant Pathologist Bob Gilbertson says research is looking into stopping that process.