Published by Utah State University Extension and Utah Plant Pest Diagnostic Laboratory PLP-029-22 January 2022

Big Bud Disease in Tomatoes and Peppers

Claudia Nischwitz, Extension Plant Pathologist • Erin Petrizzo, Research Assistant

Quick Facts
• The plant disease commonly called big bud is
caused by phytoplasma species.

• It is transmitted during the feeding by leafhopper.

• The most common symptom is growth distortion

in the buds, resulting in oversized flower buds
from which the disease gets its name, thickened
stems, and distorted leaves.

• Symptomatic flower buds do not produce fruit.

• In Utah, big bud disease has been observed in Fig. 1. Beet leafhopper (Neoaliturus tenellus)
tomato and pepper fields but generally at very
low levels and is rarely a concern for growers.

B ig bud is caused by phytoplasma species (Bowyer et

al., 1969; Granett, et al., 1974). Phytoplasmas are a
unique type of small bacteria that do not have a cell wall
(Doi et al., 1967).

Phytoplasmas are transmitted from one plant to another

by phloem-feeding insects such as leafhoppers and
psyllids and need both their insect and plant hosts in
order to survive. (Weintraub & Beanland, 2006). In plants,
they live and replicate only within phloem cells and Fig. 2. Enlarged flower bud in pepper infected with big bud
sometimes exist at low levels which can make them disease

difficult to detect in a plant sample (Doi et al., 1967).

Phytoplasma species that causes big bud in Utah tomato

and pepper fields are spread by leafhopper, including
the beet leafhopper (BLH) (Neoaliturus tenellus) (Fig. 1)
(Golino et al., 1989; Shaw et al., 1991). Thus, the infection
patterns seen in the field can be somewhat similar to
that of curly top; that is, a plant or two scattered here
and there in various spots throughout the field. However,
big bud has usually been seen at much lower levels of
infection than curly top, and plants infected with big bud
are less noticeable than the more obvious stunted and
yellowed plants that have curly top. For these reasons,
Fig. 3. Enlarged flower bud in tomato infected with big bud
big bud infections may go unnoticed. disease
 SYMPTOMS DISEASE CYCLE
On both tomato and pepper, the telltale symptom of big Leafhoppers have piercing-sucking mouthparts and
bud disease is the unique swollen-looking flower bud. The acquire the phytoplasma when they feed on the phloem
green sepals become enlarged and may not open (Figs. sap from an infected plant. The phytoplasma continues
2 and 3), and if they do, the flower inside shows to replicate in a leafhopper’s body for the rest of its life
abnormal development (Fig. 4). Symptomatic flower and leafhoppers transmit the pathogen in their saliva to a
buds will not produce fruit. healthy plant during feeding (Lefol et al., 1994; Lherminier
et al.,1990).
Diseased plants sometimes have a bushy appearance.
This is due to a shortening and thickening of the stems BLH spend the winter months on desert plants in warmer
between the internodes which sprout numerous stunted areas of the southwest, but when those plants begin to
and distorted leaves. The stems develop an upright dry up, they migrate north, looking for new food hosts as
growth habit and the whole plant takes on a pale or well as plants on which to lay their eggs. They will feed on
yellow cast (Fig 5). a large variety of plants but do prefer certain species.
Preferred weed hosts of the BLH, and some that can be
reservoirs of phytoplasma infection, include: Bassia sp.
(Kochia); Chenopodium sp. (lambsquarter); Halogeton
sp. (halogeton); Kali sp. (Russian thistle); Sarcobatus sp.
(greasewood); Atriplex sp. (four wing saltbush); Senecio
vulgaris (common groundsel); and Capsella bursa-
pastoris (shepherd’s purse) (Munyaneza et al., 2006; Zhao
& Wei, 2020).

Tomato and pepper are not favored plant hosts of BLH,

but they will still move through the crop fields and probe
and feed on plants, and in the process, infect the plants.
This disease has been seen in both tomato and pepper
fields in Utah. Eggplant and other solanaceous crops are
reported to be susceptible but have not been diagnosed
here.

Fig. 4. Distorted flower of tomato infected with big bud disease MANAGEMENT
Big bud disease is usually not a problem for Utah
growers and no specific management strategies are
recommended at this time. General management
practices, such as weed removal in and around the crop
fields, helps to limit the spread of many types of plant
diseases by removing reservoirs of both the diseases and
their insect vectors. Removal of any crop plants with
symptoms of big bud disease will also help limit the
spread of the phytoplasma to both new leafhoppers and
other plants.

Control of leafhopper for big bud using insecticides is not

recommended in Utah. Leafhoppers are capable of
migrating into a field from long distances away, so
finding the source area of the insects can be difficult.
Some leafhopper such as BLH do not stay in tomato and
Fig. 5. Tomato plant with big bud disease pepper fields long and would likely infect a plant by
feeding before dying from any pesticide applied to the
crop.

Big Bud Disease in Tomato and Pepper Page 2

 REFERENCES & FURTHER READING IMAGE CREDITS
Bowyer, J. W., Atherton, J. G., Teakle, D. S., & Ahren, G. A. (1969). 1 G. Oldfield, USDA, Bugwood.org
Mycoplasmalike bodies in plants affected by legume little leaf, 2, 3, 4, 5 Erin Petrizzo, Utah State University Extension
tomato big bud, and lucerne witches broom diseases. Australian
Journal of Biological Sciences, 22, 271–274.

Doi Y., Teranaka, M., Yora, K., & Asuyama, H. (1967). Mycoplasma
or PLT grouplike microorganisms found in the phloem elements
of plants infected with mulberry dwarf, potato witches’ broom,
aster yellows or pawlownia witches’ broom. Japanese Journal of
Phytopathology, 33, 259–266.

Golino, D. A., Oldfield, G. N., & Gumpf, D. J. (1989). Experimental

hosts of the beet leaf-hopper-transmitted virescence agent.
Plant Disease, 73, 850–854.

Garnett, A. L., & Provvidenti, R. (1974). Tomato big bud in New

York State. Plant Disease Reporter, 58, 211–214.

Lefol, C., Lherminier, J., Boudon-Padieu, E., Larrue, J., Louis,

C., & Caudwell, A. (1994). Propagation of flavescence doree
MLO (Mycoplasma-Like Organism) in the leafhopper vector
Euscelidius variegatus. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology, 63,
285–293.

Lherminier, J., Prensier, G., Boudon-Padieu, E., & Caudwell, A.

(1990). Immunolabeling of grapevine flavescence doree MLO
in salivary glands of Euscelidius variegatus: A light and electron
microscopy study. Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry,
38, 79–85.

Munyaneza J. E, Crosslin, J. M., & Upton, J. E. (2006). Beet

leafhopper transmits the Columbia Basin potato purple top
phytoplasma to potatoes, beets, and weeds. Journal of
Economic Entomology, 99, 268–72.

Shaw, M. E., Kirkpatrick, B. C., & Golino, D. A. (1991).

Causal agent of tomato big bud disease in California is the beet
leafhopper transmitted virescence agent. (Abstr.)
Phytopathology, 81, 1210.

Weintraub, P. G., & Beanland, L. (2006). Insect vectors of

phytoplasmas. Annual Review of Entomology, 51, 91–111.

Zhao, Y., & Wei, W. (2020). Candidatus Phytoplasma trifolii (clover

proliferation phytoplasma). Invasive Species Compendium.
DOI:10.1079/ISC.40854.20210200691

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