Q What are viruses on carrots?

A The most common viruses – carrot motley dwarf virus and carrot red leaf virus – are often found in combination, and cause yellowy pink discolouration and some twisting or other distortion of the carrot foliage and leaf stalks. Little if any useful roots form, so the crop may be nonexistent. Both viruses are spread by aphids.

Q What can I do if my carrots have viruses?

A Unfortunately, once plants have been attacked, there is nothing you can do – apart from binning
or burning them.

Q How can I prevent carrots getting viruses?

A Try to protect crops from aphids by growing them under a fine-mesh cover from sowing until
harvesting. Remove any affected carrots promptly, and bin or burn them to reduce the risk of the
virus spreading.