About the virus parade: I've had over a half-dozen different, identifiable virus species infect some of my tobacco over the years (plus a few I could not identify). Most are transmitted very early in the season, by insect vectors. Some of the virus infections are localized to one or a few leaves of a plant, though most tobacco viruses will spread somewhat into the stalk and other leaves on that stalk (including subsequent suckers). Although I have occasionally ripped out the entire plant, when a worrisome virus first appeared (that is sometimes prudent for growers of acres of tobacco), I have far more often just ignored the viruses. Year-by-year, the same viruses seldom reappear—different weather conditions for the transmitting insects.
Ideally, tobacco is rotated from bed to bed (field to field) each new growing season, allowing 1 or 2 years of non-solanaceous plants to grow in the previous tobacco bed. But for a home-grower, that may not be practical. Luckily, for a home-grower, the stakes are much lower than those of a commercial grower. I have failed to diligently rotate my tobacco beds for the last 5 or 6 seasons, yet notice no increase of tobacco disease. I attribute this "luck" to the tiny scale of home-growing, when compared to the mass effect of commercial acreage.
Short Version: I would ignore any viral infections that don't appear to spread to neighboring plants. They were infected by early-season insects.
Bob
