Tomato Virus? and Flea Beetles?

[joz]

So, I saw these spots on one of my tomatoes, and I've never really seen this before, and I suspect it's maybe a virus of some sort? Shall I yank it out of the ground and burn it as an example to others? I think I may have another one (volunteer potato leaf mystery tomato) that may be doing the same thing. These are from the same beds that the flea beetles (previously unknown to me) have found. My main tomato beds have not been colonized by the flea beetles, and all the plants are happy and green and fluffy.

I've tried spraying spinosad. The flea beetles are ... not thick, but definitely present. I've been knocking them off the plants with water until I can spray the spinosad again. I also have DE... is it worth it to treat with DE also?

Thanks.

 

[chris09]

Are these tomatoes very wet/ been getting a good amount of rain/ how are you watering/ has the temp. been cool/ how close are they planted?

Chris

 

[Kassaundra]

Mine that were attacked by flea beetle looked very similar, but they had holes where the brown patches were, lots of small holes making them look like lace.

I used neem oil and got rid of them.

 

[digitS']

Joz, I would bet the flea beetles started the problem. Bugs seem to be so often the vectors for diseases. I understand the reasoning behind tolerating a certain amount of bug damage but not only are they likely to carry the disease organism but they weaken the plants by chewing on them. Life gets very difficult for a beetle-damaged plant.

Be Prepared is a good motto - I know that it is difficult to see what is going on when the plants are "way down there" and the critters are like flea beetles that make tiny holes and escape with blinding speed as soon as you approach their plant victims. I think you have taken the right approach with the Spinosad, altho' that pesticide was completely new to me last year. It seemed to have worked on the flea beetles in my garden.

Neem may also - as reported by Kassaundra. I used to spray with rotenone/pyrethrum and that was so effective against these pests! They spend time hiding under debris on the soil surface (like rocks) and making sure that the pyrethrum got down there seemed important. If they just flew off in the neighborhood until I passed by, the rotenone was there on the leaves to put a stop to them when they came back. Altho' listed as organic, this formula has fallen into disfavor and was impossible for me to find in 2011.

I didn't even know flea beetles attacked tomatoes until a few years ago when they just riddled the plants early in the season. I am always expecting them in the brassicas. They will damage things like radish and bok choy so bad that there won't be a crop. What I'm saying is that the little critters will eat on anything and may be in such numbers that when they show up on a garden plant, they can even kill it. Their larva live on the plant roots, I've also read.

It looks to me that they have also given disease a chance to get started in your tomato plants.

Steve

Cornell's Vegetable MD, Tomatoes
Septoria

 

[chris09]

I think that joz may have more than one problem, I see a spot on the stem that looks like it might be a sign of Tomato Borer and I think that the tomatoes may have a virus or blight on top of that.

Here is one of joz's pictures with the spots that look like tomato borer.

Chris

 

[joz]

Tomato Borer?!? Feh.

The tomatoes are getting a bit of rain. I'm near the Gulf, so it may go 2 weeks without rain, but then we can get 2" overnight. Last rain was Saturday, and it was drizzly for probly 12 hours. I water in the evenings, every or every-other day, before the sun goes down, with a handheld sprayer nozzle. I try to keep the water focused low, but that doesn't always happen. I've removed lower leaves of tomatoes to keep them out of dirt splashing range.

This particular tomato plant is rather crowded by a sunflower. My others are about 2' apart. My volunteer that also looks spotty popped up between cukes, dill, and marigolds, tho nothing is big enough to crowd it.

I've looked at the tomato problem images, and it looks to me like Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus (TSWV). The article posits that the main vector is thrips (which I also have). I have removed three nasturtiums and one marigold from this bed for looking spotty as well, so this comes as no surprise.

However, a search for "thrips spinosad" led me to a forum of questionable legality wherein a poster detailed her battle with thrips and her use of spinosad to control them, which apparently worked well. So.

I'm due to spray everything again tonight, and will spray EVERYTHING instead of just the flea-beetle beds, as it sounds like the thrips are a bigger problem.

Thanks, y'all.

 

[chris09]

Tomato/Stalk Borer;
http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/hortnews/1992/7-22-1992/tomato.html

Stalk Borer:
The stalk borer is an insect pest that attacks a wide variety of plants including tomatoes. The larva (caterpillar) bores into the stem and tunnels inside the stalk. (The entrance hole is small and often difficult to locate). Affected plants wilt and often die. However, stalk borer damaged plants that are given good care may survive. The stalk borer is a purple and cream striped caterpillar with a solid purple band around its body 1/3 of the way back from its head. It is an early season pest that moves from tall grassy weeds and occasionally attacks tomatoes, potatoes, and peppers in the vegetable garden. An individual stalk borer may damage more than 1 tomato plant. The adult is an inconspicuous grayish brown moth. Tomato plants that die should be pulled and destroyed. The destruction of the plants may also kill the stalk borer. Cutting or mowing tall weedy areas around vegetable gardens may also help control the pest. Stalk borers cannot be effectively controlled with insecticides.
This article originally appeared in the July 22, 1992 issue, pp. 1992 issue, pp. 127-129.

by Richard Jauron, Department of Horticulture

If the tomatoes are close then they could also have blight. If it is blight you can space them further apart so that they get plenty of air then hit them with a Copper Fungicide Spray or Dust.

Chris

 

[catjac1975]

If only a few plants have the blight I would pull them up and remove them. It seems too early for blight but, that is what it looks like. I dip my tomato supports in bleach so as not to keep a blight going from the previous year. There are organic blight controls that you can get from Gardens Alive and I'm sure other places. I believe they are preventive rather than a cure. If it's not too bad try removing the affected leaves-but the photos looked pretty significant. Heirloom varieties will be more susceptible to blight. Blight resistant varieties have been around forever and you should try to always plant a few of those just in case. I have never seen the stalk borer thank God. It does not look like flea beetles to me. This mild past winter may bring a lot of pests and blight that were not killed off over the winter. Sounds like you've had a lot of rain. We are in a drought in Massachusetts. The heavy rain will also encourage blight. Good luck.

 

[thistlebloom]

Something you may want to consider also is the effect of the sunflower on that tomato.
Maybe the problem is not related, but I know for a fact that sunflowers affect potatoes negatively, (phytopthera blight ) and since tomatoes are also nightshades it may be doing enough harm to make your tomato more attractive to the insects.

 

[chris09]

The stuff through Garden Alive called "Soap Shield" has Copper Sulfate as a active ingredient.

Chris