There is a problem with the roots.

That could mean:

• it was damaged when planted

• something is eating the roots

• something is rotting the roots

• there is not enough drainage and the roots are too wet

At this point I'd dig it up and maybe replant.

When you dig it up look at the roots. Are they discolored? Should be whitish (other than the soil on them) . Do they smell bad?

Next inspect the stem. Look for scars or discoloration especially near the soil line. If you do not notice anything on the outside cut the stem near where the soil line was and look for discoloration there (brown/yellow - should be green with maybe some white).

It could be early stages of a bacterial wilt. If so it would not be good to replant in the same spot. You'd have to dig out a good deal of existing soil and wash off the shovel with diluted bleach before filling it back in with new soil (which may or may not help).

Its too hard to say from a picture exactly whats going on. It looks bacterial or fungal wilt but again it could be that something damaged to roots or they are sitting in a particularly damp spot.

The link below may help on what to do or Dx-ing yourself. The figure10 at the bottom will show you what bacterial wilt looks like in early stages on tomato.

Here is a link that might be useful: Soil Borne Disease Mngt (see Figure 10)

And the others are all fine. Hmmmm.

When did you plant it, when did it rain, and when did you notice the wilting?

Was the lowest leaf brown before the wilting?

Agree with mule that I'd suspect root damage. Dig it up and trench replant it buying all that bare stem so only the top leaves are above the soil. It will either perk up quickly or kick the bucket completely.

Dave

Root zone for sure. What did you use or add in the soil? With the burn of the first leaf set it almost looks like a nute overdose.

All suggestions are good. Let's face it, not everything that we plant lives. You might be able to save it, but 1 in 48 isn't bad.

So, here's a picture of that tomato now. I dug it up, looked it over, didn't see a problem, and stuck it in a bucket. It's doing great!

And, I put a new tomato in the ground where this one had been, and it's doing great. No clue what made this one unhappy where it was, but all is well.

Do you have Black Walnut trees nearby? If so, it could have been too close to one of the roots (they exude juglone which is poisonous to tomatoes). Walnut wilt and bacterial wilt look very similar.

Anyway, glad it's happy in it's new home.