Possibly but not definitive from the photo. Yes, I'd leave the healthy side for now. If it too fails then you'll know for sure but the degree of discoloration in the photo could have other causes as simple as stem damage.

Dave

Thanks Dave. This is day 2 after I removed the infected stem and so far the remaining one is doing ok. In closing I want to thank you soo much for all the help you have given me not only with this but also in the past. This past year I germinated from seed for the 1st time and next year I'm going to attempt grafting using a hybrid for the root stock and an heirloom as my scion. Any thoughts you have on this would be greatly appreciated. It would be nice to be able to reduce the odds of a disease ruining all of my plants. The majority of my plants are in containers. I only have 4 in ground. thanks again.

That is fusarian wilt. look at the brown line along the interior wall of the stem. That is a definite indicator. Any affected plants and all vegetation must be removed and burned , plus all tools used mist be sterilized. There is no known cure. Sorry

Thanks carogator. I googled fusarian wilt and the pic I saw matched mine. What is interesting was that the brown line on my plant was only one side of the stem. Is this normally the way it is. Also the remaining stem with fruit on it seems to be unaffected. The variety is a Paul Robeson and has about 11 more days till the fruit ripens. Can I leave it up if it continues to remain healthy so that I can get some fruit? Your thoughts..Thanks

Normally, the brown goes all the way around the stem. A cross cut will show a circle. Enclosed is a formula that seems to be helping in our area of S.C.
Another option is to mix 2 1/2 tablespoons of horticultural or vegetable oil with 4 teaspoons of baking soda in a gallon of water. Mix your ingredients thoroughly, and pour the solution into your garden sprayer.

To apply a baking soda spray, first remove as much affected foliage from the plant as you can. Spray your tomato plants with water to loosen the powdery mildew spores. Then spray the plants with your mixture. It's best to spray the baking soda solution in the morning and all over the tomato foliage, covering all the leaves thoroughly, especially the undersides. Continue to spray the baking soda mixture every five to seven days until the fungal disease is under control. You can also spray your tomato plants proactively to prevent fungal attacks.

Use With Caution
If they are overused, baking soda sprays can injure tomato plants, causing the leaves to dry out significantly, so use these treatments carefully. Baking soda sprays can also have harmful effects on the soil, because the baking soda can build up when sprayed in drought-stressed areas where only drip irrigation is used.

Go ahead and leave it up for now, just follow all the precautions you found with google. It is contagious and you can spread it by your touch.

Thanks carogater for the info. You mentioned in your followup about a formula that seems to be working in SC but I think you forgot to include it. Also regarding the baking soda spray is the concept for its use that baking soda will be absorbed thru the leaves and help with the flow of water and nutrients through the infected stem? Thanks again..I'll await your response b4 beginning the baking soda treatment.

Please reread previous post. Just after S.C.

CORNELL FORMULA

Another option is to mix 2 1/2 tablespoons of horticultural or vegetable oil with 4 teaspoons of baking soda in a gallon of water. Mix your ingredients thoroughly, and pour the solution into your garden sprayer.

Use this formula on all your tomatoe plants. Spray them dripping wet on top and bottom of leaves and around the base of plant.

Good Luck, I saved half of my plants.

Thanks again carogator... where I'm confused is if this is fusarium wilt and this wilt is soil based how does spraying the leaves help the plant . Unless you are counting on the solution being absorbed through the leaves. I just need some clarification. Thanks again

As a follow-up to this issue on Fusarium wilt I came across an interesting article regarding the Cornell Formula. Here is the link:
http://ncalternativecropsandorganics.blogspot.com/2010/07/cornell-formula-fungicide-example-of.html

Joe - it's been 3 days now. Is the other half of the plant still looking fine? If so then the odds are that it isn't FW.

The reason I tentatively ruled it out is because FW normally affects the vascular core tissue not the epidermal tissue. The vascular tissue in your plant appears healthy in the photo and the discoloration is only on one side and the side that shows an injury.

While it can't be completely ruled out it can't be 100% confirmed either. So my question - how is the rest of the plant doing?

how does spraying the leaves help the plant

Good question.

Dave

I guess it is to help keep other pests from further damiging the plant and the runoff drips into the root zone and gets carried up into the plant with what little water it can still get. I really don't care how it works as long as it does.

Joeorganictomatoes, thanks for the link to the NC alternatives. It makes for some interesting reading. What I learned was to not spray after about 80 degrees, as the hot temps with the soda can be harmful. I used the spray at daybreak and it was dry before it got ho-t.

Thanks Dave for your reply. It is now day 5 and the plant is still looking ok..It has blossoms on it along with fruit of varying sizes...I'll keep an eye on the real small ones to see if they are growing. I gave it a dose of Azomite to add additional trace elements in case it is FW. I also will give it a watering of Bio Zeus Earth Juice Plant Supplement. This is an organic product and contains trichoderma viride ,a microbe that is good in combating FW. I'll post a follow-up shortly.

Well after a lot of research and observation I have discovered what has been affecting my in ground tomatoes. It is called "Tomato Pith Necrosis". Today I dissected a stem from one of my plants and discovered it was hollow inside. The pith was gone. Using this I began my research. Basically this disease is the result of low evening temperatures, high humidity and high nitrogen levels in the soil. I can't control the weather but I can control the amount of nitrogen. Next year I'll change my approach to feeding the in grounds. I'll just have to worry about my container varieties. Ahh container gardening is not as easy as I 1st thought. This is my 1st year. If anyone is interested in learning more about the disease I suggest Googling it. Weather conditions here in my and surrounding zones make the occurrence of this disease common.

I'm mostly container growing and I finally took down a Red Penna. It started with the leaves looking like they had septoria or bacterial speck, then the stems started with lesions, but it was producing fruit. I n the last few days I realized the flowers were all drying up and when I cut off a few stems they were hollow inside. I tried several treatments and today I chopped it down and hope none of my other plants get whatever this one has. I think my plants were too close, high humidity, maybe too much foliage and not enough air circulation. I don't think it was too much nitrogen as I was using Foliage Pro 9-3-6 in a 5-1-1 mix, but at this point, I'm not certain of anything. I kind of thought it was tomato pith necrosis too.

Hi sharonie
There is a lot of good info out there on pith necrosis including pictures. After reviewing it all I am convinced that this is what my plants have...It's easy to over fertilizer ( I know lol) You mentioned about using Foliage Pro (Liquid?). How often did you feed them? Many here (Digidirt) recommend that a liquid fertilizer be used for container gardening and that you half the recommended amount when applying it and do it 2 times a week. Getting back to pith necrosis I've read that sunny weather restores the plant. I lost my Paul Robeson completely and am nursing my 3 others, Homer Fike's, Pearls of Wisdom and Livingston's Paragon. The weather here is not cooperating. Cloudy days, cool nights are not conducive to restoring my plants. I have though stopped fertilizing these 3 in ground plants and am concentrating on my containers and hoping that I don't over-fertilizer these.