That browning probably is related to nutrition, most notably phosphorus uptake/deficiency. I have seen that happen, mostly in small plants. But the plant will overcome that.

sysonn

Excellent news, sysonn, that's a relief. Thank you!

If all the other plants are definitely doing better and you treat them the same, nutrition problems are harder to blame for me and something viral sounds like it would fit. What does the underside of the leaf look like and how is the color spreading on the plant? e.g., Is it mostly young or mature leaves, what, if anything is curling as it is progressing. Is there TSWV where you are? You would need to pull the plant quickly if it were, and watch out for insects like thrips. Not calling it TSWV but just putting it out there since that is the kind of thing you want to be on guard for quickly.

PC

edit: added treatment in case of TSWV

This post was edited by PupillaCharites on Mon, Nov 10, 14 at 4:20

Here is a picture depicting phosphorus deficiency (from internet)

Plants are like people and they might have different genetics and react differently.

here is another picture of nutrient Deficit (Mag ?)

This post was edited by seysonn on Mon, Nov 10, 14 at 8:29

Nutrient deficits can be caused by poor root growth which results from various causes among them too wet or too dry; and/or pathogens.

I dislike diagnosing based on seeing only one leaf.

Much preferred is seeing the entire plant and where it's growing as well as the close-up.

And if the "problem" is confined to one leaf, it's definitely not nutritional.

In this instance, I would suspect an environmental cause, particularly if one-side of the plant only -- perhaps an extra bright day? (But that's only a guess because none of that info has yet been offered.)

Another suggestion for responses:
When posting images showing a diagnosis, please include the source /link.

Jean, seysonn is the reference, he is just using the pictures to support his personal opinion based on observations he has, so it is a personal communication type reference. For me, here is an example reference of TSWV. It is very variable just like seysonn says though and usually more spotty looking like this so it's hard to say.

The pics posted after the OP are two completely different situations and neither IMO is the situation of the OP who may not recheck this thread since he already said he was relieved all was "ok".

If it is a P issue all plants in the same environment would have it, but no ... the others are healthy is what we're told. Phosphorus is exacerbated in cool temperatures in places like seysonn growing area as an early start is necessary, if everything isn't completely out of whack, yet OP is nearing summer in the southern hemisphere and is not early, if anything later, and the other plants are ok. Suppose the OP is in Perth. October was a hot October and November is average so far. There are no issues with cold temperature. If anything the proposed P deficiency would be getting lighter, yet we are told it has recently appeared after a period of slow growth, symptoms typical of TSWV as well.

The magnesium deficiency in the picture contains significant necrotic tissue and is in a later stage of damage, so it really is of no help at all, especially because it would require action and not go away on its own but rather get worse. The treatment for that, if you believe it were, though, would be a foliar application of epsom salt at around 3%, but it won't do anything if that's not the problem. As a matter of fact it is never a good idea to correct for a nutrient deficiency unless you are sure or else you more likely that not with throw it further out of whack. The Phosphorous deficiency in the pic is mostly underleaf as it should be and more prominent in the leaf margens as it should be (seysonn pic). The OP's is not.

I see the OP's a more gray/brown than a purple typical of phosphorus and I do not believe nutrients have anything to do with this problem IMO.

More likely it is TSWV. I hope not,but that's my guess and I haven't changed it. And if it is a nutrient deficiency so be it, but from the information provided as noted by the previous poster, this cannot be determined.

What does the underside of the leaf look like and how is the color spreading on the plant? e.g., Is it mostly young or mature leaves, what, if anything is curling as it is progressing. Is there TSWV where you are? You would need to pull the plant quickly if it were, and watch out for insects like thrips. Not calling it TSWV but just putting it out there since that is the kind of thing you want to be on guard for quickly.

PC

This post was edited by PupillaCharites on Mon, Nov 10, 14 at 18:36

Thanks everyone, very much, for your advice.

PC: The underside of the pictured leaf is perfectly fine, the picture of health. Affected leaves tend to be more mature rather than the very young or the most mature - intermediate leaves, if you like - and there is curling in just one leaf at the moment. TSWV is known here, apparently.

Jean: Although not perhaps immediately noticeable, there are signs of the problem in other leaves in the picture also. I'm attaching another pic, this time of the entire plant. While the main leaf in the picture initially posted is fine on the underside, as you can see in this latest photo, the problem is also evident on the underside of a leaf to the right of the picture.

We did have a very bright, 93ðF day last week but I noticed the problem only yesterday and I'm monitoring the plants' progress carefully day by day. The following day was a lot cooler (62ðF) and the mercury has been around the 70ðF mark ever since.

I can apparently upload just one image at a time. I'll upload another one in another post.

Thanks PC, I really appreciate your contribution. I'm in Melbourne and the weather pattern described above is typical. 93ðF is forecast again for Thursday followed by a cooler change for the remainder of the forecast period but as you say (quoting me), the problem is apparent in just one plant.

I need to add something to what I wrote above. Just re-checked the underside of the leaf referred to there. It's not the same discolouration, but need it be? And a further look revealed that one very young leaf has signs of the problem, with one or two of the largest leaves being similarly affected.

I certainly appreciate your help, everyone. Thanks so much.

corpus

Hey corpus, as TSWV progresses it hits the young leaves. But let me not start sounding like some expert on it, because I'm absolutely not. I just was worried that you had disappeared thinking there was nothing to worry about when I was uncomfortable with it. seysonn's points are good ones, but if someone didn't say pigs, there wouldn't be much to discuss and there wasn't enough info, that's all.

The best I can do is now is Google, only it is really hard to find early symptoms at the onset which is what you need. It would be more slam dunk if it were a little more spotty instead of bronzy.

Here's the best I found and for some reason Google wasn't so friendly. Check this out mate, and I hope you come back and tell us what you think. It won't hurt to give it a dose of epsom salt which has got to be organic, as I said 3% foliar, early in the morning before the leaves heat up. Maybe do 1-2% by weight just to be safe. That will clear up any Mg and P deficiency if seysonn is on the right track. It is probably one of the only relatively safe nutrient adjustments since tomatoes are Mg hungry buggers, and hopefully you have enough calcium in there already. But if it turns out to be TSWV that's nasty stuff and being organic you'll be up the creek without a paddle.

If it is phosphorus though how could you explain the leaf bottom having enough phosphorus and the top not? I think it should go through in color. Plus the leaf venation should light up a little purple, especially on the underside first. Here the Google link:

TSWV informative and early onset pic

Good luck with it and if you can figure it out please give a holler to say what happened. The next guy with it will be happy.

PC

EDIT: Each 1% of epsom salt is two level teaspoons per liter.

This post was edited by PupillaCharites on Mon, Nov 10, 14 at 22:00

Thanks PC, for going to all this trouble!

Oh dear, the leaf in picture you refer me to looks very like what I have. I'll keep an eye on what happens in the next day or two and let you know.

I have a number of plants, actually, so one fewer is not going to make a great deal of difference if I pulled it out anyway. But if I had the choice I'd sooner have it, of course!

I'll keep you all posted!

corpus

Hi corpus, no trouble at all if it's a help. I hope it isn't TSWV on your plant but ever since your first post that is what I was worried about. Looks like Melbourne has similar temperatures and Sun to Salinas, California which is one of the best growing spots for a good part of the year that we have in the US for many veggies. They've had problems with it going from tomatoes to lettuce (one of the main cash crops) because they don't pause in the growing season. Here's what the University of CA, Davis has to say:

seedling transplant...Early infection of seedlings leads to extremely stunted growth....

your stage...Infection at early vegetative stages. Initial symptoms are leaf bronzing and wilting, followed by necrotic leaf spots and some degree of vein, stem, and petiole necrosis. Often the entire plant is off-color and leaves may have a crumpled appearance. Green fruit may develop bumps and show diagnostic concentric rings. As the tomatoes ripen on plants infected during early stages of growth, fruit may be distorted and have necrotic rings or etchings.

The brouchure they publish is here:
TSWV UCD brouchure

Thanks for keeping us posted! Oh and you're not the first one who wants to keep all their tomatoes, it can really hurt . I have a limited amount of plants so what I do is always keep a couple extras going in pots as long as I can and find a place to put the pot which really gets cramped as it gets bigger. But if I have to pull a plant then I pop the new one in its space. Meanwhile I haven't pulled any this season and my backup is sprawling on the ground and just started flowering ;-), even though it is just under the other plantes wherever it can raise up a leaf, it now has my heart for its strong will to live and flower.

Thanks for keeping us posted, and taking the time to uopload the pictures!

PC

Hi again everybody,

PC, thanks so much for the additional advice/info. All very appreciated indeed.

We had a bit of hot weather during the week and I postponed the Epsom salts treatment for that reason, wanting the leaves to remain wet for as long as possible. This treatment didn't improve things at all and, when the plant continued to wilt, was further overtaken by the other plants which have been growing like crazy and develop necrotic spots I concluded that it really was TSWV and today removed the thing, to put it and me out of our misery. Pulling it out was a wrench for both of us!

I like what you do, PC, having back-up plants for cases like this. I don't have one on hand but will put a clump of basil in the gap the diseased plant has left.

Thanks again everyone, very much, for all your advice.

Color me off-base. But I don't think the brochure images match OP's plant. The texture of the purpled leaf is far different than OP's.

But, as just in case, I suggest you isolate the affected plant.

Then, if Australia has any agricultural authorities who advise home gardeners, please present your questions & images to that person/agency.

Hi corpus,

Good move pulling it. Clearly the plant has a disease indistinguishable in symptoms and appearance from TSWV, so it really doesn't matter what it was from a practical point of view.

Think about this one not as the plant you had, since, in fact you never had it; it wasn't going to be a good producer no matter what and it would only have infecrted other plants via sapsucking insects sooner or later (And I hope this didn't happen).

jean, he'll have to call the Ozzie Ghostbusters at this point since unless I'm mistaken, the plant was pulled if you read the thread. Also, pictures are no way to confirm anything ... they are only indicative and vary since environments and genetics make life fun. What is important here is following the progression of symptoms which were in lock step with TSWV to be messing around, so the stunted plant was pulled.

corpus, just a suggestion, but if your plants are taking off, the season is still young. You can just root a roughly 15 cm side shoot (sometimes referred to as a "sucker" in the USA) and easily catch up with the season since you don't have a spare. I do that all the time (but never have places to put the plants ... right now there are three sprawling in a noodly like web (angel hair?) over my thick carpet, under a weak fluorescent light as I slowly realize it won't be happening for them).

Take the side shoot cutting from your favorite plant/variety you've got already in the garden and you may even come out ahead ;-)

Thanks for the feedback, and if you happened to take any pictures of the more advanced stage before you pulled the plant, you can always post them ;-)

PC

Here is a link that might be useful: Rooting Tomato Side Shoots

This post was edited by PupillaCharites on Mon, Nov 17, 14 at 4:33

Thanks Jean, yes, there was some doubt and I decided to err (if I was erring at all) on the side of caution.

PC, thanks for your advice! I'll try that. We call them "laterals" here. I didn't take any more pictures. The plant was perhaps half the height of the best others and wilting - I didn't hold out much hope for it.

Thanks again!