I've seen this happen here and there along the way. These are all the same variety (seed was saved by me from last yr). As you can see, the "real" mater plant is on the right, and two deformed plants next to it.
Is this the result of a seed not being fully viable somehow? Any ideas?
And a side shot...
Well,I'm seeing purple edges on the deformed plants...lack of potassium? I've never had any that looked like that...maybe Carolyn will come by and enlighten us. I'm at a loss.
Yep...definitely purple. But the growth is weird. Like those big flat leaves are supposedly cotyledons, and the plant has no "trunk" growth after that. But you must admit, it's pretty weird, eh Mel?
What variety of tomato? Is it happening on only one kind,or are you seeing it on more than one?
We call it "Poppy's Plum"...an indeterminate paste tomato (yep, Indeterminate!). It is just this one doing it as far as I know anyway...would have to really scour thru all the plants in the ghouse to double check tho. I've seen it happen before tho, so makes me think it has something to do with immature seeds or incomplete pollination, or who knows...maybe semi-sterile seeds(?), if that is possible.
Shoe,
I've got a Lithuanian plant that looks the same as yours, sans purple. Every now and then one pops up. No association with a particular variety.
It isn't incomplete pollination, as I understand incomplete pollination. There are X number of ovules in the tomato ovary. Each pollen grain fertilizes one ovule and thus a seed is born, so to speak.
If not all ovules are fertilized it may mean a smaller fruit develops but the seeds that do form are no different than any other seeds that might have formed if ALL ovules were fertlized.
Any ovules left unfertilized by self pollination can then be pollinated by X pollination by bees working the blossoms for the pollen as a protein food source.
Seeds can 't germinate if they don't have all the relevant genes intact, so I don't think it's sterile seeds or similar.
I do think it's the result of a spontanous mutation that has led to the symptoms you see. Such mutations that occur in the DNA of a cell of the plant, as opposed to the DNA in a seed, are called somatic mutations. And I've seen a few, but not many. The most common would be akin to a bud sport on a fruit tree.
I've seen two vartieteis have stems with in one case a different colored fruit ( Green Gage) and in the other case a different shaped fruit ( Dix Doight de Naples).
So I think it's a sontaneous mutation that does it, and thru the years I've seen similar from time to time.
The purple tinge is another issue.
I'd suggest P deficiency or too cold if it weren 't for the fact that the third plant of the same variety shows no symptoms.
In fact any microdeficiency or environmental condition that one might invoke is negated by the fact that the third plant is OK.
That leaves seed borne disease as a possibiity.
And the only disease I can think of off hand, without researching it, that has purple associated with the foliage, is TSWD, which I know has been in NC recently.
Then you might well ask, OK, if a seedborne diease, why not all the seeds contaminated ( 3rd plant, for instance)and what about fermentation.
Fermentation can only lower the adventitiously attached pathogen burden, it doesn't remove them totaolly.
And initiation of infections is quantitative.
Also, it's isn't clear which pathogens are adventitiously bound and which are probably inside the seed. Well, it is clear for some of them, but not all.
Most folks feel that quite a few of the virus pathogens could be inside the seed.
Since seeds treated with TSP are devoid of TMV at least that one may well be adventitious.
So purple= seedborne disease? A possibiity.
And which disease? Maybe TSWD, maybe not.As I said, this is just off the top of my head and I haven't researched all those systemic diseases that could be found in NC that could give rise to foliage with purple color.
Carolyn
Thanks, Carolyn.
That purple color could be a good clue, eh? I had just assumed it was a P problem, not a disease. A new perspective for me to peruse into.
I was really wondering about why the two sick plants didn't have a continuing "trunk"...it almost looks like those plants have cotyledons that wanted to mature into true leaves, and from that point on, there is no upward growth.
I'll be growing the "good plants" out again this yr, in another area of the garden. Will be interesting to see if this happens again with this variety.
Again, thanks for ya'lls input!
The plants don't have a viable meristem. Meristems are the microscopic mounds of tissue that produce all other plant organs. Without the ability to produce new leaves and branches (no meristem) you get stressed out plants because there is no place to put all the sucrose they are producing in the leaves.
A number of genes are responsible for meristem maintenance, it seems that your variety may have a defect in one or more of them. Alternatively, it could be that you harvested your seed too early, before the meristem was fully established. Of course, it could be a combination of genetics and environment (early harvest).
If you let the plants grow long enough, they may eventually produce an "ectopic" meristem. Tomatoes are pretty good at it, thus these sick little plants you have may not necessarily be worthless.
Breeders call these plants "blind" seedlings.
Thanks Phred! That's a great piece of info.
I'll remember what you said tho. I may be able to use that knowledge in other areas of plant propagation and such.
Much obliged!
Horseshoe
Looks to me like Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus .
Wish I had some good news......
Bud
I should clarify my response... I know plant development pretty well, and I know your plants could be caused by the reasons I outlined (no pathogen required).
However, what I know about plant pathology can probably fit into a thimble. I am sure there are viruses and/or fungi that probaby attack meristems to give you the same phenotype, but I am ignorant in that area.
One more thing... sucrose (the sugar plants transport from one cell to another) turns on the anthocyanin pathway (anthocyanins give the purple color). Hence, the color can be simply caused by excess sucrose (because the poor plants have no new organs to use it).
This message was edited Friday, Jul 4th 8:26 PM
Bud, I've been hearing more and more about spotted wilt virus. These plants came from seed saved from last yr and I think the virus can carry over in seeds, however I didn't notice any SWV symptoms on the parent plants. I have to check into it further. The other plants from this same batch seem to be doing fine (w/the exception that I took forever in planting them out and they are a bit leggy!).
I'll be monitoring this crop for spotted wilt virus for sure. (Ya'll got it down your way yet?)
Phred, good lesson. Will try to remember what you said. Thanks.
WOW! all you ever wanted to know about tomatoes and MORE! Just as satisfaction for bored, simplistic curiosity I now have more than my fifteen bucks worth (the annual DG subscription fee) of information; and that just about tomato growing. Still not sure if its tomatoes or tomatos but probably some English teacher on the site will weigh in with that answer too.
Dan Quayle says tomatoes
Yep, but he also said "tomatoe" (singular) :>)
Tomato (singular)
Tomatoes (plural)
Oh yeh, Tomahto (above the Mason-Dixon line)
"Tomahto (above the Mason-Dixon line)"To say nothing of Merrie Old England. and then there is "Let's call the whole thing off".
Kikisdad...
I guess we should include the
Potato
Potahto...
and the musical notes, eh? ♫♫♫
(love that song!) ;>)
