Tomato leaf problem and a caterpillar

So I noticed one of my tomato plants has a leaf problem. I'm not really sure what it is. It's only affecting one branch of leaves on one tomato plant. Should I cut it off? Does it have a disease? Is there anything I can do?



I also found this guy out there while I was shooting the leaves. Any idea what he?

I cut off anything that doesn't look well as long as the plant looks like it could stand the loss. I have those caterpillars on my tomatoes once in a while too and I'm not sure what they are, but I googled and I *think* they might be armyworms, but I would welcome someone's opinion with more experience than me since I'm a newbie. At any rate, I got them off my tomatoes. BTW - good picture!

http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-1121/

The spots look like blight. I suggest, remove all effected leafs and stems, prune from the ground up to increase ventilation through the bed. Water at ground level and try not to splash. Do some research and contact your county AG agent for more specific treatments. I second the armyworm theory.

Thank you Camprn and Undertheblackwalnut. I'll make some calls tomorrow about it. If it is blight, does anyone know if neem oil would be effective in controlling it? I know neem has fungicidal properties and I've heard it can be used to help with blight, but I've never tried it myself. I know it works wonders on powdery mildew, though.

Hey Camp! My first confirmed ID -I'm so excited! Now if I could only figure out what kind of wilt my zucchini has... - Sapphire - I'm not sure about the neem oil...but I'm sure someone will know...

Caterpillars are not a good thing, Spray with BT now and don't let them have their way, BT will throw them into a tail spin and they won't know what to do, do it now. Spray in the evening or very early in the morning.

littlesapphire wrote:So I noticed one of my tomato plants has a leaf problem.  I'm not really sure what it is.  It's only affecting one branch of leaves on one tomato plant.  Should I cut it off?  Does it have a disease?  Is there anything I can do?



I also found this guy out there while I was shooting the leaves.  Any idea what he?

I wouldn't use BT because it's no good for your health. I don't know if you are growing organic, but if so, why use a poison? http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/what-is-the-bt-toxin/ It may kill the insects but its also not good for your health. Many say it better just to pick them ugly creepy worms. I let my husband do it, lol. The leaf might be that it has an insect or disease but could also use some nutrient. This page might help some... http://gardening.stackexchange.com/questions/8357/a-visual-reference-to-nutrient-deficiencies-in-plants

Elliesr wrote:
I wouldn't use BT because it's no good for your health. I don't know if you are growing organic, but if so, why use a poison? http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/what-is-the-bt-toxin/ It may kill the insects but its also not good for your health. Many say it better just to pick them ugly creepy worms. I let my husband do it, lol. The leaf might be that it has an insect or disease but could also use some nutrient. This page might help some... http://gardening.stackexchange.com/questions/8357/a-visual-reference-to-nutrient-deficiencies-in-plants

As a rebuttal to "Dr. Group":

Wikipedia article on BT, with extensive list of sources:
Because of their specificity, these pesticides are regarded as environmentally friendly, with little or no effect on humans, wildlife, pollinators, and most other beneficial insects, and are used in organic farming;^[22] however, the manuals for these products do contain many environmental and human health warnings,^[23][24] and a 2012 European regulatory peer review of five approved strains found, while data exist to support some claims of low toxicity to humans and the environment, the data are insufficient to justify many of these claims.^[25]

University of California at San Diego::
Bt proteins are allowed in organic farming as a insecticide because Bt is a natural, non-pathogenic bacterium that is found naturally in the soil. Bt has also been found to be safe to all higher animals tested.

Colorado State University Extension:
The specific activity of Bt generally is considered highly beneficial. Unlike most insecticides, Bt insecticides do not have a broad spectrum of activity, so they do not kill beneficial insects. This includes the natural enemies of insects (predators and parasites), as well as beneficial pollinators, such as honeybees. Therefore, Bt integrates well with other natural controls. For example, in Colorado, Bt to control corn borers in field corn has been stimulated by its ability to often avoid later spider mite problems. Mite outbreaks commonly result following destruction of their natural enemies by less selective treatments.


Perhaps the major advantage is that Bt is essentially nontoxic to people, pets and wildlife. This high margin of safety recommends its use on food crops or in other sensitive sites where pesticide use can cause adverse effects.


I also followed the links to Dr. Group's references, and didn't find a single one that supported his claim that BT is found to be toxic when ingested in trace amounts in food.  I've seen articles that claim there have been "studies" that show it is, but so far, I haven't found anyone who can site the actual studies - who did them, when, and what were the test conditions?  If you know of any, I'd love to read them.

First of all, I'm not a fan of Wikipedia because it can be edited by anyone. Second, California is full of some people you might say are "far out there", while Colorado is really out there with their pot smoking. 

Needless to say, the article itself has plenty of scientific sources below it and you can read them yourself. And just in case those aren't enough, here are some more:

More Illnesses Linked to BT Crops - http://www.i-sis.org.uk/MILTBT.php

BT Toxicity Confirmed: Flawed Studies Exposed - http://permaculturenews.org/2012/08/14/bt-toxicity-confirmed-flawed-studies-exposed/

Another Study - http://www.gmoevidence.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/JHTD-1-104.pdf


Dangerous Toxins From Genetically Modified Corn Found in Blood of Women and Fetuses
://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/10/06/dangerous-toxins-from-gmo-foods.aspx - http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/10/06/dangerous-toxins-from-gmo-foods.aspx

Any pesticide that is not safe for humans is toxic, just like Genetically Modified Foods (GMOs). I try using organic items that won't harm nature or humans except for those no good creepy crawly bugs. It's just a matter of staying on top of the problem which isn't easy.

Maybe we should start another topic on this debate.  I'm game anytime.  But in the mean time, we have someone with a problem with their tomatoes.  Let's focus on solving their problem first.

Kate, Thank you for calling attention to the fact that the OP has a problem with their tomatoes. To BT or not to BT, is another topic, and a topic that folks generally fall into one of two camps, neither able to convince the other to change sides. Probably enough said on the topic. Now back to tomatoes.