Almost every cook uses Tomatoes. Most gardeners will also grow tomatoes as their favorite crop. However, tomato farming has one great drawback, it is highly susceptible to many diseases, which affects their growth, yield, and quality. New gardeners sometimes lose a whole crop to diseases unknown to them or which they do not understand correctly. Understanding the different tomato diseases, and symptoms, and how to treat them organically should be the priority of every gardener. In this article, we will list the most common tomato diseases, their common symptoms, and the best organic sprays.
Quick fact
According to 2022 research, China is the number one producer of Tomatoes in the world. Producing about 67.5 million tonnes. Find the top 10 countries here.
1. Common Tomato Diseases
All tomato diseases are caused by four major agents: fungi, bacteria, viruses, and environmental stress. These diseases can lead to leaf drop, poor and low-quality fruits, and meager yields. To prevent your crops from dying, early identification of the disease and management of it are necessary.
Fungal Tomato Diseases (Diseases caused my fungi)
This type of tomato diseases are the most common of all tomato diseases. Some are very common and others are not very common. The following is the list of fungal tomato diseases.
1. Early Blight.
According to the article published by the University of Minnesota, Early blight is caused by two closely related species: Alternaria tomatophila and Alternaria solani which can infect tomatoes and other crops such as potatoes.
Read a full article on the causes, symptoms and organic treatment of early Blight here.
2. Late Blight (Phytophthora infestans):
West Virginia university describes late blight as the most destructive disease of tomatoes. Late blight appears like water-soaked lesions on the stem leave or fruit.
Read a complete guide on late blight; causes, symptoms and organic treatment in tomatoes here
3. Septoria Leaf Spot (Septoria lycopersici):
Septoria leaf spot is the most common type of Leaf spot caused by the fungus Septoria lycopersici. It forms Small, circular, or irregular spots with dark to grey margins on the leaves.
Read a complete guide on Septoria Leaf spot here
Bacterial Tomato Diseases (Diseases caused by bacteria)
Just like the fungal infections in tomatoes, bacterial diseases can also get so serious to threaten the living tomato. The following are most of the tomato diseases caused by bacteria.
1. Bacterial Speck (Pseudomonas syringae):
Cornell University Agriculture Research Center describes bacterial speck as the most common bacterial disease of tomatoes. It is caused by the bacterium Pseudomonas syringae
The fruits of the infected plant appear with tiny dark-brown spots which are usually easy to remove when you scrap them off by your finger nail.
Water-soaked leaf spots, which are brown or black in color, appear on the leaves at the beginning of the disease.
Read a complete article on how to identify, the causes and organic treatment of Tomato bacterial Speck here.
2. Bacterial Spot (Xanthomonas campestris):
A research paper published on the national Institute of health website describes Bacterial spot as “a serious disease of tomato” It is caused by four species of Xanthomonas:-
- Xanthomonas euvesicatoria (race T1)
- Xanthomonas vesicatoria (race T2)
- Xanthomonas perforans (races T3 and T4) and
- Xanthomonas gardneri,
The disease affects all above-ground parts of tomato plants including the stems, petioles, leaves, and also fruits. Characterized by angular spots on leaves and fruit, which may eventually cause defoliation and fruit rot.
Bacterial spots are characterized by small (less than 1/8 inch) brown, circular spots that are surrounded by a yellow halo. The center of the spot gets damaged forming holes.
Read a complete guide on the Tomato bacterial spot here.
Viral Tomato Diseases
As the word suggests, Viral tomato diseases are caused by Viruses. There are many viruses that can affect tomatoes. In fact more than a dozen of them. Following are some of the common viral diseases in tomatoes.
1. Tomato Mosaic Virus
This virus causes mottled yellow and green patterns on the leaves, along with stunted growth and deformed fruit.
Read the full article on the Tomato Mosaic Virus here.
2. Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus (TYLCV):
This is among the most dangerous tomato viral diseases. It causes the leaves to curl upwards and then turn yellow. It is transmitted by whiteflies.
Conclusion
In conclusion, nothing that causes significant challenges to any gardener like tomato diseases does. These diseases can lead to deteriorating crop health and even plant loss. Learning how to detect the disease early and preventive measures is more adorable than learning how to treat the disease. Choosing disease-resistant varieties, practicing crop rotation, and the careful use of organic pesticides and fungicides can help prevent and control the spread of these diseases.
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