What is this?

AlittleSalt · October 13, 2016

I have a couple of Big Beef VFFNTA still growing even though I know the roots are infected with Root Knot Nematodes. I did kill a small stink bug on a different tomato on a slightly healthier looking tomato plant three feet beside the plant/tomatoes pictured below. Once I knew the tomato plants are infected with RKN - I stopped spraying them with bleach solution or doing anything other than watering them - that was a couple months ago. I'm just curious as to what is going on in this area and how to correct it.

I've been observing crop growing fields nearby (Within a 3 miles Radius.) I have watched corn and grain growing stunted and grain not producing due to severe stunted growth. It's enough to call the crops a complete failure.

Something else that I have seen that is very different from years before - While I am not a rancher, I do pay attention to the local economy. I have seen round bales of hay selling for $25, and I've noticed a lot of hay that's still lying there bailed in 2015.

Okay, first the two tomato pictures, and if I can figure out how to use the card in my wife's camera - I'll post pictures of a failed crop less than a half mile away.

AlittleSalt · October 13, 2016

This is a grain crop that should have produced months ago.

Cole_Robbie · October 14, 2016

The tall green grass in the background of the second pic is Johnson Grass. I know that sight well. The corn might be sweet corn, and not field corn, which grows a lot easier. It looks like the soil had inadequate nitrogen. They may have dumped manure in the spot where the grass is so tall and green, but not spread it out very well.

Father'sDaughter · October 14, 2016

Robert, those fruit look a lot like pictures I've seen online of tomatoes infected with tobacco mosaic virus and/or cucumber mosaic virus. Any possibility that's what your dealing with?

KarenO · October 14, 2016

tomato spotted wilt virus? google some pics of that Robert
KarenO

ginger2778 · October 14, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by KarenO

tomato spotted wilt virus? google some pics of that Robert
KarenO

That's exactly what I think it is. Spread by thrips.

brownrexx · October 14, 2016

Those poor tomatoes look awful. I have never seen anything like that (thankfully).

In my area I see stunted corn like that in areas where the water has pooled and the field stays really wet in that area or alternately it looks like that during a drought.

AlittleSalt · October 14, 2016

You know, us tomato gardeners must think a lot alike in some ways. The first two things I thought of it being were a mosaic virus or TSWV. It was raining this morning with a lot of thunder and lightning, so I didn't turn on the PC. After the almost 2 inches of rain, I went out and took more pictures. The plants look way worse than they did yesterday. The last picture is why I think this is TSWV.

I meant to reply about that field picture. Yes, the taller plants are Johnson grass. It has gotten really bad this past couple of years.

clkeiper · October 14, 2016

were you saturated with rain this Summer? Do I recall correctly? I think the grain issue is due to how wet of a Summer you had. it literally drowns the roots. Or low spots tend to look like that during wet Spring/Summers.

AlittleSalt · October 14, 2016

The average yearly rainfall for DFW (About 50 miles to our north) is 37.54 inches.

The average yearly rainfall for Waco (About 60 miles south) is around 36 inches.

We have received around 42 inches of rainfall so far. I don't know why it rains more here, but it does. Today was a good example. It officially rained at DFW 0.06" where it rained 1 and 9/10" here.

The soil is very different here. Our gardens are sandy/silty loam, but the raised beds are sitting on clay of many different colors. There is black soil mixed in here and there, and our quarter mile long driveway has some sort of brown clay under it that grows weeds so thick that it's not easy mowing with a 5' bush hog mower.

In the picture on post #2 - in the upper right hand area is a brown roof of the house next door to the grain that was planted. Yet where our mailboxes are is on a part of the hill even taller than the field of grain.

I hope this makes sence, my wife is talking about wishing she was younger in the background while talking to our son on the phone. Don't we all wish we were younger?

Worth1 · October 14, 2016

Failed all organic permaculture corn patch.

Some folks down the street tried to grow corn in their front yard it was a miserable looking thing as were the tomatoes.

Some other people have a nice garden and yard but all the work is done by the Mexican yard man that comes by once a week.
He even puts up and takes down the holiday stuff in the yard.
Every holiday.

Worth

October 14, 2016	#9
clkeiper Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: ohio Posts: 4,350	were you saturated with rain this Summer? Do I recall correctly? I think the grain issue is due to how wet of a Summer you had. it literally drowns the roots. Or low spots tend to look like that during wet Spring/Summers. __________________ carolyn k

October 14, 2016	#10
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	The average yearly rainfall for DFW (About 50 miles to our north) is 37.54 inches. The average yearly rainfall for Waco (About 60 miles south) is around 36 inches. We have received around 42 inches of rainfall so far. I don't know why it rains more here, but it does. Today was a good example. It officially rained at DFW 0.06" where it rained 1 and 9/10" here. The soil is very different here. Our gardens are sandy/silty loam, but the raised beds are sitting on clay of many different colors. There is black soil mixed in here and there, and our quarter mile long driveway has some sort of brown clay under it that grows weeds so thick that it's not easy mowing with a 5' bush hog mower. In the picture on post #2 - in the upper right hand area is a brown roof of the house next door to the grain that was planted. Yet where our mailboxes are is on a part of the hill even taller than the field of grain. I hope this makes sence, my wife is talking about wishing she was younger in the background while talking to our son on the phone. Don't we all wish we were younger? Last edited by AlittleSalt; October 14, 2016 at 10:44 PM. Reason: spelling

October 14, 2016	#3
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	The tall green grass in the background of the second pic is Johnson Grass. I know that sight well. The corn might be sweet corn, and not field corn, which grows a lot easier. It looks like the soil had inadequate nitrogen. They may have dumped manure in the spot where the grass is so tall and green, but not spread it out very well.

October 14, 2016	#4
Father'sDaughter Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: MA/NH Border Posts: 4,919	Robert, those fruit look a lot like pictures I've seen online of tomatoes infected with tobacco mosaic virus and/or cucumber mosaic virus. Any possibility that's what your dealing with?

October 14, 2016	#5
KarenO Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Vancouver Island Posts: 5,931	tomato spotted wilt virus? google some pics of that Robert KarenO

October 14, 2016	#7
brownrexx Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Southeastern PA Posts: 1,420	Those poor tomatoes look awful. I have never seen anything like that (thankfully). In my area I see stunted corn like that in areas where the water has pooled and the field stays really wet in that area or alternately it looks like that during a drought.

October 14, 2016	#11
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	Failed all organic permaculture corn patch. Some folks down the street tried to grow corn in their front yard it was a miserable looking thing as were the tomatoes. Some other people have a nice garden and yard but all the work is done by the Mexican yard man that comes by once a week. He even puts up and takes down the holiday stuff in the yard. Every holiday. Worth