What is this disease?

[gixxerific]

This was on my Big Cheef that I have in a pot on my driveway.
Not sure what is and can't seem to find out what it is.
Thanks
Dono

[Rockporter]

Looks like Blossom End Rot to me.

[augiedog55]

agreed ber

[maf]

Is it the blossom end or the stem end that is affected? That looks like the stem end of the tomato to me.

If it is the stem end then it might be something else like early blight or gray mold or some other fungal problem.

[RayR]

Looks like Anthracnose. Sunken spots and concentric rings with black microsclerotia.

[kurt]

http://search.aol.com/aol/image?q=to...yword_rollover Look at pic #11. http://search.aol.com/aol/image?q=to...yword_rollover

[ginger2778]

It is Blossom end rot. Anthracnose had the wateryness and the fungal appearance too. This is not anthracnose. BER is super common, and although it is a deficiency of calcium absorption, most here think you don't need to do anything, the plant will simply outgrow it.
Some here think you need to give it a calcium "snack"
Carolyn is of the first persuasion, and Raybo is of the second. Many threads here on it.

[gixxerific]

I'm thinking BER now. Thanks. I went out and found another one. I wasn't expecting it this late in the season.

Thanks

Dono

[kurt]

Was it on the stem or blossom end?

[gixxerific]

Originally Posted by kurt

Was it on the stem or blossom end?

Sorry, it was on the blosson end. It was just to the point were black mold was setting in.

[gixxerific]

sorry kurt i missed your post with the link. Now you got me wondering.

Still thinking more towards BER but am not sure

Thanks

[RayR]

It is possible to have BER and an opportunistic fungal pathogen as a secondary problem on the senescing tissue. Do both the tomatoes you found have the same appearance on the blossom end? Any other spots on other areas of the fruit?
If it is Anthracnose there, then the black microsclerotia which are the fruiting bodies that make the spores would eventually create pinkish colored spore masses. You could bag the tomatoes in a clear plastic bag and see if any spore masses form.

[gixxerific]

Thanks Ray, I'm not an expert with disease...yet. But the second one I found was more BER like. I belive the pictured one just was missed and went to a more advanced stage.

I could be wrong, or should I say I hope I'm right and it's just BER. I will keep and eye on this.

Not sure if it matters but I have bad whiteflys as well I'm batteling on this plant.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by RayR

It is possible to have BER and an opportunistic fungal pathogen as a secondary problem on the senescing tissue. Do both the tomatoes you found have the same appearance on the blossom end? Any other spots on other areas of the fruit?
If it is Anthracnose there, then the black microsclerotia which are the fruiting bodies that make the spores would eventually create pinkish colored spore masses. You could bag the tomatoes in a clear plastic bag and see if any spore masses form.

If that lesion is only at the blossom end then it isn't anthracnose.

And yes, the initial lesion of BER can be and often is secondarily colonized by both normal fungi and bacteria in the air but most common are fungi and the most common fungi give a black growth and the most common genus is Aspergillus. And the most common species of Aspergillus is niger, so put it together and you've got A. niger. ( niger means black)

http://www.google.com/search?num=10&....1.qSoubLu7ZCk


Above is a link to Google IMAGES showing many pictures of BER and most with the black fungi overgrowing the initial beige leathery spot of BER.

For those who haven't looked at Google images before, just put your mouse pointer over a picture and up comes a window that confirms what you're looking at and also tells you where the picture is from.

Hope that helps.

[gixxerific]

Thanks Carolyn. That is what I thought.