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Apr 16, 2021 8:54 PM CST
Thread OP
Bayou Vista, TX
While investigating what may be happening to my tomato plants, I found this guy on one of the leaves (see attached photos). Does anyone know if it may be responsible for the condition of my tomato plants (Better Boy Hybrid and heirloom)? If not, can anyone tell me potential causes of sudden onset of slowed/stunted growth and abnormal foliage toward the top of the plant? Any advice on how to revive them--if possible?

Thank you,
Ryan
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Apr 17, 2021 1:07 AM CST

That insect is just a very ordinary fly that happened to fly by. It's completely innocent.

What you are seeing is called physiological leaf curl and the exact causes are unknown: mature leaves will curl upward as a reaction to sudden temperature changes, but the development of new curly growth... we really don't know much about it.
Genetics surely play a big part in it, as some cultivars are much more prone to it than others, but other factors... I really cannot say. As most cultivars merely become somewhat unsightly it's not really an urgent issue to address.
Be warned I had this condition on several first generation (unimproved) Black Krim plants and it ended up affecting their development to the point I pulled the plants from the ground... I'd like to blame a poor batch of seeds but their siblings, born from the same seeds, were absolutely perfect.

Since the late 70's (it was already mentioned in a book belonging to my grandfather printed in 1979) this condition has been blamed on "herbicides" but... it doesn't hold water, really. Herbicide drift was a problem in some crops before anti-drift addictives were introduced in the 90's but it looks absolutely nothing like this.
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