Someone has been using Roundup or similar weed-killer.

What you are seeing is the initial symptoms of glyphosate herbicide injury. The white/yellow discoloration at the base of the youngest leaflets is classic.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: Glyphosate damage on tomato plants

, even had this problem last year.
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So, what happened last year ? did the plant survive, Was the color same way all season ? Did you save seeds from that plant and planted ? What was the name of variety last year and what is this year's?

Another possibility ( other tha herbicide effect) might be that your plant has naturally variegated foliage. JUST a possibility ?

Definitely herbicide damage.

Yeah unfortunately there is no other possibility than glyphosate damage in this case.

The plants will usually survive if the exposure was not severe and if exposure is not repeated although it will shed most of the affected leaves. If it isn't going to survive you will know within a few days as it dies from the top down. This is all explained in detail in the link I provided.

And saving seeds from the plants affected is not an issue if they survive and are an open-pollinated variety.

Hope that clarifies.

Dave

I had something similar in appearance in 2011. I diagnosed it as iron deficiency but the county extension office diagnosed it as Anthracnose. I pulled them out and transplanted to an area that was not anywhere near my vegetable garden and they grew fantastic so I don't think it was Anthracnose.

I would like to hear Jamb (OP)'s side of story if there has been any herbicide spray by him or by the neighbors. I cannot imaging spraying Roundup with a pump/nozzle becoming vapor and air born and then traveling some distance and landing on tomato plant ... I have done that even near my tomatoes on dandelions in the past with no ill effect.

Well, it does happen. Regularly.
Tomatoes are extremely sensitive to herbicide damage.
You were lucky you didn't have problems.

Seysonn, you had a favorable wind or the spray was course enough that it didn't get carried very far. I had damage to my plants last year when someone sprayed a field over a hundred yards away. They did it on a day that was very windy and blowing my direction.

You can't imagine it perhaps but it is actually very common. Every year about this time we get posts here and on several other forums from several people it has happened to - pics and all. Likely many of those posts are still here.

The appearance of the damage can easily tell you which type of weed killer was used as they all differ in the type of damage they do.

Per testing done, when conditions are just right some herbicide sprays can drift for over 1/2 to 3/4 mile and still damage tomato plants.

And the most recent issue with them has cropped up in just the past couple of years - sprayed mulches and compost containing sprayed ingredients that is brought in as tomato garden mulches and can still damage the plants.

Dave

PS: but yeah it would be great to hear something back from the OP.

Well, I plant vegetables at my parents, as my dad is aging and working in the heat all day... yes, unfortunately, I see where he sprayed roundup around the garden.. why, I don't know, he should know better. Looks like he kikled a few up and coming bush bean leaves as well. I let him know..

It only turned a couple plants leaves yellow and plants still growing. As for last year, they grew as well. Appreciate everyones response.

Thanks for getting back to us Jambi. I hope you plants recover. Tell Dad that if he has to spray for some reason to cover the plants with plastic first or otherwise put a cone (like a plastic drink cup) on the end of the sprayer and keep it very close to the ground so the drift is minimal.

Dave

Thanks. Yea I told him next time turn the nozzle to a fine spray and close to the ground... we're hard headed at times..

As for the plants, doing well but the plant I took a pic of, some leaves are brightening up yellow wise. Luckily the bigger plant looks fine.

OK. So the herbicide was howegrown:D
Good news that the plants survived and are thriving.
Lesson learned: Thank you

Oh wow. I've been doing this for a long time, and it's my fault! I sprayed round up with plastic cuffs on some "weeds" a few weeks ago! Why these? Sixteen plants and two affected! Will they make it? Oh well. I had at least 8 plants too many. I will try to link photos.

My pic.

O ! That is interesting. Now you know the trick how to grow a variegated tomato plant : D

"And the most recent issue with them has cropped up in just the past couple of years - sprayed mulches and compost containing sprayed ingredients that is brought in as tomato garden mulches and can still damage the plants."

^ this should be considered posted above by Dave.

The past couple weeks i have collected a bookmark file of conflicting pics and guessing on this issue with tomatoes. 50/50 split between drifting round-up and iron/nutrients, and some tap water issues, etc.

I may have mentioned a month or more ago about how odd my potting-up mix seemed. With-in days it seemed hard and dense and ashen looking. I switched to pro mix and started using my rain barrel water...though did not keep notes on individual pots, but my later, and properly timed tray of starts are fine. (started three weeks later than the early trays)...
I have maybe six out of a hundred peppered throughout my starts that are showing this pale yellowing in the center of fresh growth...

I used that questionable soil in a few 5 gal pots and put in a few toms that were way to big to wait for in-ground planting....(my bad for starting too early), but 'all' those toms are showing pale centers...now about three weeks later...A light hit with iron last weekend a few have recovered...one that had gone much more pale white did not. -still very much alive but the few leaves affected did not.

Spray drift can travel miles. On a clear sunny calm day.
Two systems can collide and lift without notice. Or in the time it takes to go in and refresh your coffee to return moments later and your folded newspaper is all over the lawn...

I'm not quite convinced that 6 out of a hundred random starts would be round-up drift.

One house maybe a 1/2 mile up the road might spray weeds...a tidy home...lawn art, fake wishing well, seasonal banner flags...'happy spring', and sports 'go Nicks'...a ring of glossy painted rocks around the mailbox refreshed every year...a very green lawn.
The rest of us are deep in a natural forest landscape....home of hosta and ferns. No one near me has a veg garden...or much of a lawn to speak of...just not possible. My starts have been outside and need to be moved around to get the slivers of sun near our driveway on various tables set up...
All will travel to the mountain garden and planted this weekend...finally. Some have been planted and some are in a southern window in the barn...curious how they are doing...