Mulio, thank you!!!!!
You mentioned something in another thread as the source of spots on tomato leaves that I've never seen elsewhere, at least on the sites that list diseases and pest damage.
TOMATO PLANT LEAF EDEMA!
I've seen nearly a dozen GW posts with pictures of leaves with spots that don't seem to match any disease or insect damage that are usually listed on reputable sites. I've had the unidentifiable spots on my plant leaves, too, and worried for a long time about disease.
I finally concluded that the cool wet Spring weather must have something to do with physiologically triggering the spots.
So after I read your post, I did some internet hunting, and dang if you aren't right! Sure enough, one of the causes of leaf edema is too much water that "stimulates an abnormal increase in the size and number of a group of inner cells". See this site for more information.
Here's pertinent information related to tomatoes about the condition:
Edema may be a problem on the following vegetables: tomato foliage and fruit; bean foliage and pods; cabbage; broccoli; cauliflower; Brussels sprouts; potato foliage; most cucurbit fruit, foliage and stem. Probably all succulent tissues of vegetable crops are susceptible to edema.
Symptoms
Symptoms of edema are variable and depend on the plant species, the plant parts affected, and tenderness of the tissue. Typically, symptoms appear on the succulent leaves, stems, flowers, and fruit of susceptible plants as single, minute, watersoaked "blisters," "wart," or galls.
Causes
Edema may be caused by any agent that stimulates an abnormal increase in the size and number of a group of inner cells. Edema can be induced by (1) spraying with some chemicals such as ammoniacal copper carbonate in an oil emulsion, (2) injuries resulting from wind-blown sand particles and sucking insects, (3) high light intensity (over 2000 foot-candles) for ivy geraniums, and (4) accumulation of water in the intercellular spaces.
The most common cause of edema is the presence of abundant, warm soil water and a cool, moist atmosphere. Under these conditions the roots absorb water at a rate faster than is lost through transpiration. Excess water accumulates in the leaf, some parenchyma cells enlarge and block the stomatal openings through which water vapor is normally released from the plant; thereby contributing to further water retention in the leaf. If this condition persists, the enlarged cells divide, differentiate a cork cambium, and develop elongate cork cells externally to form a periderm. The rupture of the epidermis by the enlarged inner cells and the periderm account for the raised, crusty appearance of older edema spots.
So, again, enthusiastic thanks! I and many other people would have worried ourselves nutty trying to figure out what the spots are!
catman529
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