Just some observations about this thread.
First, Black Bear, you are in BC, Canada, and your main problem there are the foliage diseases, just ask others from BC, and Tania, who is in BC as well, who has that superb data base website has the same foliage disease problems as well.
From the first post I did here I've continued to follow the thread and I am truly surprised that several of you are still suggesting hot water bath treatments, but not surprised with those who say to forget it, with which I agree.
It all depends on where you live and what the most prevalent tomato diseases are, and whether you are a hobby gardener or a commercial large scale gardener. Just look in any of the catalogs where for a single variety seed is offered with and without hot water treatment and for what price. Almost all commercial growers that I know will request the hot water treatment specifically for its ability, when done properly, to inactivate most of the bacterial pathogens in the endosperm of the seed,
And I say most, since new pathogens are being discovered all the time.
Those in the south and along the Gulf coast up into lower CA have other pathogens to think of and the several gemini viruses are a major problem.
https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q...i+tomato+virus
The insect vectors for most of those are only found in the south, or were until recently.
Then there's new info on the Potato Spindle VIROID, not virus, which also can infect tomatoes, and here in the US.
https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q...e+tuber+viroid
And now a link from the above Google Search
http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.corne...rus_Potato.htm
My professional life was one of teaching and doing research and I've had more than my share of trying to keep water bath temps where they should be and for how long they should be kept to accomplish the procedure under way. It is not easy and I didn't have any seeds to worry about in terms of losing viability and there's lots of info on the net as to the degree of loss of viability that can occur.
I think it's a complete waste of time for a hobby gardener to try to inactivate something in the endosperm of a tomato seed when not all possible pathogens have even been studied that might end up there as opposed to the known fungal pathogens on the seed surface which are well known and DATA is available to indicate the efficacy of fermentation in lowering that fungal burden but is NOT available for any of the oxidative or bleach methods.
Summary? I think the suggestion to use hot water tratment to inactivate what is not even known to reside in the endosperm except for those viruses already tested and studied, which is not all of them and VIROIDS can't be tested b'c they are not the same as viruses and have to show genetic recombination within the endosperm to form a viable particle, whereas viruses can replicate independently.....is not a good idea.
I could be stronger that that in what I say, but won't. You have to know WHAT it is you want to inactivate to start with and that simply is not known for especially those viruses and viroids that can only be studied in PLANT cell culture, which introduces yet another barrier to making progress in this area.
Carolyn, now asking Freda to take a look at her few tomato plants in containers in the back yard to see if any deer had breakfast there or with all the rain if they need a shot of fertilizer and if they need to be sprayed with a good antifungal b'c of all the rain,
