Growing Burley Tobacco in a Post Buyout Environment

1
Growing Burley Tobacco in a Post Buyout
Environment

• Dr. Gary Palmer
• University of Kentucky

2
Good Agricultural Practices

• Produced in a timely manner
• Good management essential
• Use of agronomically sound practices
• Economically viable returns
• High yield per acre
• Reduce Environmental Impact of Production

3
What Will the Term Quality Mean?

• Desirable for buyer
• Contracted amount supplied
• Cured properly
• Free of foreign material
• Low in undesirable elements
• Nornicotine
• Nitrosamines
• nitrate nitrites
• Low pesticide residue
• No unlabeled pesticides
• No excessive residues of labeled chemicals

4
Timely Production

• Seeding so that plants will be ready to set on
  time
• Watch weather reports to reduce gas expense
• Controlling environment to minimize temperature
  disease related damage
• Disease prevention
• To reduce delays
• To improve transplant quality

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Terramaster for pythium control
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Transplant on time

• Can improve yield
• Reduce disease incidence
• Blue mold
• Virus complex
• Some curing concerns

Whats the difference between a good farmer and a
bad farmer?
7
Varieties Will Be Screened

• Varieties may have some plants in the population
  that produce a high amount of nornicotine
  (Converters)
• Nornicotine may lead to NNN (Nitrosonornicotine)
  one of the Tobacco Specific NitrosAmines
• By cleaning up the variety so that most plants
  have a low level, NNN will develop at only a low
  level

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Some Varieties Will Be Dropped

• Screening is expensive and older varieties would
  cost too much to justify upkeep
• Good alternatives are available to replace most
  older varieties
• A good disease package will be essential
• Use of some varieties may drop
• 14 x L8
• High management
• Tendency to initiate suckers early
• KY 907
• Lodging quality
• TN 86
• Quality
• Public varieties may not be screened
• Make sure that the variety you use has been
  screened

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LC Varieties

• Screened varieties
• Re-released as LC varieties
• LC varieties available to growers in 2005
• TN 90LC, TN 86LC, TN 97LC, KT 200LC, KY 907LC
• KY 14LC, KY17LC, KY 14 X L8LC
• NO difference except for conversion
• Same for yield, quality, disease resistance
• TN 90 LC is still TN 90

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Burley Tobacco Variety TrialAcross 8 Locations
4 Grades
Locations Clinton, Henry, Taylor (3), Trimble(2)
Wayne Counties
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Nitrogen Use

• Optimum levels
• Soil Level of N Lbs. N/ac
• High 150-200
• Medium 200-250
• Low 250-300

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Nitrogen Changes in Competing Countries

• Brazil
• Changes
• Rate
• From 250 lb/a
• To 150 lb/a
• Type
• From Ammonium Nitrate Urea
• To Soda Potash (100 Nitrate Nitrogen)

13
Effects of Nitrogen Rate on Burley Yield
Madison Co. Gregg Harris Farm
All plots received 450 lb/a Ammonium Nitrate
Broadcast followed by the remainder of the
nitrogen shortly after transplanting. AN
Ammonium Nitrate. 14-0-14 is a calcium/potassium
nitrate mix
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Disease Management

• Crop Rotation
• Prevention
• Conservation Tillage
• Utilization of disease free land

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• Blue Mold
• Preventative
• Acrobat
• Actigard
• Avoid
• Shade
• Low wet areas
• Infected Transplants

• Black Shank
• Rotation
• Resistant Varieties
• Ridomil
• Sanitation

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Controlling Red Aphids

• Admire
• Platinum

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Pesticide Concerns

• Illegal pesticides
• Could void contract
• Indiscriminant use of labeled pesticides
• Endosulfan (Golden Leaf)
• MH

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Recommended Sucker Control

• 1.5 gal MH .5 gal of either Prime or Butralin
• Coarse Nozzles
• TG-3 if tractor mounted sprayer or high clearance
  sprayer in rough terrain
• TG-5 if high clearance on level ground

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Consistent Supply
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Topping

• Top can vary by company
• May change in the future
• Top to 23-24 leaves
• For companies looking for more tips
• Topping height can influence other factors
• Leaf spread
• Cured leaf color
• Root development
• Nicotine levels
• Disease incidence

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Harvest date

• Harvest mature tobacco
• Usually at 4 weeks after topping
• Weather may delay
• Late maturing varieties may need more time

Yield
Quality
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Harvest Problems

• Avoid Green
• Sunburn
• Mud

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Curing Burley Tobacco
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Curing Problem

• Low humidity/high temperature
• Drying, not a cure
• Low humidity/satisfactory temperature
• Variegated, piebald or green tobacco
• Low or high humidity/low temperature
• Green tobacco
• High humidity/high temperature
• House burn, microbial growth and excessive
  weight loss

25
Percentage of Tobacco Stripped into Each Grade
from 8 Locations
Locations Clinton, Henry, Taylor (3), Trimble(2)
Wayne Counties
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Crop Throw

• Typical
• Flyings 4 leaves
• Lugs 9 leaves
• Leaf 8 leaves
• Tips 4 leaves

• Contract Demand
• Flyings 1-3 leaves
• Lugs 4-6 leaves
• Leaf 11-12 leaves
• Tips 4-6 leaves

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Market Prep Storage

• Wait till cure is complete
• No fat stems
• Avoid
• High moisture
• High pressure during baling
• Non-tobacco related material
• Storage
• Minimal amount of time
• Avoid plastic
• Provide ventilation