Growing Tobacco In A Changing Political Environment

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Growing Tobacco In A Changing Political
Environment

• Dr. Gary Palmer

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Shoot the Groundhog
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A Wet Start Damages Roots Stems
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Effects of Rainfall on Burley Yield
2002 Yield 1930 lb/a
1994 Yield 2400 lb/a
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Poor or Damaged Roots May Influence Disease and
Nutrient Uptake
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Burley Tobacco Variety TrialHarrison Co. Randy
Wade Farm
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Burley Tobacco Variety TrialKnox Co. Carson
Gilbert Farm
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Burley Tobacco Variety TrialAcross Six Locations
3 Grades
Locations Henry, Monroe, Spencer, Taylor (3)
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Burley Tobacco Variety TrialAcross Four
Locations 4 Grades
Locations Harrison, Henry, Knox Whitley
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Yield Ranking of Varieties for Each of 11 Trials
Locations Bath, Harrison, Henry(2), Knox,
Monroe, Spencer, Taylor (3) Whitley,
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Minimizing Disease, Insect Weed Pressure

• Terramaster 4EC 0.7 fl oz/100 gal
• Pythium Soft rot in the float System
• Actigard 50 WG ½ oz per acre
• Blue Mold
• Admire 2F 1 fl oz/1000 plants
• Aphids Fleabeetles
• Platinum 0.8 fl oz/1000 Plants
• Aphids Fleabeetles
• Spartan 4F 8-10 fl oz/A
• Morningglories Nutsedge

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Pythium Soft Rot
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Pythium Control with Terramaster 4EC
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Possible Root Stimulation
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Terramaster phytotoxicity - Shoots
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Root Recovery
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Terramaster? 4EC controls growth of algae
Source W. Gutierrez T. Melton, North Carolina
State University, 2000
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Minimizing Disease, Insect Weed Pressure

• Terramaster 4EC 0.7 fl oz/100 gal
• Pythium Soft rot in the float System
• Actigard 50 WG ½ oz per acre
• Blue Mold
• Admire 2F 1 fl oz/1000 plants
• Aphids Fleabeetles
• Platinum 0.8 fl oz/1000 Plants
• Aphids Fleabeetles
• Spartan 4F 8-10 fl oz/A
• Morningglories Nutsedge

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Actigard Phytotoxicity
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2000 Blue Mold StudyCarl Waits Farm Jessamine
Co

Yields are an average across two tests. Acrobat
was applied to all but the check on 6/22. The
above treatments were made on 7/5 7/17.
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Minimizing Disease, Insect Weed Pressure

• Terramaster 4EC 0.7 fl oz/100 gal
• Pythium Soft rot in the float System
• Actigard 50 WG ½ oz per acre
• Blue Mold
• Admire 2F 1 fl oz/1000 plants
• Aphids Fleabeetles
• Platinum 0.8 fl oz/1000 Plants
• Aphids Fleabeetles
• Spartan 4F 8-10 fl oz/A
• Morningglories Nutsedge

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Controlling Red Aphids
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Influence of Insecticide Treatments on Insect
PressureBoyle Co - Wesley Pruitt Farm (2nd
rating)
PPlatinum, AAdmire, OOrthene fl oz/a except
Orthene in lb/a, Trans Transplant water,
Drenched plants were treated 1 week prior to
Transplanting
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Minimizing Disease, Insect Weed Pressure

• Terramaster 4EC 0.7 fl oz/100 gal
• Pythium Soft rot in the float System
• Actigard 50 WG ½ oz per acre
• Blue Mold
• Admire 2F 1 fl oz/1000 plants
• Aphids Fleabeetles
• Platinum 0.8 fl oz/1000 Plants
• Aphids Fleabeetles
• Spartan 4F 8-10 fl oz/A
• Morningglories Nutsedge

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No-till Tobacco Production

• Soil Conservation
• Moisture Conservation
• Reduced Field Preparation
• Allows timely field operations
• Cleaner cured leaf

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Transplanter Modification

• No-till Colter
• Cuts residue
• Provides narrow tilledzone
• Subsoil shank
• Provides loose soil under root ball
• Pulls unit into soil
• Press wheels
• Close and firm soil around roots

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Recommendations to Growers

• Learn as much as possible
• Extension sources
• Magazine articles
• Other growers
• Start slow, and learn fast !!
• Greater attention to detail
• Plan ahead
• Select sites carefully
• Past crop history
• Weed pressure
• Soil type

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Fertilization
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Fertility TrialJackson Co. Mike Huff Farm
Broadcast Sidedress
Number lbs of product, AN Ammonium Nitrate,
CN Calcium Nitrate, SN Sodium Nitrate

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Fertility TrialJackson Co. Ron Madden Farm
Broadcast Sidedress
Number lbs of product, AN Ammonium Nitrate,
CN Calcium Nitrate, SN Sodium Nitrate

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Nitrogen Fertilization Sources
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Attributes of Nitrate Nitrogen

• Prevent acid soils and low pH
• Reduce chance of Nitrate loading of plants
• Reduces green cure
• Reduces fat stems
• Which can freeze and bleed onto leaf
• Which can lead to high moisture reading at market

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High chloride in tobacco

• Sources
• Muriate containing fertilizers
• Chicken Liter
• Poor cured leaf color
• dingy, muddy, variegated
• Imparts unpleasant flavor and aroma to smoke
• Reduces burn rate
• Cause cured leaf to hold moisture
• moldy stems / fat stems
• high case can lead to rot during storage
• nitrosamines ??

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Tomato Spotted Wilt

• Incidence is increasing
• Spread by Thrips
• Field infection
• Few plants
• Strong edge effect
• Transplant infection
• Many plants
• Entire field

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Topping and Harvesting Burley TobaccoLaurel Co.
Harold Dean Cornett Farm
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Effects of Leaf Number and Harvest Date on Burley
Tobacco Quality Laurel Co. Harold Dean Cornett
Farm
Bloom Stage Harvest Date After Topping Bottom Grade/ Price Second Grade/ Price Third Grade/ Price Top Grade/ Price
10-25 3 weeks X1 2.02 C1 1.98 B2 1.97 T2 2.09
10-25 6 weeks X1 2.02 C1 1.98 B3 1.91 T2 2.09
75 3 weeks X1 2.02 C1 1.98 B1 2.01 T3 2.01
75 6 weeks X2 1.97 C1 1.98 B2 1.97 T4 1.91
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Curing Conditions
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Stripping Burley Tobacco into Grades
15.83
23.5
36.43
55.89
30.55
20.61
17.21
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Market Preparation

• Strip at appropriate moisture
• No Fat Stems
• Avoid over compaction in bales
• Tighter bales will cause higher moisture reading

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Additional Information

• http//www.uky.edu/Ag/Tobacco