Topics for this week include:

- Georgia Weather
- Transplanting Progress
- Insect Pressure
- Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus
- Blue Mold
- Actigard
- Spartan Injury and Use
- Messenger Labeled
- Tobacco Barn Heat Exchanger Retrofits

GEORGIA WEATHER

Most of the tobacco production area received rain on April 24, as thunderstorms moved across the state leaving behind between 0.7 and 6.0 inches of rainfall. The heaviest rainfall was near the Valdosta area, with decreasing amounts further north to Tifton and Cordele and Statesboro. Prior to this rain, most of the production area was very dry and growers who had transplanted tobacco had begun to irrigate. Gusty winds during the two previous weeks slowed transplanting and caused damage to transplanted tobacco. Limited amounts required retransplanting.

During the last two weeks, daytime and evening temperatures have run below normal with daytime highs limited to the upper 70s and evening lows dropping into the low 50s. Some frost was evident during the second week of April as some tobacco in beds and fields was damage.

TRANSPLANTING PROGRESS

By April 21, 93 percent of the Georgia crop had been transplanted. One hundred percent of the crop is expected to be transplanted by the last day of April, the last day for transplanting and insurance coverage. Plant supplies have been very short, with much movement of plants around the state and some importation of plants from Florida and North Carolina to fill the void of useable plants. Several greenhouse and field bed producers reported problems with spiral roots and poor stands. Most plant producers had reduced their seeding of plants to reflect quota cuts and reduced demands.

Planted acreage to tobacco in Georgia is expected to fall from 33,000 acres in 1999 to an effective allotment of 31,300 acres in 2000. Growers did not take the full 18.5 percent cut in their effective allotment because of underproduction in 1999.

INSECT PRESSURE

Growers and agents are beginning to report the presence of some tobacco budworms. Limited damage has occurred at this time. Growers are encouraged to scout their tobacco for the presence of tobacco budworms and to spray the appropriate insecticide when warranted. Budworms have reached the treatment threshold when an average of one worm is found per ten plants examined. Numerous insecticides are labeled for control of budworms on tobacco and are listed in the 2000 Georgia Tobacco Growers= Guide. Copies are available from your local County Extension Office.

David Jones reports a few instances of granulate cutworm and mole cricket damage. Admire use appears to be giving reasonable control of both insects. Greater than 85 percent of the acreage is expected to be treated with Admire.

TOMATO SPOTTED WILT VIRUS (TSWV)

The incidence of Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus in transplanted tobacco has increased as the earliest transplanted tobacco has remained in the field. Most of the more recently transplanted tobacco is exhibiting incidence levels of three to five percent of the plants in the field. Higher incidence levels in excess of 20 percent of the plants in the field have been reported in older tobacco in the Waresboro and Statesboro areas. These high levels are limited to individual farms and are not widespread at this time. David Jones reports that the plant house drench of Admire appears to be giving greater suppression of tomato spotted wilt virus than the transplant water treatment.

BLUE MOLD

Twenty one acres of tobacco in Bacon and Appling counties were discovered to contain blue mold early during the third week of April. Both foliar and systemic blue mold were present in this tobacco which had been transplanted two weeks previously. Hot and dry weather had helped to cause most of the blue mold to be inactive, however rainfall and cool temperatures are expected to cause additional growth and production of spores, with the likelihood of local and long distance spread. Transplants were determined to have come from a greenhouse in Florida. Other plants transplanted on the same farm as the greenhouse are said to also be infected with blue mold.

Producers in the areas of Bacon and Appling Counties are encouraged to spray transplanted tobacco with either Dithane DF or Acrobat MZ. Repeated sprays 5-7 days apart will be required, especially as the canopy becomes larger and irrigation or rain promote favorable conditions for blue mold.

According to Tom Melton, as of April 27, blue mold was reported and confirmed from a greenhouse in Moore Co., North Carolina near the Harnett Co. line. One greenhouse in Lenoir Co. still has active blue mold after discovery two weeks ago. Conditions remain ideal for blue spread and development in North Carolina.

Growers and Extension Agents are encouraged to monitor the Blue Mold Forecast Homepage

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/pp/bluemold/  

for predictions of blue mold spore transport across and into the Georgia production area. With Moderate to High Risk situations growers are encouraged to follow an Acrobat MZ spray program until the risk of infection is past. Acrobat MZ at 0.5 lb/20 gal sprayed in a band with a fan or hollow cone nozzle is best. Dithane DF also can be used at 0.3 to 0.4 lb / 20 gal sprayed the same way. These volumes are for tobacco under 6 in. tall. As the tobacco grows, more volume is needed. If conditions remain favorable, sprays should continue on a 7 to 10 day schedule.

SPARTAN INJURY AND USE

A number of reports have been made of Spartan herbicide injury to transplants in the field. Most injury is flecking and leaf distortion as a result of preemergence soil surface applications of Spartan. A delay in cultivating until after heavy rainfall allowed the Spartan to be splashed onto the leaf tissue. Most damage appears to be superficial. And plants are expected to live. One case of a spray tank left to settle out during lunch resulted in streaks of concentrated Spartan and severe injury to plants.

Several Georgia growers have taken advantage of the 2(ee) label for Spartan allowing a shielded, directed spray application following transplanting. Growers have either purchased or modified shielded directed sprayers for this use. When applied in this manner Spartan is not placed in the root zone, nor in the area of the plant where it may be splashed onto the foliage. Cultivation successfully moves the treated soil in the drill between the plants and results in excellent nutsedge control. 

Pictures of the injury are included below.

Top: Spartan injury.  Bottom: KMC shielded sprayer, left; Hydrapak sprayer, right.

ACTIGARD

Still no news relating to the possible labeling of Actigard.

MESSENGER LABELED

Eden Bioscience, headquartered in Bothell, Washington, near Seattle, was notified by EPA last week of its issue of a Section 3 label for their product, Messenger, a harpin protein, for all crops, including citrus, tomato, pepper, tobacco, peanuts, cotton and wheat. Messenger does not have a direct effect on disease organisms and is considered as a biopesticide used for plant disease management, insect suppression, and plant growth enhancement. While a label has been granted to the company, the product has not been through the tobacco industry voluntary evaluation of its effects on smoke and flavor and therefore has not been approved by the industry for use on tobacco. The smoke and flavor evaluations are conducted under the auspices of the Tobacco Worker's Conference Pesticide Committee in cooperation with the major domestic cigarette manufacturing companies.  EDEN Bioscience is in the process of requesting state labels.  Additional information on Messenger and contacts for EDEN Bioscience Corporation may be obtained at their web site  http://www.edenbio.com or by telephone at 1-800-635-6866.

TOBACCO BARN HEAT EXCHANGER RETROFITS

A proposed funding program worked out in early March to assist growers with the retrofitting of curing barns has yet to be approved by all parties involved and activated. Potential antitrust issues have been worked out and it is expected the funding program will be in place in a few days. We are assured (again) that funds will be available and the administrative details will be worked out (maybe) by next week. Heat exchangers are being marketed as an alternative to the direct fired curing systems currently in use as a means of avoiding the formation of nitrosamines in the curing tobacco. For more information on this program please refer to the following web site:

http://www.ustobaccofarmer.com/

Clicking on the picture of the stick barn will provide access to the Barn Conversion Site. After the final details are worked out, growers will be able to obtain forms from this site which will be required to claim the financial assistance to be provided following the installation of the heat exchangers. Additionally, growers will find background information on the nitrosamine issue and a list of those equipment manufacturers who are producing heat exchangers or alternative systems.

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