Topics for this week include:

Georgia Weather
Drought Site Available
Crop Growth
Disease Pressure
Insect Pressure
Crop Insurance Adjustment Deviation Approved
Curing Barn Retrofit Update
Order Bale Tags Before August 15 2000
Georgia Tobacco Tour a Success
Georgia-Florida Tobacco Markets to Open August 1

GEORGIA WEATHER

Temperatures for the last four weeks have continued to be above average with extreme temperatures experienced during the previous weekend. Temperatures have reached over 100 degrees F and humidity has been equally as high. Rainfall has been below average with the continuation of the two year long drought.

Scattered showers five weeks ago helped to wet the soil enough to cause the crop to gain access to the fertilizer and grow off much better than it looked like at one time. Some areas received as much as six inches while others still have not received much over an inch. Since then the showers have been less frequent and the soils have dried significantly. Soil moisture is still only adequate to short. Additional rainfall is needed.

DROUGHT SITE AVAILABLE

With all counties in Georgia recently declared disaster areas and eligible for financial assistance as a result of continuing drought conditions the University of Georgia is maintaining a Web Site to keep others informed of water restrictions and other issues relating to the drought.

http://www.griffin.peachnet.edu/caes/drought/

Some of the western most production areas are still 13 to 15 inches behind normal rainfall for the season. Most of the production area has received 4 to 9 inches of rain during the last two weeks of June and most tobacco has grown quite extensively during this time. Prospects for a good crop look much greater after rainfall. Topping and harvest have been delayed for approximately two weeks beyond normal.

CROP GROWTH

Practically 100 percent of the Georgia tobacco crop has been topped and at least 75 percent of the crop has been harvested a minimum of one time. Approximately twenty five to thirty percent of the crop has been harvested for the second time. While early harvested tobacco was said to be green, most appears to have good color and much has small amounts of oxidized leaf.

Based on topping and harvest we are approximately two weeks behind normal. Topping and sucker control are progressing and as usual scattered showers have caused some problems with washoff of MH and the need to reapply on some fields. Topping and chemical sucker control timing has been made much more challenging this year due to the irregular grow to plants in the same field which flower at different times and different heights. This has reduced the use of mechanical toppers. Multiple applications of contact, fatty alcohol materials have been necessary to hold back sucker growth until a majority of the tops have emerged.

DISEASE PRESSURE

Disease pressure has been moderate in most cases. A few samples which were positive for CMV have recently been run through the lab at the Coastal Plain Experiment Station. These samples were from fields in Brooks and Lowndes Counties along the Florida line and were from a minor number of plants in each case. A majority of the samples run through the ELISA tests this season have been positive for TMV.

Approximately 6000 acres are seriously infected with TMV from just after transplanting. At least twice this many acres are affected as a result of secondary spread in the field from scattered early infected plants. Serious drought conditions early in the growing season will cause some lower quality and yields in the cured leaf of these seriously infected crops.

At least 25 percent of the plants across the state have been infected with TSWV. Early infection has continued to cause death of the plants, while later infection at or just after topping has resulted in the loss of some leaves and the reduced weight of those remaining.

Minor scattered incidences only for PVY. No samples have been run through the lab. No samples have been run through the lab and none have been noted in field observations. Traces of blue mold still are active in several areas of the state on tobacco which has yet to be harvested. Damage is slight and will not affect overall yield and quality.

Numerous instances of black shank have been identified across the state. Most are in areas known to have had a history of black shank. Most instances have occurred in varieties with low to medium resistance. However, there have been instances of black shank identified in fields planted to highly resistant varieties such as NC 71. Most of these instances also involved significant losses to pythium and rhizoctonia prior to identification of black shank. Several of these samples are being checked to determine the specific race involved.

INSECT PRESSURE

Insect pressure also has continued to be moderate in most areas and with most insects. Moderate budworm pressure has continued from early incidences just after transplanting until topping.

Hornworms appeared earlier than normal and have continued in moderate numbers until present.

Very low aphid numbers have been observed with only minor numbers of cases with large numbers. Extensive use of Admire on over 85 percent of the acreage has provided control of aphids and flea beetles until topping.

An occurrence of note has been the presence of granulate cutworms on farms in Ware County. On one farm, significant numbers of cutworms occurred in an area designated for a soil insect control demonstration and significant control data were collected. On another farm, in the same county, an outbreak of cutworms occurred early in the season and were brought under control with insecticide applications. Now, another outbreak has occurred and large numbers of cutworms have eaten ground suckers, lugs and primings right on up to the middle of the stalk. Leaves were riddled with holes and some leaves were cut in two and even off the stalk. Leaves on the ground were found to cover a dozen or more worms of various sizes. An insecticide application with drop nozzles successfully reduced the population, but access to the worms was limited. Early harvest removed much of the leaf which was a food source for the worms.

CROP INSURANCE ADJUSTMENT DEVIATION APPROVED

Risk Management Agency of the United States Department of Agriculture Approved Appraisal Deviation for Tobacco Mosaic Virus for Guaranteed Tobacco in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina for Crop Year 2000.

A significant development occurred on Friday, June 30, when the Risk Management Agency approved a deviation in the adjustment procedures for those fields with significant infection of Tobacco Mosaic Virus. The deviation allows unemerged leaves on infected plants to be considered as infected and provides for a reduction in the amount of normal leaf to be produced from infected plants based on the percentage of TMV Infection.

The process to develop and gain approval of the deviation has been ongoing since the discovery of severe TMV on numerous farms across the state. A debt of gratitude is owed to those at the Risk Management Agency, Valdosta Regional Office and Washington, D.C. Offices, to Senator Coverdell and Congressman Chambliss and their staffs, and to grower leaders who worked with the University of Georgia and insurance company representatives to write and gain approval of this deviation. Find the full text of the deviation and an example at: http://www.rma.usda.gov/news/managers/2000/#21

CURING BARN RETROFIT UPDATE

Although Georgia tobacco farmers got a late start at purchasing and installing retrofit heat exchangers as furnaces in their curing barns, it appears that over 150 units will be installed by the August 31, deadline for installation and application for reimbursement amounting to as much as $3000 per barn. Retrofits installed represent several of the companies providing the units as well as a number of hot water units.

For up-to-date information on the reimbursement program and the nitrosamine issue check out the Barn Conversion Web Site at the following address.

http://www.ustobaccofarmer.com/barn.html

Machines for measuring the temperature of exhaust gases and determining the efficiency of the heat exchanger units are now in each of the flue-cured states and are being used by County Extension Agents and Specialists to assist growers with maximizing the performance of their retrofits.

ORDER BALE TAGS BEFORE AUGUST 15

The Flue Cured Tobacco Bale Tag Corporation has announced two important changes in the procedure for obtaining bale tags for the 2000 marketing season.

1.) Bale tags ordered by August 15, 2000 will be supplied without charge. After August 15, tags will cost 15¢ each.

2.) All tag request forms must be submitted by mail. No orders will be taken by fax or phone. Other rules and procedures remain essentially unchanged from 1999.

Information on "Rules and Procedures Governing Flue Cured Tobacco Bale Tags: 2000 Marketing Season", the "Bale Tag Request Form for Growers," and the "Bale Tag Request Form for Warehouses/Dealers" may be found on the Georgia Tobacco Web Page at the following address:

http://www.griffin.peachnet.edu/caes/tobacco/BaleTags2000.htm

If you have questions about bale tags, please contact: J.T. (Tommy) Bunn (919) 782 5151

2000 GEORGIA TOBACCO TOUR A SUCCESS

The 2000 Georgia Tobacco Tour was a resounding success with great attendance, good information, good weather, and great food. Take a look at who was there and what went on as captured in the Tobacco Tour Image Gallery found under Breaking News on the UGA Tobacco Web Page.

http://www.griffin.peachnet.edu/caes/tobacco

GEORGIA-FLORIDA TOBACCO MARKETS TO OPEN

Georgia-Florida tobacco markets are set to open on August 1, 2000. The X schedule which indicates the date various markets will be selling tobacco should be placed on the UGA Tobacco Web Site soon for your convenience.

http://www.griffin.peachnet.edu/caes/tobacco

Thank you for visiting the Georgia Tobacco Hotline,
presented by the University of Georgia Extension Tobacco Team
and brought to you by the makers of Orthene 97 insecticide
with reduced dust and reduced odor.

 

Return to Tobacco home page