Welcome to the Georgia Tobacco Hotline
1-800-659-7288
J. Michael Moore,
Editor
University of Georgia
Extension Agronomist-Tobacco
Topics for this issue include:
Georgia
Tobacco Tour Canceled
Poast Labelled for Grass Control
Status of International Sale of US Tobacco to China
New Law Requires Grading of ALL Tobacco Sold in Georgia
Barn Retrofit Certification - 2002
Flue-Cured Tobacco Advisory Committee to Meet June 21, 2001
Georgia Tobacco Weather Summary
Upcoming
Events and Dates
Georgia Tobacco Tour Cancelled
With concern for the potential inadvertant spread of Foot and Mouth Disease
to the livestock of southern Georgia, the University of Georgia Tobacco Team
announces that the 2001 Georgia Tobacco Tour originally scheduled for June 11-12,
2001 has been cancelled with plans to continue the tour in 2002. The Tobacco
Team realizes the significant damage which may be caused from Foot and Mouth
Disease which may be inadvertantly introduced into the area by participants
who have recently visited infected areas outside the U.S.. It is the policy
of the University of Georgia Animal and Dairy Science Department that for all
university animal farms no U.S. citizen will be admitted to the ADSC Production
Units if they have been in Europe or South America in the last thirty days.
No one visiting from a foreign country will be allowed on the ADSC farms if
they have not been in the U.S. for at least 30 days. Tobacco Research and Extension
plots continue to be conducted and their results will be available in annual
Research Extension Reports and through future meetings and seminars. Refer to
the UGA Foot and Mouth Disease Web Site for more info: http://www.ces.uga.edu/georgialivestock/issues/footandmouth/
Poast
Herbicide Labelled for Grass Control
Poast Herbicide has been labelled for use in tobacco in Georgia since 1999 under
a Special Local Needs Registration for the control of a variety of annual grasses
which may reduce the yield of tobacco. The drought conditions experienced since
the beginning of this production season have resulted in the escape of some
grass in the row of planted tobacco, which may require considerable hand labor
to remove. Poast may be applied as a directed spray to grass in field tobacco
production using 10 gallons per acre of spray volume. A spray pressure of 40
to 60 psi at the nozzle is acceptable for application. Poast should not be applied
to or expected to grass under severe drought stress. Do Not Cultivate with 5
days before or 7 days after applying Poast. A timely cultivation after 7 days
may help provide season-long control of most annual grasses. For most annual
grass problems use 1.5 pints of Poast per acre and ALWAYS add 2 pints of Crop
Oil Concentrate per acre. Consult the Poast Label for specific recommendations
which may apply to your use of the material.
Status
of International Sale of US Tobacco to China
Here is a link describing the status of blue mold and the export of tobacco
to China. http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/pp/bluemold/china/chinastatus.htm
Chinese officials were concerned that by importing cured, processed leaf from
the US to manufacture tobacco products, they might introduce the fungal pathogen.
Consequently, a "Phytosanitary Barrier" was established in 1982 (with the ban
on U.S. tobacco initiated in November 1989) prohibiting the export of US tobacco
to China. US tobacco pathologists were asked conduct the necessary research
and present the data to Chinese CIQ officials establishing that the pathogen,
P. tabacina, does not survive in tobacco leaves harvested, cured and processed
for sale. The research data were provided to Chinese officials by USDA- APHIS-PPQ
officials over several years at bilateral trade negotiation meetings. On February
5, 2001, the US and China signed an agreement called: "Phytosanitary Protocol
for Exporting Tobacco Leaves from the United States to the People's Republic
of China." This was passed into law by the Chinese legislature and officially
published by the Chinese government on March 19, 2001 the official end of the
phytosanitary barrier. The protocol has two main requirements to sell US flue-cured
and burley tobacco to China: 1. Tobacco for sale to China must be certified
by USDA-APHIS-PPQ to be free of live sporangiospores and mycelium and must not
contain oospores. 2. An annual field survey for oospores in blue mold infected
tobacco leaves must be conducted and published by USDA-APHIS-PPQ. The tobacco
certification procedure has been drafted and made available for public examination.
An abstract from a paper presented at the 2000 CORESTA CONGRESS in Lisbon, Portugal
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/pp/bluemold/china/abstract.htm
The protocol of requirements for sale of U.S. tobacco to China http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/pp/bluemold/china/protocol.htm
The tobacco certification procedure can be found at this site: http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/pp/bluemold/china/certification.htm
New
Law Requires Grading of ALL Tobacco Sold in Georgia
House Bill 293 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE, Signed by the Governor 4/27/2001)
By: Representatives Ray of the 128th, Floyd of the 138th and Purcell of the
147th. Although the bill concerns a number of other issues, SECTION 3 provides
for grading of all tobacco sold in Georgia. Part 1 of Article 3 of Chapter 4
of Title 10 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to leaf tobacco
sales and storage, is amended by adding a new Code Section 10_4_114.1 to read
as follows: "10-4-114.1. All tobacco purchased or sold in Georgia shall be graded
by the Agriculture Marketing Service of the United States Department of Agriculture.
Provided, however, in the event graders from the United States Department of
Agriculture are not available and said Department so certifies in writing to
the Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture that graders are unavailable, then,
in that event, grading shall be done by graders approved by the Commissioner
of Agriculture." http://www.legis.state.ga.us/Legis/2001_02/fulltext/hb293.htm
Georgia Department of Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin Issued the following
Tobacco Legislative Alert in part (3/21/01) http://www.agr.state.ga.us/public_affairs/html/tobacco_legislative_alert_.html
"As contracting of tobacco becomes more widespread, greater protection
for farmers dealing directly with tobacco companies is important. Therefore,
I am proud to report that HB 293, which my department sponsored with the original
intent of dealing with fees associated with certain departmental licenses, was
amended at my request to require that all tobacco sold in Georgia must be graded
by an unbiased USDA grader, if available."
Barn
Retrofit Certification
USDA officials have signed the '"Decision Memo" okaying the barn retrofit certification
requirement for 2002. It does not become official until the notice is published
in the Federal Register. It's not a done deal - not yet.
Flue-Cured
Tobacco Advisory Committee to Meet June 21, 2001
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Flue-Cured Tobacco Advisory Committee will
meet Thursday, June 21, in Raleigh, N.C. The 39- member committee, established
by the secretary of agriculture, provides information essential to the orderly
marketing of flue-cured tobacco. The committee will elect officers, establish
submarketing areas, recommend opening dates, and discuss selling schedules and
other related matters for the 2001 flue-cured tobacco marketing season. The
meeting is open to the public and will begin at 9 a.m. in the Flue-Cured Tobacco
Cooperative Stabilization Corporation Building, Room 223, 1306 Annapolis Dr.,
Raleigh, N.C. Those wishing to address the committee should contact the Deputy
Administrator, AMS Tobacco Programs, USDA Stop 0280, 1400 Independence Ave.,
SW, Room 502 Cotton Annex Building, Washington, DC 20250-0280; telephone (202)
205-0567. Written comments may be submitted to the same address before or after
the meeting, or left with the chairperson of the advisory committee at the meeting.
Details of the meeting will be published in the May 23 Federal Register.
Georgia
Tobacco Weather Summary
Crop Condition Table May 18, 2001
--------Very--------------------------
Excel-
Crop
Poor, Poor, Fair, Good, lent
-----------Percentage------------------
Tobacco
2, -----8, --36, ----46, ---8
Soil Moisture
Table.May
18, Prev. 5 Year, 2001 Year Avg.
-----------------------------------------------Percentages----------------
Very Short ........................39 ................55 .......................21
Short .................................45 ................37 .......................35
Adequate .........................16 ...................8 .......................41
Surplus ...............................0 ...................0 .........................3
Tables from Georgia Ag Statistics Website: http://www.nass.usda.gov/ga
Upcoming Events and Dates - (Refer to the Tobacco Calendar) http://www.griffin.peachnet.edu/caes/tobacco/calendar2.html
USDA FLUE-CURED
TOBACCO ADVISORY COMMITTEE,
JUNE 21, 2001, 9 a.m.,
Flue-Cured Tobacco Cooperative Stabilization Corporation Building
Room 223, 1306 Annapolis Dr., Raleigh, N.C.
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