PLANTING REPORT IN THE NORTHERN END OF THE TOBACCO BELT, THE LAST OF THIS CROP IS HEADED TO THE FIELD

 

Photo: Transplanting flue-cured in North Carolina, File photo by Christopher Bickers.   In Virginia, transplanting got going last Friday in Charlotte County, says Joanne Jones, Charlotte Extension agent. “But it is just starting,” she says. “Most of the crop is still in the greenhouse.” Charlotte County growers grow flue-cured, burley and dark varieties. Flue-cured will be the leading type this year, with perhaps as many as 200acres. Burley acreage may be up a little, but Jones doesn’t have an estimate yet for this type. In Charlotte County, near the northern limit of tobacco production in the Old Dominion, burley is grown largely by Amish farmers. Dark types will probably be planted on 10 to 15 acres, she says.   In Kentucky, a small percentage of the state’s tobacco is in the ground, according to the USDA’s Crop and Production Report. Setting will ramp up as weather permits. The majority of the week was cool and dry through much of the state, then the weekend brought some scattered rain and storms. The average height of tobacco transplants is rated as 20 percent less than two inches, 45 percent two to four inches, and 35 percent larger than four inches. Transplant supplies are 99 per-cent adequate and one percent short as setting begins. In the Black Patch, very little of the burley and dark tobacco has been planted. “But what I have seen in the field looks good,” says Andy Bailey, Kentucky-Tennessee Extension tobacco specialist. The greenhouse season went well, with no major issues, he says. “We have good plants though not a big supply”…There will probably be a reduction in dark plantings since major buyers cut contracts, in some cases substantially. Connecticut broadleaf will be down also, for the second season. But burley will be up in the Black Patch. “I expect to see more burley grown in western Kentucky than there has been in several years,” says Bailey. In Tennessee, there have been no issues in the green-house, says Mitchell Richmond, Tennessee Extension tobacco specialist. “Most of our growers started taking plants to the field late last week or this past week,” he says. “I expect everyone will be planting early next week and perhaps we will finish two weeks or so from now”…The excitement over KT 222 continues to grow for the new (and probably last) hybrid from the Kentucky-Tennessee breeding program. Out of several strengths, Richmond said the best may be its excellent black shank resistance: 10 out of 10 to race 0, nine out of 10 to race 1. In North Carolina, Eastern Belt farmers got off to a really good start. "We got some cool weather, some rainfall, so when it got dry this week, our crop did real well," says Norman Harrell, Wilson Extension Director ...About 80% of the crop has been set out, he says. There was definitely no surplus of plants, Harrell says, but there was some creativity: "One of our farmers did a second seeding of one greenhouse to provide some extra plants." Most of those plants are still in the greenhouse but Harrell says this tactic looks like it will provide some extra plants if needed. In South Carolina, it took Ben Teal of Patrick just a week--starting around April 15--to set out his small flue-cured crop. He farms in the northwest corner of the state’s tobacco area. “As of now,” he says, “I am optimistic: We have a good stand and are off to a good start.” The only problem so far has been some strong wind last week. He had enough plants to cover his needs, unlike some other S.C. growers…He has been hand harvesting his crop but plans to go 100% mechanical next year due the difficulty of finding local labor for an operation of his scale…Teal elected to plant 30 acres this year, the same as in 2022. Crop progress according to USDA-NASS and Extension (as of May 8): GA–96% planted; FL--100% planted; SC—35% planted; NC Flue-- 62% plant-ed; VA Flue-- 19% planted; VA Fire-cured--19% plant-ed, VA Burley--10% planted; KY Burley, dark—2% planted. And in Canada, the 2023 greenhouse season has been characterized by very few warm days and many cool and cloudy ones, according to the Canada Tobacco Research Foundation. “Nevertheless, most greenhouses have good seed germination and seedling uniformity,” the found-ation says. “Seedlings between farms vary in size depending on the type of production method being used and when seeding was started.” A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR Because of a surgical procedure I am having, I expect to have difficulty using a telephone for a few weeks. If you need to communicate with me {from now until June 1}, better use my email address: chrisbickers@gmail.com. Thanks.--Chris.