WILL PLANT SUPPLIES BE ADEQUATE?

Trying to beat the plant shortage: A transplanting crew in Wilson County, N.C., sets plants at full speed. Will there be enough to go around? Photo by Christopher Bickers.  In North Carolina, about 50% of the acreage has been set, says Matthew Vann, N.C. Extension tobacco specialist. Transplanting began around April 1. A plant shortage could very well take place and that could be a problem. New seedings, should anyone try to grow them, are not likely to help. “It would take 40 days to grow a new crop, and plantings that late (June) aren’t going to have much chance of success,” says Vann. The transplant crop in Kentucky looks good in the greenhouse, but the yield may fall a bit short of needs, says Bob Pearce, Kentucky Extension tobacco specialist. “We would normally expect to get 85 to 90% usable plants, which would meet our needs. But currently it looks like usability may average in the 70 to 80% range”…Early season cutworms were common in float bed plants this year, he adds...USDA estimates that only a small amount of the tobacco crop in the state--maybe 2%--was in the ground by May 5.   In Tennessee, there have been no major issues in greenhouses so far, says Mitchell Richmond, Tennessee Extension tobacco specialist. “We had some recent cutworm infestations, but no major insect and disease pressure to note.” There were a couple of cold nights, but no damage was reported in the outdoor floatbeds. “Largely we are on track and transplanting is expected to start in the next couple of weeks or so, which is about normal,” he says. “We are just waiting for the weather now.”   The plants are looking good in the Southside of Virginia, too, but there is no great abundance. “I think we will have enough plants to meet our needs as long as we don’t have a disaster of some sort,” says Stephen Barts, Extension agent in Pittsylvania County, Va. Planting in the area got going seriously this past Saturday and Monday, but the pace wasn’t very fast since most of the area has been significantly dry. “Only the southern part of the county has gotten much rain,” Barts says...Virginians who use H2A labor (as most do) got off to a slow start since their workers arrived late, says Barts. But he thinks they will all catch up...USDA estimates that through May 5, 17% of Virginia's flue-cured had been set out, 12% of the state's burley had been set out and 10% of the state's dark fire-cured had been set. Transplanting in South Carolina is around 75 to 80% complete, says William Hardee, S.C. Extension tobacco specialist. “The crop looks pretty good so far, but we would certainly benefit from some rain,” he says.” Most of our tobacco was set in beds with pretty good moisture but has had little rain since.” Like most other tobacco states, S.C.’s supply of plants is somewhat questionable.