The DeCloet Canada exhibit at the 2018 Southern Farm Show. Photo taken by Chris Bickers.
I would normally be analyzing here what I saw at the Southern Farm Show, but that’s not going to work since the Show was canceled. So instead, let me share what I have derived so far this winter about machinery purchases or the lack thereof for the coming season. If you have a different opinion, or more to add, let me know. First, two companies responded to my invitation for information on the equipment they would have featured: - DeCloet-Italy has a topping machine whose head is totally managed by a sonar sensor. “[It] automatically detects and catches the height of the flower and cuts it," says the manufacturer. "The operator [never] moves the head, so he will have much more productivity and accuracy." Sorry, I couldn't get a picture for this issue. I will try for one in the future. For more information, call Alessio Scarscelli at +39 338 688 3548.
- Granville Equipment Co. is promoting its Four Row Hand Harvester, which I wrote about in my January I issue (“Retreat from Full Mechanical Harvest?”) Similar to the old riding harvesters, a machine like this would increase the labor required to harvest flue-cured but would also potentially increase quality, since you would have the opportunity to deliver fewer suckers and riper leaf. Maintenance costs are low compared to mechanical harvesters. For more information, call Randy Watkins at 919 693 7268.
Flue-curing barns? The numbers don't favor new sales. I've been told you can probably get a good re-tooled unit for a third of what it would cost to buy a new one. Burley? Even though there is a good possibility of a larger crop in 2021, the trend in industry offtake has been steadily downward, so major purchases of equipment are not likely. Especially not barns, since there are many unused ones across the belt. But I have been told there might be a trend toward larger sprayers and larger (or just more) transplanters. We are competing in a global marketplace, and perhaps now more than ever, most of our competitors have much lower labor costs than we do. But there seem to be a lot of problems with some of them, especially Zimbabwe, where infrastructure failings and an apparent reluctance by some contracting companies to provide adequate financing to the growers has contributed to some falling back from recent production peaks. Since Zimbabwe has been a major source of tobacco for China, you would think there would be some enthusiasm by the Chinese industry to source some tobacco here. So there may be reason for some optimism that China will return to this market. I am told, but can’t confirm, that there have been negotiations between Chinese manufactures and the USTC cooperative in N.C., with the idea of perhaps moving some or all of the “leftover” orders of U.S. leaf from the 2018 crop that wound up being blocked by the tariff wars. I will keep you posted. In other tobacco news: Market season ending: Only about one percent of the Kentucky burley crop remains to be marketed, and that means the U.S. crop should be entirely moved by a week from now. No one is estimating Kentucky burley production at more than 50 million pounds and probably less. There’s been quite an exodus among in Extension plant pathologists specializing in tobacco. I reported earlier that Chuck Johnson has retired at Virginia Tech. Now, Emily Pfuefer has left the University of Kentucky, and I have been told the N.C. tobacco pathologist is moving to another position also. No word as to who if anyone will replace these three. But I do understand that a new Tennessee Extension tobacco specialist will be appointed shortly. No formal announcement yet as to who it will be. New insecticide for worms: “Steward,” whose active ingredient is indoxacarb, has recently been registered in tobacco. It is labeled for control of tobacco budworm, hornworms and tobacco splitworm and has a unique mode of action in tobacco. “Steward performs similarly to our standard materials for tobacco budworm and hornworms and similarly to imidacloprid (Admire Pro and others) and Assail when applied as foliar treatments for tobacco flea beetle,” says Hannah Burrack, N.C. Extension entomologist. “Steward will give growers additional active ingredients and modes of action for these target pests.” For flea beetle control, Steward has shown some efficacy against tobacco flea beetle from early season foliar treatments, Burrack adds. “[But] we haven’t been able to generate late season efficacy for tobacco flea beetle in our research station plots.” So if you are hoping to achieve late season flea beetle control, use application methods that ensure excellent coverage, using high volume (50 gpa or more) and drop nozzles.
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