What threshold for flea beetles?

The current late season treatment threshold for flea beetles may not be reliable. The early season, post transplant threshold is still valid, says Hannah Burrack, N.C. Extension entomologist. “But until the late season threshold can be revised, base your management decision on plant damage rather than beetle density,” Burrack says. “If lower leaves appear ‘laced’ near the stalk, treatment is likely necessary.” ...For more on late-season flea beetle control, watch for the August issue of Tobacco Farmer Newsletter. Not on the mailing list? Send an email to chrisbickers@gmail.com, and write "Subscribe," your tobacco type or other tobacco affiliation, and state where you live.

Quality should pay in this tobacco market

Quality leaf may be the only leaf that sells well this season. “The world is awash in flue-cured, but it is poor-quality flue-cured,” said Blake Brown, N.C. Extension economist, at the U.S. Tobacco Forum in June. “The world is certainly not awash in high-quality flue-cured.” Will Snell, Kentucky Extension agricultural economist, said the situation is similar for burley. “High quality stocks are in tight supply,” he said, adding that the low quality of the 2010 U.S. burley crop, the uncertainty caused by the threat of flavoring regulations and unpredictable exchange rates all contributed to the relatively poor outlook for the burley market this year.

            

A good start for Coragen on tobacco

            The newly labeled insecticide Coragen for control of budworm and hornworm on tobacco appears to be enjoying a successful first season, based on reports received by Tobacco Farmer Newsletter.

            Burley and  dark tobacco grower George Marks of Clarksville, Tn., told TFN that converting from Orthene in the transplant water to Coragen lead to improved insect control. “It just works better,” he said in mid June. “We have had good luck with it this year and haven’t had to spray with anything else yet." If he were still using Orthene he would expect to be spraying more. If you use Coragen in the transplant water, do not apply Belt or Coragen as the first foliar treatment following transplanting, said Hannah Burrack, N.C. entomologist. Otherwise there is a risk of budworm resistance to Coragen, Tracer or Blackhawk, Denim, Orthene and methomyl would all be better choices. “You want a material with a different mode of action,” she said., 

Don’t slip up on slip sheets

An advertising message from Jim Bowen, president of Zebac Packaging
        In this era of tight margins, every penny matters when it is multiplied by your total sales weight.

        Slip sheets are one such area. A tobacco grower purchases the least expensive slip sheets that he can locate in the market. For discussion’s sake, let’s say he pays $2.25 per slip sheet. The slip sheet reads “Complies with VT-1,” meaning it can weigh from 4.51 lbs. to 5.49 lbs. What the grower is unaware of is that the sheet weighs 4.51 pounds with the wire which is perfectly within the limits of VT-1.

        The grower then takes his tobacco to the receiving station to sell. His tobacco brings $1.90 per pound. The tare weight at the scale reads 5 lbs. Subtract the actual tare weight of 4.51 lbs. and the grower has just lost $0.95 due to the actual weight of his sheet and wires. There are two ways to view this situation: 1) Add this amount to the original cost and the grower has paid $3.20 per slip sheet. 2) The grower will lose $0.95 for each bale of tobacco sold. If he sells by the tractor-trailer load of, say, 56 bales each load, his losses will be $53.20 per load. That could easily cover the fuel costs of each transport to market for most growers. This figure increases with each additional bale sold.

        Other points of concern about the functionality of the slip sheets should matter too.  The strength of the sheet and its resistance to tearing are increasingly important.  More and more buyers are classifying fragments of slip sheets in the bale as NTRM.  While it is possible that such infiltration occurs after the bale has been purchased on the way to the leaf-processing facility, it nonetheless reflects the individual grower’s product delivery integrity.  The final score card for growers matters when it is time to seek a volume increase for the coming season.

        There is no governing authority that regulates the slip sheets. It is primarily the responsibility of the grower to be aware of what he is purchasing and using. One way to do that is to make sure you are dealing with a reputable and experienced provider. Zebac Packaging has over 42 years experience in the packaging field and collaborated with NCSU to design the original slip sheets in 1997. In addition, Zebac Packaging has made several modifications since 1998 to increase performance and reduce the cost of slip sheets.

        Look for the “All-In-One”/ Zebac Packaging name on your next purchase of slip sheets and you will know that the weight is correct and you can buy with confidence.

       --ByZebac Packaging.

Flue-cured production projected at 8% above 2010

               Flue-cured tobacco production in the United States was fore-cast at 489 million pounds as of July 3, up eight percent from 2010,    by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

               Plantings are projected at 216,000 acres, two percent above last year. Yield per acre is forecast at 2,263 pounds, up 120 pounds    from a year ago. 

               Yields projected for North Carolina and Virginia were up

 from last year, while they were down in Georgia and South Carolina. By state: 

               --North Carolina flue-cured was rated in mostly fair to good condition. Many farmers have started to irrigate as weather has been hot and dry. Production was estimated at 395.6 million pounds, up   47 million pounds from last year.

               --Virginia flue-cured is progressing well. At the beginning of July, the majority of flue-cured tobacco was in fair to good condition. Most of the flue-cured growing area received rains,  contributing to a favorable crop. Production was estimated at 44.4 million pounds, up   4.5 million pounds from last year

               --South Carolina production was affected by drought as most growers reported a warm and dry growing season this year. The ma-jority of the crop was rated in fair to good  condition.  Some  growers  reported exceptionally low yields due to the lack of rain.  Production was estimated at 24.65 million pounds, down 11.35 million pounds for last year.

               --Georgia flue-cured was reported mostly in fair condition as of July 3. Production was estimated at 24.2 million pounds, down 3.1 million pounds from last year.

Looking to Indonesia to sell U.S. leaf:

Clove cigarettes could be a growth market for U.S. exports. Rick Smith, president of Independent Leaf Tobacco Co. of Wilson, N.C., told the audience at the recent U.S. Tobacco Forum that Indonesia is turning to American leaf because of a very real need on the part of its manufacturers. "The traditional blend--the clove cigarette--has a very high tar content, and the government is anxious to reduce it," he said. "Inclusion of American leaf can be used to do it and also add a flavor element."

More news from the U.S. Tobacco Forum held June 23-24 in Durham, N.C.

There will be no MH on Greg Manning's flue-cured farm near Nashville, N.C. Manning started his sucker control sprays just before the Forum took place, and he used the new Strickland Bros. sprayer hood to apply his six contact applications. He said he got excellent results when he used it last year. "We covered more acres faster with the solution we had, and we got good sucker control," he said. For more information, see the company's website at www.stricklandbros.com.

How much U.S. tobacco can be irrigated? Nearly 70% of the flue-cured growers and 54% of the dark tobacco growers responding to a survey conducted by the Center for Tobacco Growers Research (CTGR) said they have the capability to irrigate, compared to just less than 30% of the burley growers. Looking at acres, only 33% of the burley acres could be irrigated compared to 44% for flue-cured and 49% for dark. To learn more, see CTGR's May newsletter at www.TobaccoGrowerResearch.com.

CrossCreek Seed re-seeded two of its greenhouses earlier this year to provide plants for farmers whose houses were damaged by tornadoes in North Carolina on April 16. The program was a success. "We ended up moving 75% of the plants, about 225 acres," said Sam Baker, vice president of CrossCreek Seed. The company will hold its annual field day August 3 at 2000 Vass Rd., Raeford, N.C. The program will run from 9 a.m. to noon. Registration starts at 8:15. For more information, call 910-904-1888 or see the website www.crosscreekseed.com.