GETTING OFF TO A GOOD START IN THE GREENHOUSE

 

Plants up and growing in the Deep South! The last greenhouse in Georgia was seeded around the February 12 at about the same time that the first clipping of a greenhouse in the state (above) took place. Photo courtesy of University of Georgia/J. Michael Moore.   Sunshine: In North Carolina, it’s recommended that you seed your greenhouse when five consecutive days of good sunlight are predicted. “Cloudy days (in my opinion) were the number one issue we faced in the early part of the greenhouse season in 2020,” says Matthew Vann, Extension tobacco specialist. “There were isolated cases where it created variable growth because of the variable germination. We’re likely to have quicker and more uniform seed germination when sunlight is at its maximum.”   How to manage greenhouse temperature: "Do not let temperatures in the greenhouse climb above 90°F at any time," says Vann. "Cooler greenhouses (<68°F) will slow down or delay germination.” However, once maximum germination is achieved, temperatures can be lowered to 55°F, if desired. "Constant temperatures will also slow down or delay germination,” Vann says. “Thus, fluctuation between 68 and 86°F is critical."   The outlook for burley is not looking so good, but Pat Raines of Seaman, Ohio, plans to grow about the same amount this season as last, assuming contracts are available. "I had my best crop in four years in 2020," Raines says.   There’s been a rush to planting Connecticut broadleaf (CBL) in states other than Connecticut the last two years, but that may slow some in 2021. At least, that is what Extension tobacco specialist Andy Bailey predicts in the dark tobacco-growing areas of Kentucky-Tennessee, where the hopes were high for the type a year ago. CBL may yet have a place in the “Black Patch,” but Bailey is anticipating only about 1,500 acres of CBL this season, half of what was grown there in 2020.   How much tobacco does the trade expect from the U.S. this season? The Universal Leaf projections are usually a good indication. The current one projects a 20.5 percent increase for flue-cured but no change for burley.   Boon for growers? Imperial Tobacco (ITG) plans to place its marketing emphasis over the next five years on traditional cigarettes after several years of emphasizing non-traditional products. “We have developed highly detailed brand and market plans to support this approach and will increase investment behind a focused set of operational levers to strengthen performance and unlock value,” said ITG Chief Executive Stefan Bomhard late in January. Cigarettes contain more leaf than any non-traditional product.   On the other hand, British American Tobacco (BAT) will continue in 2021 its policy of de-emphasizing cigarettes. “BAT’s purpose is to build ‘A Better Tomorrow’ by reducing the health impact of its business,” said Jack Bowles, Chief Executive at BAT earlier this year. That entails: Committing to providing adult consumers with a wide range of enjoyable and less risky products; Continuing to be clear that combustible cigarettes pose serious health risks, and the only way to avoid these risks is not to start or to quit, and Encouraging those who otherwise continue to smoke, to switch completely to scientifically- substantiated, reduced-risk alternatives. Agronomist appointments: Maythem AL-Amery has been chosen to take the position of Team Leader of the Canadian Tobacco Research Foundation in Tillsonburg, Ontario. He completed his graduate work at the University of Kentucky in Plant and Soil Sciences. He replaces Mitchell Richmond. TFN is informed that Richmond will soon become the Tennessee Extension tobacco specialist stationed in Knoxville, although a formal announcement has not been made. Copies are still available of  The Bluegrass and Beyond. To obtain  one, send $20, plus $8  for shipping and  handling to Bluegrass  and Beyond, 7413 Six Forks  Rd., Box Number 126,  Raleigh NC 27615.  Questions? Call me  (Chris Bickers) at 919 789  4631 or email me at  chris bickers@gmail. com. Welcome to the February I 2021 issue of Tobacco Farmer Newsletter. If you haven't signed on to receive the newsletter regularly, please email your subscription request to TFN at chrisbickers@gmail.com. Include phone number and your affiliation with tobacco, such as farmer, buyer, dealer or Extension agent. Your copy should address 3 key questions: Who am I writing for? (Audience) Why should they care? Your copy should address 3 key questions: Who am I writing for? (Audience) Why should they care Benefi

LEAF MECHANIZATION IN 2021

 

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. Copies of The Bluegrass and Beyond are still available. To attain one, send $20, plus $8 shipping and handling to 7413 Six Forks Rd., #126, Raleigh NC 27615. Questions? Call me at 919 789 4631 or email me at  chrisbickers@ gmail. com. Right: A deteriorating burley barn in Jackson County, Ky. Yo ur copy should address 3 key questions: Who am I writing for? (Audience) Why should th ey care? (Benefit) What do I want them to do here? (Call-tovvvvv-Action)Create a great offer by adding words like Welcome to the Show Special 2021 issue of Tobacco Farmer Newsletter. If you haven't signed on to receive the newsletter regularly, please email your subscription request to TFN at chrisbickers@gmail.com. Include phone number and your affiliation with tobacco, such as farmer, buyer, dealer or Extension agent. Or call Chris Bickers at 919 789 4631. Your copy should address 3 key questions: Who am I writing for? (Audience) Why should they care? Your copy should address 3 key questions: Who am I writing for? (Audience) Why should they care Benefi

Bicker

BURLEY EXPECTATIONS CONTINUE TO DROP

 

There's not much U.S. burley to put in storage, as shown here in a file photo of one of Burley Stabilization's Warehouses in Springfield, Tn. No additional supplies of burley are likely to show up between now and when marketing winds up in a few weeks, so the 2020 crop will be a small one. Jerry Rankin, farmer and warehouseman from Danville, Ky., says he estimates Kentucky production at 41 to 42 million pounds, a little less than he estimated in early November. Attrition among growers could significantly affect U.S. burley production next year, as some leading growers are leaving the type. This past season will be the last one for Rod Kuegel of Owensboro, Ky. A decline in yields was the main reason, he said. “2020 was our fourth season in a row of under 2,500-pound yields,” Kuegel said. He doesn’t know why. "The declines seem timed to the effective climate we have had. We have had a lot of rain the last three seasons.” He will continue, however, to grow some dark air-cured. The rains have lowered yield for that type too, but the price has remained higher than it has for burley. “The companies that buy dark tobacco have been more responsive to the needs of the growers,” Kuegel said. In Cox’s Creek, Ky., south of Louisville, Scott Travis quit growing burley, his only tobacco type, after 2019. Like Kuegel, declining yields and stagnant prices were the main factors in Travis’ decision. “If you are hiring a significant portion of your labor, you can’t grow burley for $1.80 a pound,” he said.   With the 2020 flue-cured crop in Virginia marketed and in processing or beyond, Extension tobacco specialist David Reed believes production was about 10 percent below expectations. The quality of some of the down stalk tobacco was not good, but some cutters turned out well. In passing: Long-time Extension plant pathologist and professor Chuck Johnson of the Southern Piedmont Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Blackstone has retired. But the quality is very good, he says. "Here in our area, we have the best burley crop in 15 years." What makes a contract valid? According to the Risk Management Agency, it must be a written agreement between you and a processor or manufacturer of tobacco, and it must contain at a minimum: Your commitment to produce tobacco on your farm operation during the insurance period and deliver the production to the processor or manufacturer, The processor or manufacturer’s commitment to purchase the tobacco stated in the contract; and The total number of pounds of tobacco to be delivered. The January II, 2021, issue of Tobacco Farmer Newsletter: This issue ran a little late because of illness. In the next few days TFN will produce a special issue related to machinery...If you haven't signed on to receive the newsletter regularly, please email your subscription request to TFN at chrisbickers@gmail.com. Include phone number and your affiliation with tobacco, such as farmer, buyer, dealer or Extension agent.

Copies of The Bluegrass and Beyond are still available. To attain one, send $20, plus $8 shipping and handling to 7413 Six Forks Rd., #126, Raleigh NC 27615. Questions? Call me at 919 789 4631 or email me at  chrisbickers@ gmail. com.

Your copy should address 3 key questions: Who am I writing for? (Audience) Why should th ey care? (Benefit) What do I want them to do here? (Call-tovvvvv-Action)Create a great offer by adding words like

Welcome to the January I, 2021, issue of Tobacco Farmer Newsletter. If you haven't signed on to receive the newsletter regularly, please email your subscription request to TFN at chrisbickers@gmail.com. Include phone number and your affiliation with tobacco, such as farmer, buyer, dealer or Extension agent.

WILL FARMERS RETREAT FROM FULL HARVEST MECHANIZATION?

 

Another machine you would have seen at the Southern Farm Show--if it hadn't been cancelled: Hand primers for flue-cured [Photo courtesy of Granville Equipment]. There's a trend back to hand harvest of flue-cured thanks to the pressure to bring to market top quality leaf to the market. In response there is growing demand for "hand primers" like Granville Equipment's Four Row Hand Primer. Similar to the old riding harvesters, this type of machine helps produce the best leaf possible. Randy Watkins of Granville Equipment Company tells TFN that his company has already sold several units for 2021. Strongest selling points, after quality? “You are able to save energy and time when your laborers prime while riding. They can pull when the sun is at its hottest with less downtime.” You also don’t have to pick it at the barn. "You put it straight into the baler,” he said. The maintenance cost of a hand primer is about five percent of that of a multipass machine, he adds.   Worth repeating: It was a terrible season for South Carolina tobacco. A good production figure hasn’t yet been compiled, but Matthew Inman, S.C. Extension specialist, says many growers harvested only about half a crop. Too much water was the reason. The weather during transplant season in South Carolina is predicted to be warm and dry, at least for now. That could set the stage for increased greenhouse disease, Pythium being the most common. Inman is encouraging a preventive application of the fungicide Terramaster, starting three to four weeks after seeding. “Of course, nothing can take the place of good sanitation practices,” says Inman. “Start clean, stay clean.” RMA declares war on uncontracted flue-cured. The Risk Management Agency (RMA) has made two changes in its flue cured tobacco insurance program for 2021, both of which lessen the value of uncontracted flue-cured for insurance purposes. The first is that there will be two price “elections” for flue cured tobacco. Tobacco grown under a valid contract will receive one price ($1.80 a pound), while tobacco grown without a valid contract will receive another ($.90 a pound). Producers with a valid contract who choose to grow more tobacco than they have contracted will receive a weighted average price for all their insured tobacco. Also, uncontracted flue cured will not be eligible for quality adjustment this year. Editor's note: I derived all of this from some very confusing documents from RMA. I will provide a more detailed report in my next issue. Outlook dimming: At my request, my friend Robert Dudney of Gallatin, Tn., shared a few thoughts about non-contract burley and auction marketing. He is not optimistic. “Changes in crop insurance and the projected demand for non-contract tobacco is not good. The only positive outcome for non-contract tobacco would be resolution of the trade issues with China and EU and if crop quality in Brazil and Zimbabwe declines sharply. But if our crop quality remains very strong, this could cause an increase in demand that would help non contract tobacco. I hope there is a future for non contract tobacco and the auction system in the tobacco industry. But I would not hold my breath for this scenario. Overall, demand for tobacco is still declining, and it would take a miracle to save this sector of the market for the future.”

A final note: Thanks so much for all the kind words I've received about the book I recently co-wrote on the history of burley in Kentucky and its neighboring states. It was a lot fun gathering material for it, like the picture at right, which shows little Jack Mitchell, five years old, helping his father pick out worms and pull suckers on the family farm near Gracey in southwestern Ky. A photographer stopped by in 1916 and learned from Jack's mother that he was quite a worker. “But he ain’t old enough to go to school yet." If you would like a copy of The Bluegrass and Beyond, send $20, plus $8 shipping and handling for delivery by the US Postal Service (alternate delivery methods can be negotiated). To order, write to me, Chris Bickers, at 7413 6 Forks Rd., #126, Raleigh NC 27615. Questions? Call at 919 789 4631 or email at  chrisbickers@ gmail. com.

Your copy should address 3 key questions: Who am I writing for? (Audience) Why should th ey care? (Benefit) What do I want them to do here? (Call-tovvvvv-Action)Create a great offer by adding words like

Welcome to the January I, 2021, issue of Tobacco Farmer Newsletter. If you haven't signed on to receive the newsletter regularly, please email your subscription request to TFN at chrisbickers@gmail.com. Include phone number and your affiliation with tobacco, such as farmer, buyer, dealer or Extension agent.

Your copy should address 3 key questions: Who am I writing for? (Audience) Why should they care?

Your copy should address 3 key questions: Who am I writing for? (Audience) Why should they care Benefi

SOUTHERN FARM SHOW FALLS VICTIM TO COVID

 

There won't be any scenes like this at the N.C. State Fair Grounds on Feb. 3-5. That's because the 2021 Southern Farm Show--scheduled for those dates--has been cancelled. (Photo taken at the 2020 show by Chris Bickers.) 

Another farm event went down to the Pandemic when the Southern Farm Show for 2021 was canceled because of difficulties complying with COVID regulations. I am going to fill the information gap the cancellation has created by devoting much of the January III issue to reporting on new tobacco machinery, chemistry and any thing else that would have had a had a prominent part at the show fr tobacco farmers. So, manufacturers, if you have something that you think deserves to be brought to the farmers' attention, call me at 919 789 4631. You can include hemp machinery too if you have a good candidate. 

Welcome to the December II, 2020, issue of Tobacco Farmer Newsletter. If you haven't signed on to receive the newsletter regularly, please email your subscription request to TFN at chrisbickers@gmail.com. Include phone number and your affiliation with tobacco, such as farmer, buyer, dealer or Extension agent.

What not to do if you are planting new flue-cured varieties: Don’t plant more than a few barns your first year, says Matthew Vann, N.C. Extension tobacco specialist, and don’t plant highly resistant cultivars in the absence of recognized pesticide programs. “Don’t plant into fields that have not been tested for nematodes and treated where appropriate,” Vann says. 

The still-new flue-cured variety NC 1226, which was available to farmers this past season, isn’t immune to black shank, but in tests, it has shown the highest level of black shank resistance across multiple locations. Yield was comparable to K 326. 

Greenhouse season is about to commence in the Deep South, and J. Michael Moore, Georgia Extension tobacco specialist, advises going back to the basics. “Remember the disease that is the biggest problem in the greenhouse is tobacco mosaic virus,” he says. “Make sure everybody who goes into your greenhouse avoids spreading the disease from the tobacco products they use. And when you start clipping, remember that regularly using a 10 percent chlorine bleach solution to wash the mower will really reduce spread of TMV.” 

Just as I close this issue, I’ve heard a reliable report that Altria will not accept contract deliveries of Georgia flue-cured at the warehouse it has used for many years in Nashville, Ga. Georgia growers can still seek contracts from Altria, but they will have to deliver to a warehouse in North Carolina. This will substantially increase grower costs of transportation and may discourage some from contracting with Altria. Note: I have not been able to confirm all this, so if any reader can provide further details, feel free to do so at the phone number above. 

This is not the first time: An Altria delivery station in Kentucky was closed before the current season. Altria had been accepting deliveries for some time in Elizabethtown but withdrew from that location. Farmers who formerly delivered there are now redirected to Danville, Ky., which can mean an extra two hours in transportation time. 

REPORT FROM OVERSEAS 

A tariff on tobacco and sweet potatoes was announced by the European Union at the end of November. It plans to impose a 25 percent tariff. The effect will depend in part on how long tobacco companies think the tariff will remain in place, said Blake Brown, N.C. Extension economist.

 

A History of Burley Tobacco for the Coming Year 

I am very happy to let you know that I have recently helped write a short history of burley in Kentucky and its neighboring states. I and my co-author Billy Yeargin, tobacco historian and faculty member at Duke University, named the book The Bluegrass and Beyond to signify that white burley first appeared in the Bluegrass but has moved well beyond that area since. The core of the book is an oral history section composed of interviews with 14 burley tobacco growers who have grown the crop long enough to have special insights on burley pro-duction. And Billy has updated his popular essay on the auction marketing system over the history of American tobacco and uses it to end the book. If you would like a copy, the price is $20, plus $8 shipping and handling for those delivered by the US Postal Service (alternate delivery methods can be discussed). To order, write to me--Chris Bickers--at 7413 Six Forks Rd., No. 126, Raleigh NC 27615. Questions? Call me at 919 789 4631 or email me at chrisbickers@gmail.com.