Tar Heel Growers Beginning to Bring Crop in From Dry Fields

Source from:  tobaccofarmquarterly.com 07/16/2007

Tobacco farmers in eastern North Carolina are beginning to bring in lugs from their drier-than-usual fields. The USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service North Carolina Field Office reported this week that half of the flue-cured tobacco in the field was rated either good or excellent, with only 12 percent rated poor or very poor. The drought conditions have generally not affected the tobacco crop, since the plant is considered a hardy plant in dry conditions. Bryant Spivey, the Extension Agent for Johnston County, North Carolina said the recent rains have "absolutely" helped both the soil condition and the plants in the field. Johnston County is the state's top flue-cured producer. "It's been dry enough, and hot enough, and daily evaporation has taken place, so it has not bailed us out of the drought," Spivey said. "But is has been a tremendous help." Spivey said the rain will probably not help the lower lugs as much, but could prevent setting the leaves' green color prior to curing. The valuable upper leaves on the stalk will fill out better as a result of the afternoon showers and thunderstorms. Rainfall has been scattered, and some crops in Johnston County have been substantially damaged from the parched conditions. Some growers have added irrigation to their crops, but Spivey said "there are some good crops out there that have not been irrigated except by rainfall." Spivey said that some instances of black shank and Granville wilt have been detected, although it is not severe. Only one to two percent of the crop has shown tomato spotted wilt virus, and Spivey said there is "more etch virus that I have seen in the past." The etch virus is spread by adult aphids, and resembles tobacco mosaic virus, but is not spread by mechanical contact. Spivey said he estimated the tobacco crop loss this season is running at about 15 percent or normal yield in Johnston County. "But some crops have excellent yield potential," he added. Dry conditions have resulted in less MH application than in past years, with no rain following an application to wash the MH off the plant. That could lead to increased residues if rain does not come after application. Spivey said the drier conditions could be causing growers to take additional trips through the field for sucker control as plants are taking longer to bud and flower. North Carolina is projected to produce 342 million pounds of flue-cured leaf, 7 percent more than last season and the bulk of the country's projected 476 million pounds. Enditem