Tobacco Specialists Offer Advice

Source from:  PHILIP D. BROWN/HERALD STAFF WRITER 07/12/2005

Tobacco growth in Halifax County dipped slightly this season due to the U.S. Department of Agriculture buyout program, but those farmers who are sticking with the crop are focused on maximizing their yield. Because of this, the folks at Cooperative Extension offices in the county and at the state level have made themselves available to share technical know-how. Friday afternoon, a pair of tobacco specialists from the North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension Service examined patches of yellow tips on the leaves of tobacco planted in a Darlington field, shown to them by Halifax County Cooperative Extension Service Agent Arthur Whitehead. "It looks like he got a right good rain," Dr. Davie Smith said as he stepped out onto the field. Right away, he and his colleague, Dr. Loren Fisher, identified a potassium deficiency in the plants, which caused the wilting. Then the question became why. "I'm sure Halifax is no different than any other county we've been in," Smith said. "That means, you've got some nice crop, and some that's not so nice. This year, it's been cooler and drier, so you've got plants of a shorter stature, but I feel better about the state crop every day." Smith stood at the edge of the plowed dirt with his arms crossed. "Tobacco is a very drought-resistant crop," he explained. "So it can stand the dry weather, but now we're getting into a pattern where we're getting a little more rainfall." He travels the state doing much what he did in the field in Darlington, identifying problems with crops and diagnosing the plants. After seeing the plants had a deficiency, Smith bubbled over with questions; "What did he put on it?" "How long ago?" "Did it rain after he put it on?" A phone call to the farmer from Whitehead confirmed there was more than enough potassium in the field. Smith pulled a plant and dusted its roots in order to illustrate where calcium and potassium are taken up by the plant. "You know, it looks like it's almost to the plant. I'm not sure there wasn't something wrong with his application," Fisher said. "Maybe he had some lines clogged or something." "Tell him not to do anything, besides maybe put some K-Mack on it," Smith said in his final assessment. With farmers moving out of the business, Smith said that curing the tobacco will take up most of the production cost for many farmers this year. "If you haven't looked at humidity control and ventilation, now is the time to do it." Whitehead and other agents at the County Extension Service are available to answer questions and help farmers with their crops. Call the office at 583-5161 for more information. Enditem