Burley and Dark Tobacco Update

1. Burley and Dark Tobacco Update ANR Agent Training, December 13, 2007 Andy Bailey Tobacco Specialist Univ. of KY / Univ. of TN Princeton, KY

2. Outline Nitrogen fertilizer issues Source concerns Rate recommendations Possible boron deficiency Pesticide residues Endosulfan MH Variety Update 2008 Contracting

3. Nitrogen Fertilizer Issues • Economics • Leaf prices steady for burley (at best) • N fertilizer prices up • Price tied to natural gas • Transportation costs up • Nitrosamine concerns • Tobacco companies want less N applied • Quality concerns • Too little N: thin body, poor yield • Too much N: delayed maturity, fat stems • Potential regulations on ammonium nitrate

4. Price Per Unit of Nitrogen for Selected Fertilizer Materials

5. Alternative N Sources • Dolomitic – Ammonium Nitrate (27% N) • Ammonium nitrate mixed with lime • 78% ammonium nitrate • Theoretically similar to ammonium nitrate • Can impregnate some chemicals ? • Relatively high cost? • Availability (Bagged) • Limited practical experience • Initial acceptance • Poor • Another alternative: 21-7-14

6. Alternative N Sources • Nitrate Nitrogen • Calcium Nitrate (15.5% N) • Sodium-Potassium Nitrate (15% N) • Immediate uptake (good for sidedressing) • Good for low pH soils • Erratic availability • High cost (>$1.20 /lb.) • Low analysis • High transport cost

7. UAN • Cost competitive • Easy to apply • Commonly used in Western KY

8. Conversion to Nitrate in Soil

10. Multi-State Burley Tobacco N test Six location/years (TN, VA, and KY)

11. Multi-State Burley Tobacco N test Six location/years (TN, VA, and KY)

12. Burley Dark Soil pH = 7.5 Plant Boron 24 ppm Soil pH = 7.3 Plant Boron = 14 ppm Possible Boron Deficiency Foliar Boron may Alleviate 0.25 lbs/A Boron = 1.5 Solubor DF/A foliar

13. Boron Fertility TestBernie Cave Farm 2007 Planted 6/16/07 Rated 7/26/07 ppm B in plant Check = 13.0 0.25 TW = 15.3 0.50 TW = 18.3

14. Pesticide Concerns • Illegal pesticides • Could void contract • Indiscriminant use of labeled pesticides • Endosulfan (Golden Leaf or Thiodan) • Do not use at or after topping • MH • Use lower rate tank-mixed with local systemic • 1.5 gal/A MH with 0.5 gal/A Prime+ or Butralin

15. Endosulfan Residues in Cured Burley:University of Tennessee 2005 * Harvested 20 days after last application ** Harvested 5 days after last application

16. If I can’t use Endosulfan what can I use?

17. Start right for long-term aphid control • Admire 2F • 1 oz/1000 • Admire Pro • 0.5 fl oz/1000 • Generics • Alias • Couraze • Nuprid • Widow • Platinum • 0.8 fl oz/1000 1 fl oz/ 1000

18. Presence of Aphids and Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus8 wks after transplantingUKREC, Princeton, KY - 2004 TSWV

20. New Insecticides • Capture LFR (FMC) • Registered for tobacco in 2007 • Active ingredient bifenthrin (1.5E) • Can be used pretransplant, TPW, or foliar • Belt (Bayer CropScience) • Registration for tobacco in US expected 2008 • Active ingredient flubendiamide • Disrupts calcium balance in muscles • Safe to many beneficials

21. 2007 Capture Insecticide TrialUKREC, Princeton, KY Hornworm / Budworm Damage 2 foliar applications, none after layby * # Worm Damaged Plants per plot * * Orthene 97 0.77 lb/A Tracer 4SC 2 oz/A Foliar Capture LFR 7 oz/A 7 oz/A Foliar Capture 2EC 4 oz/A 6.4 oz/A Foliar Capture 2EC 5 oz/A TPW

22. LSD0.05= 42 199 162 232 315 (total) Total Yield/Acre: 2756 2910 2985 2873 Dark-fired Yield / Acre (lbs) Orthene 97 0.77 lb/A Tracer 4SC 2 oz/A Foliar Capture LFR 7 oz/A 7 oz/A Foliar Capture 2EC 4 oz/A 6.4 oz/A Foliar Capture 2EC 5 oz/A TPW 2007 Capture Insecticide TrialUKREC, Princeton, KY

23. 2006 Belt Insecticide TrialUKREC, Princeton, KY Hornworm / Budworm Damage * 2 foliar applications made # Worm Damaged Plants per plot Belt 1 oz/A (2 app.) Belt 1.5 oz/A (2 app.) Belt 2 oz/A (2 app.) Orthene 97 0.77 lb/A Dipel DF 1 lb/A Untreated

24. LSD(0.05) = 262 202 197 391 (total) Total Yield (lbs/A): 3464 3555 3557 3658 3673 Dark-fired Yield (lbs/A) Local Standard Orthene 97 Dipel DF Belt 1.0 oz/A 2 apps Belt 1.5 oz/A 2 apps Belt 2.0 oz/A 2 apps Untreated 2006 Belt Insecticide TrialUKREC, Princeton, KY

25. Reduce or Eliminate MH?

26. Manual Sucker control • Very labor intensive • Manual stalk rundown • 2 to 3 applications • MH discouraged for dark • Average 5 man hrs/acre • Worker Protection Issues • Research/Extension: Develop spray methods • Effective long-term sucker control • Preserve leaf quality • Timing and coverage • Spray volume • Reduced MH rates

27. Combination Sucker Control Recommendation • Reduce MH rate and add a local systemic • 1.5 gal MH + 0.5 gal Butralin, Flupro or Prime+ • Use Coarse nozzles • TG-5 / CE-5 or equivalent at 4-4.5 mph • TG-3 / CE-3 or equivalent at 2.5-3 mph

28. 2006 MH-Free Burley Sucker Control TreatmentsUKREC, Princeton, KY *AT=at topping; OT=over-the-top; SRD=stalk rundown. Timing is days after topping.

29. Pre-Harvest Sucker Control Evaluation5 wks after topping, just prior to harvest

30. LSD(0.05) = 75 234 196 64 236 (Total) Total Yield/A: 2624 2810 2366 2344 2382 2497 2640 2705 2020 Yield (lbs/A) RTM fb RTM+But OT RTM fb MH OT TNS Check RTM fb RTM fb Butralin OT But fb But SRD RTM fb Butralin OT But fb But OT 50 GPA But fb But OT 55 GPA But fb But OT 60 GPA 2006 Burley Tobacco YieldMH-Free Burley Sucker Control TrialUKREC, Princeton, KY

31. Effects of Nozzle Size on Sucker ControlOST fb OST+Butralin TreatmentsSpindletop Farm All Nozzles were TG full cone nozzles

32. Getting Closer to MH free but …. • Will require multiple trips • Fatty alcohol at or prior to topping • At least one trip after topping • Fatty alcohol availability and price ??? • Still expect some escapes • Usually top one or two nodes • Some hand removal may be necessary • Relatively low sucker pressure in 2007? • No MH-Free incentive currently offered

33. Burley Variety Update • KT 206 • High black shank resistance (race 0) • Blue mold tolerance (similar to TN 90) • High Yield (3300 - 3400) • Big tobacco/large stalk • N 7371 • Moderate black shank resistance • Long narrow leaves • High yield (3200) • Dark color • HB3307PLC • High resistance to Race 0 black shank, moderate Race 1 resistance • Resistance to black root rot, TMV, wildfire • H404 • Drought tolerance • Disease resistance similar to TN86 and TN90 • Not as susceptible to blue mold as H403

34. 2007 Burley Tobacco YieldWoodford Co. – Rusty Thompson Farm

35. 2007 Burley Variety TrialUKREC, Princeton, KY LSD0.05 = 109 174 269 110 242 (total) Total Yield (lbs/A): 2533 2722 2650 2498 2500 2751 2583 2272 2792 2575 2633 2365 * * Yield (lbs/A)

36. Dark Variety Update • New Varieties for 2008: • PD 7302LC • Good Race 0 black shank resistance, no race 1 resistance • Resistant to black root rot and TMV • PD 7309LC • Good Race 0 black shank resistance, no race 1 resistance • Resistant to black root rot and TMV • KT D8LC • Sister line to KT D4LC • Same disease resistance as KTD4LC • Medium Race 0 and Race 1 black shank • No black root rot resistance • Better air-cured than KT D4LC • Better overall cured leaf quality than KT D4?

37. PD 7302LC

38. PD 7309LC

39. KT D8 LC

40. KT D8LC Daviess Co., KY KT D8 LC KY 171

41. 2007 Dark Fire-Cured Variety TrialUKREC, Princeton, KY LSD0.05 = 63 174 119 260 328 (total) Total Yield (lbs/A): * * * * 3674 3633 3585 3510 3361 3422 3392 3400 3344 3303 3313 3186 3116 3050 3071 2958 2934 2908 Yield (lbs/A)

42. 2008 Tobacco Contracting • Burley: increase of ≥ $0.07/lb • #1 quality = $1.75/lb • #2 quality = $1.70/lb • #3 quality = $1.62/lb • Dark: increase of ≥ $0.05/lb • Dark air-cured = $2.25/lb • Dark fire-cured = $2.48/lb • Look for dark acreage to increase at the expense of burley acreage • Dark acreage up 12% in 2007 • Up even more in 2008

43. Websites: Dark Tobacco: http://ces.ca.uky.edu/darktobacco Dark Tobacco Agent’s site: http://ces.ca.uky.edu/darktobacco/Agent.htm Burley Tobacco: http://www.uky.edu/Ag/Tobacco Burley Tobacco Agent’s site: http://www.uky.edu/Ag/Tobacco/Agent.htm