Growing Burley Tobacco in a Post Buyout Environment Dr. Gary Palmer Dr. Bob Pearce Dr. Andy Bailey University of Kentucky.

Growing Burley Tobacco in a Post Buyout Environment

Dr. Gary PalmerDr. Gary Palmer

Dr. Bob PearceDr. Bob Pearce

Dr. Andy BaileyDr. Andy Bailey

University of KentuckyUniversity of Kentucky

Good Agricultural Practices

Produced in a timely mannerProduced in a timely manner Good management essentialGood management essential

Use of agronomically sound Use of agronomically sound practicespractices

Economically viable returnsEconomically viable returns High yield per acreHigh yield per acre

Reduce Environmental Impact of Reduce Environmental Impact of ProductionProduction

What Will the Term Quality Mean?

Desirable for buyerDesirable for buyer Contracted amount suppliedContracted amount supplied Cured properlyCured properly Free of foreign materialFree of foreign material Low in undesirable elementsLow in undesirable elements

NornicotineNornicotine NitrosaminesNitrosamines nitrate & nitritesnitrate & nitrites Low pesticide residueLow pesticide residue

• No unlabeled pesticides No unlabeled pesticides • No excessive residues of labeled chemicalsNo excessive residues of labeled chemicals

0

10

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30

40

50

60

70

Avg

Wee

kly

Tem

p

February March April May

Timely Production Seeding so that plants will Seeding so that plants will

be ready to set on timebe ready to set on time Watch weather reports to Watch weather reports to

reduce gas expensereduce gas expense Plants ready 7 to 9 weeks Plants ready 7 to 9 weeks

after seedingafter seeding Controlling environment to Controlling environment to

minimize temperature & minimize temperature & disease related damagedisease related damage

Disease preventionDisease prevention To reduce delaysTo reduce delays To improve transplant To improve transplant

quality quality

Transplant on time Can improve yield Can improve yield Reduce disease Reduce disease

incidenceincidence Blue moldBlue mold Virus complexVirus complex

Some curing Some curing concernsconcerns

What’s the difference between a good farmer and a bad farmer?

Burley Tobacco Variety TrialAcross 7 Locations – 4 Grades

380 359 383 357 401 381 346 368 366 350

989 1002 1024 1001 1010 981 999 980 1091 890

999 963 856 933 950 841 917 939 874923

400 409 425 421 447405 429 435 423

464

275427222807271227332768 2690 26262688 2608

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

Yie

ld l

b/a

Flyings Lugs Leaf Tips

Locations: Clinton, Henry, Taylor (3), Trimble & Wayne Counties

Varieties Will Be Screened

Varieties may have some plants in Varieties may have some plants in the population that produce a high the population that produce a high amount of nornicotine (amount of nornicotine (Converters))

Nornicotine may lead to NNN Nornicotine may lead to NNN (Nitrosonornicotine): one of the (Nitrosonornicotine): one of the tobacco specific nitrosaminestobacco specific nitrosamines

By cleaning up the variety so that By cleaning up the variety so that most plants have a low level, NNN most plants have a low level, NNN will develop at only a low levelwill develop at only a low level

How Do We Know If the Variety is Screened?

““LC” varietiesLC” varieties KT 204LC, KT200LC, TN 97LC, KT 204LC, KT200LC, TN 97LC, TN 90LC, TN 86 LC, KY 907LC TN 90LC, TN 86 LC, KY 907LC

““Produced from screened parents”Produced from screened parents” ExceptionsExceptions

KY14 x L8, KY14, KY17 (Available KY14 x L8, KY14, KY17 (Available in 2006)in 2006)

Some private varietiesSome private varieties

Some Varieties Will Be Dropped

Screening is expensive and older varieties would Screening is expensive and older varieties would cost too much for upkeep cost too much for upkeep

Good alternatives are available to replace most older Good alternatives are available to replace most older varietiesvarieties A good disease package will be essentialA good disease package will be essential 14 x L814 x L8

High managementHigh management Tendency to initiate suckers earlyTendency to initiate suckers early

KY 907KY 907 Lodging & qualityLodging & quality

TN 86TN 86 Quality Quality

Nitrogen Use

Optimum levelsOptimum levels

Soil Level of NSoil Level of N Lbs. N/acLbs. N/acHighHigh 150-200150-200MediumMedium 200-250200-250LowLow 250-300250-300

Can we grow high yield tobacco at 200 to 250?

Effects of Nitrogen Rates on Burley Tobacco at Spindletop Farm

2000

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3000

3500

4000

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400

N rate (lb/a)

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b/a

Effects of Nitrogen Rates on Burley Tobacco

1500

1750

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3000

0 50 75 100 155 200 240 300 392

N rate (lb/a)

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b/a

18 Locations over 15 years

“Low” N soils are the exception not the rule!

Nitrogen Changes in Competing Countries

BrazilBrazilChanges

Rate • From 300 kg/ha (270 lbs./A)• To 160 kg/ha (145 lbs./A)

Type • From Ammonium Nitrate & Urea• To Soda Potash (100% Nitrate)

Nitrosamine levels

from different N sources Jackson Co. – Ron Madden Farm

0

2

4

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12p

pm

1500 5-10-15 300AN 1.62 3.27 TN90 3.21 4.4

750AN - 2.66 4.8 3.23 4.57

450AN 300AN 2.99 5.18 7.92 9.72

450AN 645CN 2.24 4.18 2.61 3.69

450AN 625SN 2.36 4.54 3.39 4.68

LSD 1.11 1.47 4.63 5.17

NNN Total Variety NNN Total

Number = lbs of product, AN = Ammonium Nitrate, CN = Calcium Nitrate, SN = Sodium Nitrate

Broadcast Sidedress

Lamina Mid-rib

Disease Management Crop RotationCrop Rotation PreventionPrevention Conservation TillageConservation Tillage

Utilization of Utilization of disease free landdisease free land

Reduce Reduce erosionerosion

Reduce fuel Reduce fuel useuse

Terramaster for pythium control

Black Shank: Rotation Resistant Varieties Ridomil Sanitation

Blue MoldPreventative

AcrobatActigard

Avoid ShadeLow wet areasInfected Transplants

Influence of Insecticide Treatments on Burley Yield

Boyle Co - Wesley Pruitt Farm

756 542 629 631 637 687 529 713 527783 853

726693

853 7191082 1180

9421018 1291 936 858

769

574

750760

643631

727539

637 974 988

2251 1809 2233 2110 2362 2498 2198 2270 2455 2693 2700

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1000

1500

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LB

/A

FLYINGS LUGS LEAF TOTAL

P=Platinum, A=Admire, O=Orthene #=fl oz/a except Orthene in lb/a, Trans = Transplant water, Drenched plants were treated prior to transplanting

Controlling Red Aphids

Pesticide Concerns

Illegal pesticidesIllegal pesticides Could void contractCould void contract

Indiscriminant use of labeled Indiscriminant use of labeled pesticidespesticides Endosulfan (Golden Leaf)Endosulfan (Golden Leaf) MHMH

Recommended Sucker Control

1.5 gal MH + .5 gal of either Prime1.5 gal MH + .5 gal of either Prime+ + or or ButralinButralin

Coarse NozzlesCoarse Nozzles TG-3 if tractor mounted sprayer or TG-3 if tractor mounted sprayer or

high clearance sprayer in rough high clearance sprayer in rough terrainterrain

TG-5 if high clearance on level TG-5 if high clearance on level ground ground

Consistent Supply

Burley Crop Estimate 2004Taken from Agricultural Statistics Data Base (October 2004)

Commodity Year  State 

Area, Yield, and Production,

Harvested  Yield  Production 

acre  pounds  1000 lbs 

Burley Tobacco (Type 31) 2004 IN 4600 2050 8815

Burley Tobacco (Type 31) 2004 KY 105000 2000 210000

Burley Tobacco (Type 31) 2004 MO 1400 2600 3640

Burley Tobacco (Type 31) 2004 NC 5300 1450 7685

Burley Tobacco (Type 31) 2004 OH 5800 1900 11020

Burley Tobacco (Type 31) 2004 TN 25000 1900 47500

Burley Tobacco (Type 31) 2004 VA 6000 1850 11100

Burley Tobacco (Type 31) 2004 WV 1300 1500 1950

Burley Tobacco (Type 31) 2004 US 154100 1958 301710

Topping

Top can vary by companyTop can vary by company May change in the future May change in the future

Top to 23-24 leavesTop to 23-24 leaves For companies looking for more tipsFor companies looking for more tips

Topping height can influence other factors Topping height can influence other factors Leaf spreadLeaf spread Cured leaf colorCured leaf color Root developmentRoot development

Nicotine levelsNicotine levels Disease incidenceDisease incidence

Harvest date

1500

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3000

2 3 4 5 6

Weeks After Topping

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Harvest mature tobacco Harvest mature tobacco Usually at 4 weeks after Usually at 4 weeks after

toppingtopping Weather may delayWeather may delay Late maturing varieties may Late maturing varieties may

need more timeneed more time

Quality

Yield

Harvest Problems Avoid GreenAvoid Green SunburnSunburn MudMud Rough Rough

HandlingHandling

Curing Burley Tobacco

Curing Problem

Low humidity/high temperatureDrying, not a cure

Low humidity/satisfactory temperatureVariegated, piebald or green tobacco

Low or high humidity/low temperatureGreen tobacco

High humidity/high temperatureHouse burn, microbial growth and

excessive weight loss

What Kind of Curing Facility

• Inefficient labor use• Construction expense• Long term investment• Other uses• Slow change in conditions

• Forced ventilation?• Nitrosamines?

• Efficient• Inexpensive• Limited lifetime• Not for storage• Daily cycle of conditions

• Nitrosamines ?• Improved color?

Market Prep & Storage Wait till cure is completeWait till cure is complete

No fat stemsNo fat stems AvoidAvoid

High moistureHigh moisture High pressure during High pressure during

balingbaling Non-tobacco related Non-tobacco related

materialmaterial StorageStorage

Minimal amount of timeMinimal amount of time Avoid plasticAvoid plastic Provide ventilationProvide ventilation

Close supervision of stripping crew?