Tobacco Growing in North Carolina

[DGBAMA]

NCSU Crop Profile for Tobacco

A good read on production practices for Commercial Tobacco Growing, includes:

Details for treatment of each of the following are included, both preventive and reactive.

External pests (hornworm, budworm, aphid, etc)
Diseases (fungus, virus, nematode)
Weeds
Suckers

For us little Guys there is a treatment for the nasty BUDWORMS which is given as "highly effective" but is dismissed for commercial purposes due to labor cost.........BAIT. Made from the BT which we already use and cornmeal.

 

[DonH]

Bat and cornmeal! That's a good idea.

 

[deluxestogie]

It's hard to imagine what they are suggesting with the cornmeal and BT. I suppose the powdered form of BT could be blended with moist cornmeal, but then how is that used? Where on the plant? When? Do you make little gnocchi, and serve them at the top of each and every plant? It wouldn't harm the laying moth, but only the feeding caterpillars.

Bob

 

[DonH]

You probably wouldn't even need to put it on the plant.

 

[deluxestogie]

You probably wouldn't even need to put it on the plant.

How would that work? Moth lays eggs on the plants, near the growth tip. Caterpillars feed on budding leaves and seed pods, but never leave the plant until they are ready to stop feeding and pupate.

Bob

 

[DGBAMA]

How would that work? Moth lays eggs on the plants, near the growth tip. Caterpillars feed on budding leaves and seed pods, but never leave the plant until they are ready to stop feeding and pupate.

Bob

FLUE-CURED TOBACCO - the Complete Handbook

page 127 references the BT bait (Dipel + Cornmeal)
a "pinch" of the mixture applied to the terminal bud of each plant by hand.

I presume that the "bait" part of this method is that the cornmeal is a desirable food substrate for the emerging larvae, giving them something to eat other than our plants.

 

[Brown Thumb]

FLUE-CURED TOBACCO - the Complete Handbook

page 127 references the BT bait (Dipel + Cornmeal)
a "pinch" of the mixture applied to the terminal bud of each plant by hand.

I presume that the "bait" part of this method is that the cornmeal is a desirable food substrate for the emerging larvae, giving them something to eat other than our plants.

Nice find Thanks, I will give it a try this year.