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Tobacco Blue Mold

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CT Tobaccoman

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This link above stopped reporting about blue mold infestation in real time a couple years ago. For real time reports of blue mold, this link reports for the whole USA

http://www.ctvalleytobacco.org/

As of June 9, 2014, no Blue Mold has been reported in the United States. The link has not been updated since then. Probably, they will update it when they get reports. Seems relatively safe to say that blue mold is not a current threat, but it is prudent to spray plants every 10 days or so with at least Mancozeb. If you can get Dimethomorph and/or Asoxystrobin, they should be alternated, Dimethomorph is usually combined with mancozeb for better adherence to the leaves. These products are hard to get without a state pesticide license (except mancozeb is OTC.) Brand names are Acrobat, Quadris, Dithane and others.

If plants are not protected when the blue mold fungus hits it is hard to control. Prevention is better than trying to kill the fungus once it appears. Given the large flow of humid air from the south this week, which has brought storms and humidity, I'd not be surprised to see blue mold start to appear soon.

For those interested, here is a cut and paste of 2014 blue mold and target spot information, and the email address for getting your own updated tobacco disease reports. Dr. James LaMondia has been the lead scientist in the Conn Valley for very many years, and knows his business.

This information has been updated as of: June 9, 2014​
Blue Mold has NOT been reported in the United States​
We have had no reports of blue mold in the United States. Soil temperatures recorded this past winter throughout the Valley were low enough to kill most potato tubers left in soil from last years’ crops, so this season’s PVY risk will be based on 2014-planted potato seed tubers rather than overwintering volunteers, which typically have a much percentage of higher virus infection. Target spot has been a problem in broadleaf tobacco the last couple of years, but our observation was that target spot occurred in tobacco crops that had not been treated with Quadris fungicide as the first preventative blue mold spray in the field. Quadris may sometimes cause leaf flecking, but the leaves treated early in the season are not those that will be wrapper leaves at harvest. Early Quadris application controls Rhizoctonia sore shin and also early target spot leaf infection.​
If you would like to be notified of important changes and meetings by email, please submit your name and email address to: James.LaMondia@ct.gov
 

deluxestogie

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I think that is reasonable advice for a large grow in a blue mold prone area [many of the traditional tobacco growing regions]. For most home growers it is seldom a problem. Blue mold (Peronospora tabacina) can be treated with an organically approved suspension of Bacillus subtilis, such as Serenade. I think it's too expensive for prevention, in the absence of a documented risk of Blue mold.

There's not much literature on the subject. Here's a tangential study: http://www.bashanfoundation.org/reddy/reddyaqueous.pdf

Bob
 

CT Tobaccoman

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Thanks for the link, Bob.

Yes, I am not even growing wrapper tobacco in the backyard--I just have an irrational fear of blue mold. An old habit. Mostly, I'm glad the bugs stopped feasting on my plants. I think the acephate did it. Anyway, there doesn't seem to be any blue mold around yet. All my experience is in large scale growing. We never even thought about curing individual plants of blue mold, just sprayed against it routinely.

Stuff like Quadris costs over ten bucks an ounce! I'll just give them a spray of mancozeb every couple weeks. Blue Mold always seems to show up in New England sooner or later every year. I read that it hasn't been in Kentucky for 5 years. It probably comes up from the Caribbean with coastal storms, if not from the Ohio Valley.

Anyway, I love an absorbing hobby, with a lot of details to take care of. So far, so good.

Chalie
 

Jitterbugdude

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I wonder how effective Potassium Bicarbonate would be? It works by disrupting the fungi cells. I usually spray it on grapes and roses and never have fungus/mold disease. Since the main action appears to be from the bicarbonate portion I'm willing to bet that regular old baking soda might work too. Potassium Bicarbonate would be ideal since you could also foliar feed your tobacco with potassium and kill fungus at the same time.

Nice link btw knucks
 

BigBonner

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Blue mold is carried by the weather up from Mexico , Florida and supposedly wild tobacco in Texas .
It was also being carried by Tobacco plug plants . Farmers was buying tobacco plug plants from the south and the plants would have blue mold spores on the plugs . Next thing we knew we had blue mold being trucked in .
Blue mold is no problem now days with new tobacco types and tobacco acreages cut way down . Every farm used to grow some tobacco and now I would say 85% grow no tobacco and the ones still growing have cut way back on acreage .
The new types of tobacco have leaves that point more upward than drooping over like a umbrella . Sun and air gets in easier to dry up moisture .
 
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