Blue Mold in SW Virginia

[CT Tobaccoman]

We have had a report of blue mold from Lee County, Virginia (as far south and west as you can go & still be in VA). Dr. Chuck Johnson of Virginia Tech received leaves yesterday and saw sparse sporulation, confirming the disease. An agent in Washington County (Bristol/Abingdon area – southwest Virginia), reported today that blue mold has also been observed there, particularly in the northern parts of the county. No other reports have been made from the US to date.

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Dr. James A. LaMondia
Chief Scientist
The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station
Valley Laboratory
P.O. Box 248
153 Cook Hill Road
Windsor, CT 06095
Phone: 860-683-4982
Fax: 860-683-4987
Email: James.LaMondia@ct.gov

Those in the path of weather systems that pass over SW Virginia should take precautions now. I'll be spraying mancozeb--which is cheap and available OTC. Those with access to dimethomorph and/or asoxystrobin fungicides should apply them.

Charlie

 

[Jitterbugdude]

All my tobacco is in the barn. Another advantage of stalk curing is that you get it in to the barn earlier than priming. If I was priming I wold still have considerable leaf out in the field subject to sever storms and now, blue mold. I did prime some leaf this year too but just finished my last pickin'

 

[deluxestogie]

Are those Lee County people trying to launch missiles into my yard?

Bob