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Monday, June 30, 2008, 10:58 AM
Tobacco sucker control key to crop By Norman Harrell Obtaining excellent sucker control is an important part of producing high quality and high yielding tobacco. In addition, it makes life a little simpler for a tobacco farmer by reducing labor and having clean tobacco for harvesting. It also prevents the talk at the country store by avoiding "Have you seen the sucker's in so and so's field?" I thought I would review some thoughts and research work on sucker control. Three contact (C8-C10 fatty alcohol) applications seem to be the "norm" now to allow tip leaves be large enough for a MH application. Research work conducted through N.C. State University here in Wilson County has shown that delaying MH application until tip leaves reach 15 to 16 inches long will substantially reduce the risk of upper leaf stunting, discoloration, and weight loss as compared to an application to shorter leaves. MH and Prime+ is the cornerstone of sucker control programs. Apply the labeled rate of MH on flue-cured tobacco which is 1 quart per 1,000 plants. Most tobacco in Wilson County is planted at approximately 6,000 plants per acre. The correct rate for 6,000 plants is 1.5 gallons per acre. Make sure you are aware of the pounds of active ingredient. Most formulations contain 1.5 pounds of maleic hydrazdie, which is the rate referenced above. However, some formulations contain 2.25 pounds of AI and should be applied at 1 gallon per acre for 6,000 plants. I recommend tank mixing Prime+ with MH at the rate of a half-gallon per acre. MH is absorbed more effectively by younger, upper leaves than by older lower leaves. MH and Prime+ should be applied before suckers exceed 1 inch in length to the upper third of the plant using the three nozzles per row arrangement. Apply the tank mix as a coarse spray (20 to 25 psi) using 50 gallons of spray volume per acre. In addition to using the correct rate, if you receive at least 0.05 inch of rain, residues should be reduced. Data also indicates that MH residues can be reduced by harvesting lower leaves before a MH application. With a normal sucker control program with a MH application, there is typically seven days between application and harvest. So you have seven days to receive rain to reduce residue levels. However, if you can harvest lower leaves before a MH application, the first harvest will be MH free. Then there could be three weeks before the tobacco is harvested again, giving a longer interval to receive rain and reduce residues. You may have to modify your sucker control program some to do this, such as applying Prime+ before MH or an additional contact application. Speaking of rain, it takes at least 10 hours rain free for the tobacco plant to fully absorb MH. If it rains after 10 hours, a reapplication is not needed. Research work indicates that a reapplication of the full rate is needed if a rainfall occurs within 4 hours of the application. A half rate of MH is need if rain occurs between 4 and 10 hours after application. With a little cooperation from Mother Nature and using the strategies mentioned above, hopefully excellent sucker control can be obtained without high MH residues!
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