xt7ht727bx5z https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7ht727bx5z/data/mets.xml   Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station.  journals kaes_circulars_004_556 English Lexington : The Service, 1913-1958. Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station Circular (Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station) n. 556 text Circular (Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station) n. 556  2014 true xt7ht727bx5z section xt7ht727bx5z moist I
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Ulm UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY
 AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SERVICE
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)M-6-SS ,`

 Use of Sucker Control Moteriols on
Burley and Dork Tobacco y  
By W. O. ATKINSON and LEO LINK ~ SL
Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station 31
su
Maleic hydrazide (MH-30) and various emulsiiiable mineral t oi
oils have been used in sucker control experiments for the past I Z
several years. Both types of materials have given good sucker con- i
trol when properly used.
The action of these two materials in controlling the growth of _
the sucker buds is entirely different. When sprayed on plants,  
MH-30 moves into the leaves directly through the outer or epi- w
dermal tissue and is translocated to other parts of the plant. lt  
prevents further cell division with the result that sucker growth _
is reduced. However, the cells already formed are not prevented {fg
from enlarging. Emulsifiable mineral oil is not absorbed by the mc.
plant. The oil prevents sucker growth on tobacco by killing the
sucker buds upon contact. Therefore, it is necessary for the oil Cn
emulsion to contact each sucker bud in order to obtain the desired be
control. . 101
MALEIC HYDRAZIDE (MH-30)  
Burley Tobocco l C0!
The use of MH-30 on burley tobacco is not recommended be- m€
cause some cigarette manufacturers have indicated that tobacco
treated with Ml-I-30 is less desirable than untreated tobacco for HO?
making cigarettes. A ml
is Mm
The information presented in this circular does not con- me
stitute a recommendation by the Kentucky Agricultural Ex- Spr
periment Station or the Kentucky Agricultural Extension Spr
Service for the use of any of the materials discussed on either y hm
burley or dark tobacco. It is presented to summarize briefly . pm
the results obtained from the experimental use of maleic ; 6 O
hydrazide and emulsifiable mineral oil on burley and dark Con
tobacco.
the

 Y It has long been known by tobacco growers that topping and
 ; suckering burley tobacco usually results in a heavier-bodied leaf
i that possesses more aroma and is higher in nicotine. Keeping the
 f suckers reduced in size and number through the use of MH—3O
. and oil emulsions produces similar but somewhat modified re-
; sults. The following table gives a summary of three years of tests
reral Y on burley tobacco at different locations.
COI} STOIEUZ
uc ers p
Removed Yield Per Per Tglillt
th of     .
Topped, not suckered .......... 5.8 2,128 57.00
ant? _ Toppelg, hand suckered $ $1,212 3`68
5 1. wee y ................................   2,417 56.60 1 _ U
PI Topped, MH-30 treated ...... 1.4 2,491 56.90    
t- { Topped, oil treated .............. 2.0 2,480 55.20 1,341 4.02
 
FNVIQ . price; ,x;;§vCg`1§n;u$h;v;;§§   Hgioéog lfgiggdymf oaloulated using the average market
,l”1t€ _ 10WegEFat¤I,hika?m§1values for th? time ygmr . mc uswe, ccmsequeuuy, time vaiues me
Y the nicctineoazfoma aor s represents nicotine plus other alkaloids and thus is a larger figure than
J-   . S. .
¤ y 1nce the upper leaves of the tobacco plant should continue to
e oil mlm · . .
_ ge, or spread, after topping, spraying wrth MH-30 should not .
med be done until the uppermost leaves to be saved are about 6 inches  
long. When the uppermost leaves are this size, all of the cells I
usually will have been formed and can expand in a normal way. ‘
_ Also, any suckers present that are 1% inches long or longer have f
T completed cell division and will continue to grow by cell enlarge- I
d bC_ _ ment if not removed at the time of spraying.
ECCO C The suckers produced after treatment with MH-30 are ab- I
O for · normal or distorted in appearance, greatly reduced in size, and r
much eas1er to remove than suckers on untreated plants.
Method and Time of Application *
m-  C All experimental work at the Kentucky Agricultural Experi- ’
{X C ment Station with MH-30 has been done using a knapsack-type I
Im , Sprayer w1th a pressure gauge. On large acreages other types of ;
ICT Sprayers (tractor—mounted, self-propelled Hi-boy, and airplane) E
Hy have reportedly been used successfully. The application of the  
Sic C gwper a1nount of diluted MH-30 in a fine spray to cover the upper
[rk C or Slleaves of the plant soon after topping gave the best sucker
. contro .
h The tobacco should not be topped before at least yl to % of
 C { € plants are in bloom. Then the plants should be topped to at A
A 2

 least a 6—inch leaf. If smaller leaves are left on the plant they will =
usually be malformed and of little or no commercial value. _
Rate of Application
On average size tobacco, 4 feet tall after topping, spaced 18 Q
inches apart in rows 42 inches wide for a total of 8,300 plants per x
acre, 4 quarts of MH-30 per acre gave satisfactory sucker control. *
If the tobacco is substantially larger or if more plants per acre are M·
grown, 5 quarts per acre may be required. T
Precautionary Measures P?
l. The required amount of MH-30 should be mixed with not . bu
less than 20 gallons of water per acre to prevent burning of the   Tl
leaves by the chemical. in
2. The uppermost leaves to be saved should be at least 6 g
inches long before treatment. Ral
3. If rainfall occurs within 12 hours after treatment, it may `
be necessary to repeat the application. Generally if the material gal
remains on the plant for 12 hours or longer, enough will be an
absorbed to give good results. _ me
4. The upper leaves of burley tobacco treated with MH-30 gm
often start to yellow in about 7 to 10 days after spraying. This 3 l
may at first be confused with ripening but as yellowing continues, me
the leaves usually have a distinctly different appearance, some- me
times taking on a dull, yellowish-white color. For this reason some
untreated plants should be left in the field to determine when the s lhfi
tobacco is mature enough to harvest.
t
Dark Tobucco ` i? 
The use of MH—30 is not recommended for dark tobacco be- A t
cause no manufacturers’ evaluation of the treated leaf has been long
obtained. . mph
Tests have been conducted at the West Kentucky Experimental S
Substation for the past 5 years on various methods and rates Ol °m°i
MH-30 for control of suckers on dark tobacco. Very good control . MH
has been experienced with no apparent damage to the yield OT y Smal
market quality of the tobacco. In certain years the use of MH—30 deve
has resulted in greater yield and improved quality, while in other 9
years there was no significant difference in yield or market quality CHQ
between treated tobacco and the check or hand-suckered tobacc0· time
The following table gives a summary of results for the past four gl
years: t
` 4

 will  
Suckers
Removed Yield Per Per
Treatment per Plant Lb/ A Cwt Acre
d 18   Cheek, hand suckered ............ 22.5 1,668 $31.41 $524
S PCT · MH-30-1 gal/acre ................ 8.8 1,799 33.18 597
I ` MH-30-1% gal/acre ............ 2.5 1,799 33.41 601
  I Method and Time of Application
The method of application is the same as for burley tobacco.
The material should be applied immediately following topping,
preferably the same day. If application is delayed until sucker
1 mt - buds begin to emerge, they will continue to grow to some extent. I
f the I These suckers will be greatly distorted in growth and slow grow- .
6 _ ing but will usually need to be removed before harvest.
ast Rate of Application
may The most eifective rate was efound to be approximately 1%
lem] . gallons of the material applied in 20 to 40 gallons of water per
H be   acre, sprayed on the top one—third to one—half of the plant im-
A mediately after topping. One gallon of the material per acre gave
H30 - good control in dry seasons but its effectiveness was lost after about  
This 3 weeks, when rainfall is normal. Only one application was »
mes! needed if no rainfall occurred within 12 hours after treatment. I
LOIIIC- _ Precautionary Measures .
some · 1. MH—30 should not be applied if rain is expected within I
H the  _ the next 12 hours. l
_I 2. Do not treat the tobacco on bright days with the tempera- I
ture above 90° F, because damage from scalding may occur. (This I
is likely with any type of spray at such time.) I
0 be I 3. The top leaf should be approximately 6 inches long or I
b€€“ ° l0nger before treatment. There is usually some distortion of the I _
I  . top leaf if it is smaller than this when treated.  
ETSI $0me Practices Which Were Found to be Ineffective I l  
tml I l· Removing tl1€ first suckers by hand and then treating with I
E1 Or ‘ MH-30 was found to be of little beneiit. The suckers which are too  
HBO Small to be removed by hand at the first suckering will continue to
develop and need to be removed later.
"llff . 2- Applying concentrated material directly to the topped stalk
*31**1 I Caused the top one to two leaves to fall off on many plants 3HCl had I
acm little effect on sucker growth.
foul I 3· Treating untopped tobacco was found to be ineffective.
2 5

 MINERAL OIL EMULSIONS  l P'
Various emulsifiable mineral oils have been used in sucker · di
control tests with varying degrees of success; however, results have ir
generally been less effective than when MH—30 was used. The oil
emulsions prevent sucker growth by killing the young sucker Cf
buds upon contact. .
Burley Tobacco at
To be effective in sucker control, the oil emulsion must come t us
in direct contact with all of the young sucker buds on the plant. tk
All these buds may not be reached if a stalk of tobacco is leaning Wi
or if not enough emulsion is used to reach those buds near the bot- m
tom of the stalk. However, if so much of the emulsion is applied I Cm
that it accumulates at the ground level, stalk rot may begin at ha
that point.
Rate of Application for
The best results were obtained when approximately 2% tea- 110l
spoon of emulsion (half oil and half water) was used per plant.
This will vary slightly if the tobacco plants are larger or smaller
than normal. This means that treating an acre of burley tobacco. suc
8,000 to 8,300 plants per acre, would require about 3% gallons 0l — my
oil. The oil must be diluted half and half with water and shaken bee
well to form a milky-white emulsion before applying. nm-
Method and Time of Application l ml 1
Several types of applicators are available for applying oil Sud
emulsions but no one was superior to the exclusion of others. Tht also
important factors found were (1) a uniform application per plant umi
must be obtained, (2) splattering or dripping of emulsion on the . ‘ ·
leaves must be kept at a minimum, and   sufficient oil must bf _ lm}
applied to reach the sucker buds at the ground level, but not  mg'
enough to cause a large accumulation at that point. ’ :
Tobacco to be treated with an oil emulsion should be topped
at the usual time in the usual way and all suckers removed that &
are 1% to 2 inches long or longer. The oil emulsion should bt 
applied as soon after topping as possible, preferably the day 0l i
topping. The emulsion should be applied to the end of the swll ¤
where the top has been removed in such a way that the material
will run evenly down the stalk and contact as many sucker burley  
as possible. {Opp]
6

 Precautionary Measures
9 l. Care should be taken to ensure that drops of the emulsion
ucker   do not fall or splash onto the leaves, for this will result in burning
s have F injury.
he oil » 2. Rain within 12 to 24 hours after treatment may reduce the
.ucker   effectiveness of the material used.
Y 3. Some leaf drop (loss of leaves due to rotting of the stem
at its junction with the stalk) may occur when oil emulsions are
come used. Observations from the work conducted on Experiment Sta-
plant. — tion farms indicate that leaf drop may be associated to some extent
zaning 3 with weather conditions following treatment. Periods of ex- '
te bot- _ tremely hot weather, when humidity also is very high, appear to .
pplied   cause more leaf drop. Emulsifiable oils are now available that
gin at  A have been developed for the purpose of reducing leaf drop.
4. Waste oils, motor oils or any other type of oil not produced
for the specific purpose of sucker control on tobacco plants should
A te, V not be used.
Plant Dork Tobacco
maller Different oil emulsions and various rates have been used for l
»bact0. . sucker control on dark tobacco the past four years. Results have l
ons ol never been as good as with MH-30 and very erratic results have ,
ahakeu been experienced, depending on the season. In certain years a
number of ground suckers were produced by tobacco treated with l
oil emulsions. The oil must reach the axil of every leaf to kill the |
gg oil  ; sucker buds, since it is not translocated throughout the plant. (See i
S- The j also section of oil emulsions on burley for precautionary meas- I
tplam T mes) _ _ _
On the . · Effect of wet or dry weather immediately following treatment I
lust bf with oil emulsions, on control of suckers, is shown by the follow- ' 7
ut Hm _ ing data: 1
 i I
mppttl   Total Number of Suckers Removed per Plant  
ad [hm A O1l-treated Untreated  
H _ Dry (1953) ............................ 1.9 15.6 ·
»¤1dl” . Wet (1954) ............................ 9.9 29.7
d¤Y Oi - Wet" (1957) .......................... 23.5 28.8
lg 5[Blli ° One inch of rain fell during 24 hours following treatment.
iatennl . l
if bud. ¤ The oil emulsion is usually applied at the top of the stalk after J
T lOPPiHg and allowed to run down. Thus the oil does not reach
V 7

 all the axils unless the plant is almost perfectly straight. There .
is usually some loss of leaves from tobacco treated with oil.
Method and Time of Application `
Dark tobacco to be treated with oil emulsion should be topped .
at the regular time. The emulsion made from mineral oil is ap-
plied to the top of the stalk and allowed to run down. It is better
to remove the tops by cutting rather than by breaking out, so as
to leave a smooth surface on which to apply the emulsion. Care
must be exercised to have the emulsion run down all sides of the
stalk to contact all sucker buds. `
Rate of Application
Approximately one teaspoon of emulsion is needed per plant.
An acre of dark tobacco (3,600 plants) will require about 2%
gallons of oil. The oil should be mixed with an equal volume ol
water and shaken well to form a milky—white emulsion before
applying.
Lexington, Kentucky Iune l9ir
Cooperative Extension Work in Agriculture and Home Economics: College of Agriculturi
and Home Economics, University of Kentucky, and the United States DepartmeniQ;
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