xt7j9k45s088 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7j9k45s088/data/mets.xml   Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station.  journals kaes_circulars_004_616 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. 616 text Circular (Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station) n. 616  2014 true xt7j9k45s088 section xt7j9k45s088 * 1
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Circular 616
" By Ira E. Massie, Ge0rrgeA. Everette and ].H. Smiley '*‘
y UNi`*·»"E?£$Er?Y O? E*(€€N4`?E}€`.KY
COOPERATEVE E>i`:"EN3iON SERVICE
AG¤xcuLv:_me AND MON.; zccraomncs

 C O N T E N T S
PAGE
The Plant Bed ...,......,....................................,.............,...........,.................,.............. 2
Choose a Fcrtile, \Vell-drained Site ..,..................,......,..........,........,.,...........,. 2 _
Establishing the Bed ........................................................................................ 3
Kill \Veed Seed in the Plant Bed Area .........................,.................................. 3
Fertilizc for Vigorous Growth of Plants .......................................i................ 9
Sow the Seed as Soon as \Vcather Permits ............................................,....... 9
Box the Plant Bed ........................................................,......,............................ 1()
If Heavy Freezes Occur ...............................................,.................................. 1() ' '
Plant Diseases ....,.......................................................,..................................... 11
Other Dangers to Plant Beds .....,................................................,................... 13
\Vater the Plants in Dry \Veatlier .................................................................. 15 V
Plant Bed Insects .............,...............................,................................................ 17
Summer Management of Permanent Plant Beds .....................,...................... 21 ‘ `
Rotation of Plant Beal Site .............................,.............r..............,......,.............. 21
Disease-resistant Varieties ..............,......................................................................... 22
Variety Selection ......,............,...................................................................,...... 22 _
Black Shank Resistance ..............................,............................,........................ 23 · `
The Seecl Bed ....................,...............i...,................................................................. 24
Importance of Physical Properties .................,..............A..........,...................... 24 .
lrlow to Improve Physical Conditions of Your Soil .................... , ......,............ 25
Fertilizing Your Tobacco ..........,.............................,,................................................ 26 V
Nitrogen .................,.......................................................................................... 26
Phosphorus ...........,..........................................................,................................. 27
Potassium ..........,................................................................................,.............. 29 _
Manure .... . .............................................,,..................................................,....... 31
Tohaeco Stalks and Steins . ....,...............i.................r..............................,....... 32
Use ot Fertilizer on Land Usetl More Than 1 Year for Tohacco .... , ........... 32
Eflect ot Nitrogen Fcrtilization on Cultural Practices .,.............................   34
_ Use of Mixed Fertilizers .....................,............................................................ $5 V
P Applying Fertilizers .....................,....,..............................,..............................,. 36 I
Ntanganese Toxicity ............................................................................... . ........ 37 ·
Don`t Over-lime ...................................................................... , ......................... 38
Follow Tohacco with a Cover Crop .......................,..........,............................. S?)
Build Soils for Burley ....................,...,..........,.................................................. 41
Growing the Crop ....,......................................................,................................ 42 .
Irrigation ......................................,..................,....................,...........,............... 43
Controlling Insects in the Fielcl ..........., . ........... . ...................,......................... 43
Controlling Diseases in the Field .......................... . ...,.................,...........,....... 45
Topping and Suckering ..r........,....................,........................,.......................... 45
llarvesting antl Curing ...............................,................................,........................... 45
Cutting ,..,....,...,,................,..............., . ..............,............................................... 45
llousing ............,........,....,.........,..............,,.......,...,..............r.......,..........,..,........ 46
llarn Nlanageinent . ....,........ ., ...,.............4..............................................,......,.... 47
Curing ...,............r............,....,.,.............................,.......................................,..... 49
Progress in Curing ........,..,....,...........,..........,.,.,,..,.......,.,,......................,......,... 56
Bull ° ‘ Na
Fig. `l.-—Plan for a surplus of shong, vigorous plants.
pare 50 feet of bed, 9 feet wide, or the equivalent, for each acre to be
gI`O\\'I`l.
By seeding at the rate of 2 level teaspoons of seed to a bed 100 x
9 feet—or 2l./Q teaspoons for a bed 100 x 12 feet-you can have strong,
sturdy plants that will stand transplanting well and grow rapidly in
the Held.
CHOOSE A FERTILE, WELL-DRAINED SITE
. Select fertile, well-drained land high in organic matter, preferably
with a slight southern or eastern slope, free from shade, especially in
2

 the forenoon. An ideal place for growing plants is in an open field
f and near a supply of water. Avoid sites too near tobacco barns or
other sources of tobacco trash and areas infested with bullnettles,
groundcherries, or plantains. These weeds are likely to carry mosaic.
ESTABLISHING THE BED
Regardless of how plant beds are to be treated, first break the
ground 3 or 4 weeks before, pulverize thoroughly to a depth of 4-6
inches, and level it off. Break the bed site in the fall if the land is '
V in sod. Many farmers prefer to prepare beds in the fall, particularly
if beds are to be steamed or treated with chemicals. Burning in the
fall is preferable to spring preparation.
In breaking, begin in the middle of the bed and throw furrows
on each side toward the middle until breaking is completed. This will
make the bed higher than the surrounding ground and will help keep
outside water from flowing over the bed.
KILL WEED SEED IN THE PLANT BED AREA
Tobacco plants are so small when they first emerge they cannot
stand the competition of a heavy growth of weeds. Weeding the bed
. is a slow, tedious, and laborious job and is likely to injure the young
tobacco plants. Wildfire and mosaic often occur following weeding.
The best way to prevent weeds in the plant bed is to kill the weed
seed in the plant bed site before sowing the tobacco seed.
Don’t attempt to destroy weed seed in plant bed sites when the
soil is wet, regardless of the method used. Neither chemicals nor heat
penetrates wet soil; consequently, if the soil is wet, you will get poor
results. Also, soils burned or steamed when wet may become so hard
that the tobacco plants can’t grow well. For wildfire control, fall
treatment is better than treating in the spring.
Weeds may be killed by steaming, burning, methyl bromide gas,
calcium cyanamid, or by drenching. Except for calcium cyanamid,
you can use any of these soil treatments either in the fall or in the
spring. Use calcium cyanamid for bed treatment only in late summer
or fall. Usually fall treatments result in slightly poorer weed control
than do similar treatments in the spring, but the prevalence of suit-
able weather, better working condition of the soil, and higher soil
temperatures in the fall are factors which usually more than offset
that disadvantage.
Burning
\Vhen buming, have the soil thoroughly prepared and dry enough
for good tillage. Use enough wood to heat the soil to a depth of 3 to
3

 4 inches. Usually 30 minutes burning with fairly large wood will
provide enough heat to kill weed seed near the surface. Burning with
a small amount of brush for 10 minutes is worthless. Burned beds
may be seeded after the soil cools.
Heavy burning or burning the same site year after year, especially
on soils low in organic matter and with poor soil structure, often
results in areas in the bed with few or no plants. Burning releases an
excess of manganese, a minor element toxic to young plants. When
an excess of soluble manganese occurs, young tobacco plants are
seriously retarded in growth, and in extreme cases killed.
Steaming
Steaming is one of the most effective methods of treating plant
beds to kill weed seed and to control leafspot diseases. When using
steam, prepare the site thoroughly. At each “set” leave the pan in
position for approximately 25 minutes, with the steam pressure in
the boiler at 100-125 pounds. Steaming may be done in fall or spring
whenever the soil is dry enough for working. You can seed any time
after the soil becomes dry enough to rake.
Plant bed sites with low organic matter and poor soil structure
may suffer from manganese toxicity following steaming as they do '
from burning.
Methyl Bromide
When using methyl bromide gas, the soil should be plowed and
worked thoroughly at least 2-3 weeks prior to treatment and again
just before treatment. Cover the bed with a gas-proof cover and seal
the edges with soil; insert tubing (plastic) at three points in a 100-
foot bed one at each end and one in the center. An evaporating pan
or tray should be placed under the cover at the end of each tube.
Then 1 pound of methyl bromide is released for each 100 square feet
of bed. Use 9 pounds for a bed 100 x 9 feet, and for a bed 100 x 12
feet use 12 pounds. The methyl bromide gas is heavier than air, there-
fore it will move to the lowest side of the bed. Release methyl bromide
on high side.
HOT METHYL BROMIDE
\Vhen using hot methyl bromide, proceed as directed above until
ready to release the gas. Have a bucket or other container with 5
gallons or more of hot water at a temperature of 150°-160° F. (as hot
as the hand can stand). Puncture the can with the applicator in the
upper position (Fig. 2) instead of in the lower position as used in
4

 the conventional method. Then, submerge the can at once in the con-
tainer of hot water, leaving only the punetured area above the water.
The methyl bromide is released as a gas, instead of a liquid, thus
evaporating pans in the bed are not needed. If you use the hot—gas
method, treatment may be made with a lower soil temperature. The
time of treatment may be shortened to 4-6 hours. It requires about 5
minutes for the gas to evaporate from a 1-pound can. In using hot
methyl bromide, release two-thirds of the gas through tubes placed
at the corners of the bed and one-third through tubes placed at the .
side ofthe bed.
Remember, methyl bromide is a poisonous gas, so be sure to follow
the precautions on the label carefully.
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vaporizalion of the material.
5

 V
COLD METHYL BROMIDE
The soil should be thoroughly pulverized and just about as moist
as it can be safely worked. The soil temperature should be 500 F or
warmer. Cover the bed with gas-proof covering and seal edges with
soil, then release 9 pounds of methyl bromide gas for a bed 100 x 9
feet, and 12 pounds for a bed 100 x 12 feet into shallow pans using
a specially designed applicator or plastic trays with pins for punctur-
ing cans. Leave the cover on the bed for at least 24 hours, preferably
48 hours.
Drenches
Plow 4 weeks before drench application for effective weed con-
trol. Advance plowing permits the soil to firm down thereby forcing
out much of the air. Drench materials rapidly change to gases after
application, and they destroy weed seed by contact. To be effective,
the gases must be concentrated in the soil. This concentration is
possible only when soils have lost much of the air which is always -
found in freshly plowed land.
When using Mylone in plant bed preparation, the soil should be
broken and thoroughly disked about 4 weeks before time of treat-
ment. As with other treatments, the soil temperature at a 2—inch depth
should be at least 500 F. Enough moisture should be available so that
the weed seeds can be easily penetrated by the Mylone gas.
Use 15 pounds of Mylone on 100 square yards of bed area. Appli-
cation may be made by hand or with a small garden or lawn fertilizer
spreader. Even distribution of the material is necessary. Follow this
with enough water to penetrate the soil to a depth of 2 inches.
Recent experiences have shown that better results can be obtained
by sprinkling the bed with 10 gallons of water after Mylone has been
broadcast. Cover immediately with 2, 3, or 4 milliliter plastic cover.
The Mylone is converted to a gas, and it is retained in the soil for a
longer period of time.
You may use Mylone either in the fall or spring. Apparently, best
results are obtained by using the material in the fall. \Vhen using
Mylone in spring prepared beds, wait at least 3 weeks before seed-
ing. At seeding time rake the plant bed area lightly to break the
crust.
\\`hen using Vapam in plant bed preparation. the ground should
be broken and thoroughly disked about 4 weeks before treatment.
Soil temperature should be 5001* or warmer when you treat the bed.
In extreme dry weather when the ground is dusty. a light application
of water to the bed area a few days before treatment followed by a
6

 light raking or disking helps the solution penetrate the soil. Either
break up or rake off all clods from the bed site.
Use 2 gallons of Vapam in 100-125 gallons of water. Stir and
sprinkle over 100 square yards of bed area. Follow immediately with
100 gallons of water to seal the material in the soil. You may apply
the material with a power pump or sprinkling can. Use enough solu- ·
tion to penetrate the soil 2%-3 inches. Vapam undergoes a chemical
reaction in the soil, releasing a gas which kills weed seed.
Recent tests have indicated that best results can be obtained when
1% gallons Vapam are mixed with 10 gallons water and evenly
sprinkled on 100 square yards bed surface. Cover immediately with a
2, 3, or 4 milliliter plastic cover. Leave the cover on the bed over-
winter. Remove at seeding time. The soil is now moist and in ex-
cellent condition for seeding the bed.
Fall-prepared beds may be seeded as soon as weather permits
in the spring. When using spring-prepared beds, wait 3 weeks or
longer after Vapam is applied before seeding. Since Vapam is retained
in some soils for a considerable period, it is desirable to rake the
plant bed area lightly to break the crust 1 week before seeding.
Vapam is poisonous. If you use Vapam observe the safety precautions
on the label.
Chemical injection equipment is being used to inject liquid
drenches into the soil. This method is being handled primarily by
custom operators. Results have been variable. It appears to be a very
popular way to treat the soil for weed control. The operator of the
equipment can inject the drenches into the soil to desired depths. A
roller is used to seal the soil following the treatment with this type
equipment (Fig. 3).
In addition, polyethylene film (plastic) cover is being used to trap
the gases. These covers are left on the bed for 5 days or more. In
some cases, the covers are left on the bed over winter. This practice
protects the soil and permits you to seed when you wish. When the
cover is removed the soil is ready for instant working. lf gases are
trapped, the cover should be removed at least 3 days prior to seed-
ing. Thicknesses of 2 mil, 3 mil, and 4 mil are being used with success.
Enide 50\V is now registered for use on tobacco seed beds. Treat-
ments on most beds have been successful. However, there are a few
cases of plant injury and reduction in stands. Until more data is
available, Enide is recommended for trial use only. linide should
be used only at seeding time with at least LQ inch of water either be-
fore or after seeding the bed. A low pressure or back—pacl< sprayer
at 3 to 5 gallons of water per 100 square yards is best.
7

 Use 3 ounces Enide 50W or 1 cupful per 100 square yards on light
soils or 4% ounces Enide 50W or 1% cupsful per 100 square yards ‘
on heavier soils. Never use Enide for fall-treated beds, and do not l
mix Enide 50W with other chemicals before application.
Calcium Cyunomid
Use calcium cyanamid only on soil that drains quickly. The soil
must be thoroughly pulverized and contain enough moisture for good
tillage. Apply M, pound of calcium cyanamid and 2 pounds of 20-
percent superphosphate to the square yard and mix with 3 inches of
soil. Rake the surface smooth. Apply M pound more of calcium
cyanamid to the square yard and rake lightly. Water the bed, using
300-500 gallons for a bed 100 feet long. At seeding time prepare the
surface with a hand rake, but don’t stir soil deeper than 1 inch.
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Fig. 3.—Equipment to inject chemicals into the soil is a popular weed-control
method. A roller is used to seal the soil following treatment.
8

 Recommended dates for using calcium cyanamid are August 10-
October 15. Beds treated with calcium cyanamid should be seeded
March 20 to April 1. In case the plants begin to tum yellow, water
them heavily. D0 not use nitrogen.
FERTILIZE FOR VIGOROUS GROWTH OF PLANTS
A tobacco bed 100 feet long and 9 feet wide should have about
30 pounds of a mixed fertilizer such as 4-16-4, 4-12-8, or a similar
analysis. For a bed 12 feet wide, apply about 40 pounds of the same
fertilizer.
CAUTION: Don’t use too much fertilizer. If you use much more
than the amounts given above, soluble salts may rise to the top of the
soil in dry weather and cause the plants to yellow and die.
The first visible symptom of over-fertilization is the yellowing of
the seedlings. You will see a grayish-white substance covering the
soil around the yellow plants. Examination of the seedlings will show
that their roots are very poor. The roots are so poor that when the
plants are touched, they are loosened from the soil.
The only remedy for over-fertilized tobacco plant beds is heavy
watering. You should apply about 500 gallons of water per 100 square
yards of bed about every 4 or 5 days until the soil, when dry, no
longer shows the grayish-white crystals and the tobacco seedlings
have established new roots and have started to grow. If the weather
continues dry, you must water at least once each week.
Fertilizer injury should not be confused with the yellowing of the
seedlings due to nitrogen starvation or manganese toxicity. When
the tobacco plants turn yellow during seasonable weather, and if they
have a good root system and there is no grayish-white covering of
T the soil, then this yellowing is probably due to nitrogen starvation.
Nitrogen-starved plants should be treated with some form of nitrogen.
Dissolve 10 pounds of nitrate of soda or 5 pounds of ammonium nitrate
in a 50-gallon barrel of water. Remove the cotton and sprinkle the
nitrate solution evenly over the bed, with a sprinkling can, at the rate
of 5 gallons to 18 running feet of bed 12 feet wide, or 24 running feet
if the width is 9 feet. To prevent burning, follow at once with an equal
amount of clear water to rinse the solution off the leaves. If a tobacco
plant bed top dresser is used, follow the manufacturer’s directions.
SOW THE SEED AS SOON AS WEATHER PERMITS
Sow 2 level teaspoons of cleaned and tested seed to each 100 feet of
bed 9 feet wide, or 2% level teaspoons of seed for each 100 feet of
bed 12 feet wide. Seeding may be done as soon as weather permits,
9

 which is usually the last half of February or in March. Seeding should
be completed by April 10.
A tobacco seed distributor will do the best job in broadcasting the
seed evenly. If you don’t have a seed distributor, mix {ine sand,
screened wood ashes, or a small amount (10 pounds) of commercial
fertilizer with the seed. If you use a seed distributor, don’t mix the
seed with other materials. Going over the bed at least three times
helps to evenly distribute the seed if you are sowing by hand. Im-
mediately after seeding, cover the bed with a good grade of tobacco
cotton.
BOX THE PLANT BED
Boxing the bed helps control cutwomis and ileabeetles. Use 1-by
6—inch material, stretch a good grade of tobacco cotton over the
top of the boards, and fasten to the sides. (Fig. 4). If boards are not
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Fig. 4.- Plant bed properly boxed and ditched.
available, use uniform logs. Tall bottles turned upside down and
stuck in the soil will keep the cotton off the ground and prolong its
life.
IF HEAVY FREEZES OCCUR
Small tohneco plants, while injured by cold weather, are rarely
killed unless the soil freezes enough to be honeycombed. Then the
plants may be lifted or heaved out of the soil and they will die. If
heavy freezes occur. remove the canvas as soon as the soil thaws.
10

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Fig. 5.— Cold injury to tobacco plants in the plant bed.
Tramp or ro1l the soil, disregard the plants, and then water the
bed thoroughly.
Following cold, windy weather most of the plants in the bed may
be affected with cold injury. As they develop, the bud leaves of such
injured plants are white, and the partially developed leaves are white
and smaller than normal (Fig. 5). With warmer weather the affected
leaves appear mottled, with somewhat the appearance of milk mosaic.
PLANT DISEASES
Control Blue Mold
Blue mold is not considered a serious yearly threat to tobacco beds
in Kentucky. Occasionally blue mold can occur early in the bed season
and become a serious threat. If blue mold appears early in your
neighborhood, treat the bed with Ferbam or Zineb either as a spray
or dust twice a week and after each rain from the time the disease
is first reported in the neighborhood until the plants are set, Use 3
tablespoons of Ferbam or 2 of Zineb to 1 gallon of water, and apply
4-6 gallons per 9 x 100 feet of bed. If using dust, apply 2-3 pounds of
the proper dilution per 9 x 100 feet of bed. Beds severely injured
11

 with the blue mold should be nitrated to hasten recovery. Removing
the cover during the day is helpful.
Danger of Blackleg in Wet Seasons
Blackleg occurs in the plant bed during wet periods when the
plants are about ready to be set. Blackleg is a bacterial soft rot at-
tacking leaves that touch the ground and spreading from them into
the soft, tender stalk (Fig. 6). The stalk may rot off completely, or
the disease may spread up one side, splitting it open. The rotted areas
usually turn black. Frequently the plants in an area up to 3 feet in
diameter are damaged. Slightly affected plants when set in the field
grow normally if set in rather dry soil, but if the setting season is
wet, it is not advisable to use plants from an affected bed.
Tobacco Anthracnose Control
Anthracnose in plant beds has caused losses in Kentucky the past
few years. The fungus that causes anthracnose is a pathogen of
grasses and clovers and is well distributed where tobacco is grown.
Anthracnose probably gets in the plant beds by water that Hows over
the beds from the outside. Plant beds well ditched and raised above·
the surrounding ground should be safer than beds on the level.
Anthracnose causes numerous small spots on tobacco leaves which
at first are reddish brown but later turn papery-white, sometimes giv-
ing the plants a silvery appearance. Brown, elongated spots also ap-
pear on the undersides of leaf midribs and veins causing the leaf to
pucker or break. Several spots on a small leaf often merge into a
single dead area, killing the entire leaf. The disease may be unusually
severe in wet weather, killing large as well as very small seedlings.
If not killed, the plants remain yellow and stunted as long as the .
disease remains active. Although anthracnose is checked by clear,
dry weather, it can remain active in a wide temperature range.
The following recommendations for anthracnose control in plant
beds have proved effective:
Spray or dust the beds with a fungicide such as Ferbam, Polyram,
or Zineb, starting when the plants are about the size of a dime. Sprays
should be applied at about 100 pounds pressure to insure coverage of
both sides of the leaves. Dust should be applied with a hand-powered
crank d