In the plant breeding area of this website, results of an on-farm variety evaluation survey of CTH8 are posted.  CTH8 was grown on 6 farms in 2013 and the survey was completed by each grower.  The majority of growers, five of the six, indicated that they would grow CTH8 again.

Agronomic performance data on the registered varieties grown in 2013 can now be viewed in the plant breeding area of the website.

CTRF is holding an “Open House” on Thursday, December 12 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 12:00 noon.  Cured leaf samples of registered and promising varieties will be on display.  Handouts on the performance of the registered varieties will be available.  There will also be a plant pathology display in CTRF’s research lab.  Click here for the program and directions.

CTH8 is the latest flue-cured tobacco hybrid released for commercial production in Canada.  It was registered in 2013 and will be available to grow in 2014.

This past season CTH8 was grown on a trial basis by six growers.  These growers will be surveyed later this month as to their impressions of the variety.  Results of the survey will be available at CTRF’s Open House that will be held later this year.

Based on field data collected over three years, CTH8 is topped 2 days earlier than CT157, and at about the same time as Delgold.  Leaf spacing on the stalk and size of the tip leaves are similar to CT157.  Mid-stalk leaves are similar in width to CT157 though slightly longer in length.  The yield potential of CTH8 is intermediate between Delgold and CT157.  CTH8 has superior grade index, while its company rating is similar to CT157. The grade composition of CTH8 is less “M” grades, similar “O” grades and more “L” grades as compared to CT157.  CTH8 tends to have higher gross returns than CT157.

Bare stalks are becoming a more familiar sight on several farms.  Many growers have started their last pass, but several will still need most of this month to complete harvest provided the weather cooperates.

Cured quality continues to be good with most crops now having matured quite well.

Not many problems are being reported.  We are however seeing some White Mold (caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum) in fields on a few farms.  Damage from this disease can occur on leaves, as well as on the stalk.  A thick, white-coloured mold will be present and will often contain black, pea-sized overwintering bodies called sclerotia.  Leaf drop can occur when the infection is at the leaf axil (click here for picture).  At this time in the season, there is no control for the disease.  White Mold is not known to spread during curing.

One disease that we have seen in kilns is Pole Rot (caused by Rhizopus arrhizus), which appears as a grey, fuzzy mold on the leaf often at the butt end of the stem.  Strategies for limiting damage from this disease are to minimize the time spent yellowing, such as yellowing at as high a temperature as possible (i.e. 40.6°C or 105°F) and then moving quickly to colour fixing which is less favourable for the development of the disease (i.e. above 43.3°C or 110°F).  In past years, some growers have been successful with closing the ventilators and flashing the dry-bulb temperature for a short period of time while yellowing.  This procedure is discussed in more detail in OMAFRA’s tobacco publication 298.

Blue Mold has not been reported in Ontario this year.  The most recent report of Blue Mold in the U.S. was near Hillsboro, Ohio in early September.  Other reports in the U.S. have come from Windsor, Connecticut; Greeneville, Tennessee; Abingdon, Virginia and Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Harvest is now common on all farms.  It appears that the tobacco harvested earlier is curing out quite well.

Several growers have commented about the bronze/golden coloured plants that have been showing up in their fields as of late.  These plants are infected with Potato Virus Y and are now dying (click here for photo).

Some growers are reporting a reddish or pink discolouration on some leaves in certain areas of fields.  This often seems to be in weaker areas of fields or where the tobacco appears to be low in nitrogen.  We started to receive calls about this problem on August 8th, soon after a storm had gone through the area.  The discolouration on the leaf is likely the result of the leaf tissue breaking down.

The latest report of Blue Mold in the U.S. was on shade tobacco on August 15th from Windsor, Connecticut.  Earlier reports of the disease in the U.S. were from Greeneville, Tennessee, Abingdon, Virginia and Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  To date, there have been no reports of Blue Mold in Ontario.

The CTRF staff (click here for photo) was busy in the seed nursery and selection block today.  From late July and until early September considerable work is done to make crosses to develop new varieties, select superior plants and advance them to the next generation, evaluate the agronomic performance of progeny and increase seed of new and existing cultivars.  All of CTRF’s currently registered varieties, including the newly registered hybrid CTH8, originated in the seed nursery and selection block.

Several crops are now improving in colour and size.  Topping, application of sucker control, treating for aphids and hornworms, as well as the start of harvesting on some farms are the current activities.

If anyone would like a new slide rule for curing, there is still a good supply available from CTRF.

Irrigation this past week was becoming a more common site.  Last night’s rain was significant in some areas ending irrigation on some of these farms for the time being.

Further spread of PVY and Target Spot appears to be limited on most farms at this time.

We have received some calls recently in regards to the tips of leaves yellowing and some of the leaf tissue at the tip of the leaf drying up (click here for photo).  This is potassium (K) deficiency, which can be seen sometimes when the plant is growing rapidly at about the topping stage.  This is not necessarily an indication that more K is needed.  When the plant is growing rapidly, it sometimes can’t take up all the K it needs.

We have been in several fields recently and are seeing a variety of issues.  Excessive rainfall resulted in some crops going uneven and yellow.  Most growers have been actively applying nitrogen to compensate for leaching losses.  The colour of these crops is now improving.

On some farms, nematode injury to roots in sandier areas of fields has been observed.  Root growth earlier in the season when it was cool and wet was less than it would have been had it been drier and warmer.  As a result, nematode feeding on a plant with a less developed root system has had a greater effect than if the roots had been more actively growing.

Potato Virus Y (PVY) (click here for photo) continues to be seen in tobacco fields.  Spread of PVY is primarily by aphids.  Control of aphids in the tobacco will help to reduce spread of the disease from infected plants.  Harvesting does not appear to spread the disease based on observations in past years.

Target Spot (click here for photo) is another disease that is being seen on farms.  Protected areas of fields and lower areas of fields tend to be more infected.  The lower leaves of the plant typically show the most infection.  When several lesions are present on a leaf, the leaf will turn yellow and die. Further information about the disease and control of it can be found in OMAF’s tobacco publication.

Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV) (click here for photo) has been confirmed on a few farms.  TMV is spread primarily by contact.  Rogueing infected plants, provided the disease is not widespread, is often the best control to prevent spread to other plants.  In fields where TMV is seen this year, it is not advisable to double-crop these fields next year.  The disease is often much worse the following year in the same field if a host crop, such as tobacco, is grown.

To date there have been no reports of Blue Mold in Ontario.  In the U.S., there was a recent report out of Virginia that Blue Mold was found on burley tobacco.

Topping has begun in earlier planted fields.  Aphids and hornworms are active in several fields.  Please follow the pre-harvest interval (PHI) with any product that is applied to the crop at this time.

Target Spot (Rhizoctonia Leaf Spot) is being seen in several fields (click here for photo).  The wet conditions and moderate temperatures in the latter part of June and early July were ideal for development of this soil-borne fungus.    In most fields at this time it appears that the lesions are no longer water soaked and are not active.  Further information about the disease and control can be found in OMAF’s tobacco publication.