Date set for tobacco production meeting

Agriculture

Discussion

February 15, 2010

By GARY TILGHMAN The Glasgow Daily Times Mon Feb 15, 2010, 09:43 AM CST

GLASGOW — Tobacco producers’ don’t forget the Barren County Tobacco Production Meeting is scheduled for Feb. 16 beginning at 7 p.m.

The meeting will be at the Barren County Extension Office auditorium. Dr. Bob Pearce, UK Extension Tobacco Specialist and Dr. John Wilhoit, UK Ag Engineering Specialist will be our guests.

Managing tobacco transplant diseases

The float-bed system is a convenient and efficient way to produce tobacco transplants. One drawback to this method is the potential for significant disease development. Large numbers of plants packed into a small, water-filled area create conditions in which many diseases thrive.

Once established, problems in float-bed systems can be difficult to eradicate or bring under control. So, it is best to keep them from gaining a foothold in your transplant bed. Prevention is the best solution for keeping float-bed diseases in check. Here are some tips to help you stay ahead of tobacco-transplant diseases:

1. Produce your own plants or buy from a Kentucky source if possible. Growers who use the plug-and-transfer system should consider buying plugs grown in or north of Kentucky to avoid infections of blue mold, which is more prevalent in the South.

2. Take care not to introduce pathogens into the float system. Keep out field soil, which can harbor pathogens that cause root and stem rots. For the same reason, you shouldn’t use water from ponds or creeks to fill float beds. Always use city or well water.

3. Use clean, sanitized trays for seed. Reused trays pose a risk of contamination. Dip or spray them with a solution of one part bleach to 9 parts water. Cover and allow them to stand overnight. Follow up with a good rinse to remove the bleach residue. You should replace or heat treat with steam trays older than three or four years.

4. Once your plants are up and growing, keep them as stress-free as possible. Avoid temperature extremes and keep fertilizer levels within recommended ranges. Too much fertilizer is equally as harmful as too little and can increase susceptibility to diseases in general.

5. Use side vents and fans to maintain good air movement and keep the area surrounding the float bed weed-free. Good air flow promotes rapid drying of foliage which helps to eliminate favorable conditions for disease.

6. Consider a regular fungicide program to control root and leaf diseases. Fungicides are inexpensive insurance considering the value of your transplants.

Disease free transplants pay dividends down the road because they are vigorous and less prone to attack by pathogens in the field. Proper management of diseases in the float system insures that your tobacco crop gets off to a good start.

Winter Coveralls Dairy Meeting Feb. 19

The Kentucky Dairy Development Council, Alltech, and the UK Cooperative Extension Service are cooperating with a series of meetings for dairy producers throughout Kentucky. We are hosting one of those sessions this Friday, Feb. 19 beginning at 10 a.m. with registration and winding down at 1:30 p.m.

The Barren County session will be held at the Barren County Extension Office auditorium. All dairy farmers are encouraged to attend.

Three topics of discussion will be offered. They include: Milk Quality and Mastitis Economics, Making Silage Sense, and Hoof Health, What is Really Going on Down There.

Several key speakers will make these presentations and should really add to a dairy farmer’s arsenal for information to improve in these three areas of management.

A complimentary lunch will be provided for those in attendance and registered for meeting when presentations begin at 10:30 a.m., so don’t be late.

Text Only

Agriculture

Chamber visits cattle farm
A local beef cattle farmer had the chance to show off his farm operation recently when a group from the Glasgow-Barren County Chamber of Commerce chose his farm as their quarterly agribusiness visit.

April 24, 2012 3 Photos
Community shares gardens
The auditorium of the Barren County Cooperative Extension Service was crowded with flowers, vegetables, house plants and seeds Saturday afternoon as garden enthusiasts and other member of the community gathered for the first Plant and Seed Swap through the extension office.

September 26, 2011
Auction competition draws crowd
Farmers Livestock Market of Glasgow hosted an overflow crowd Monday as people from across the country flocked to the stockyard for the first quarterfinal round of the 2012 World Livestock Auctioneer Championship.

September 20, 2011 1 Photo
Farm Bureau works for farmers
The Barren County Farm Bureau Federation met Saturday night at the Trojan Academy for its annual meeting, to review the past year and form a consensus on agriculture policy resolutions the group will push to the state level.

September 20, 2011 1 Photo
Japanese student embraces local culture
A Barren County family is spending a month sharing their American culture with a Japanese foreign exchange student through a 4-H-based program.

August 8, 2011
Ag extension offers homegrown potluck
July 27, 2011
Ag committee discusses hot topics
The Kentucky Interim Joint Committee on Agriculture met Wednesday at Farmers Livestock Market in Glasgow to discuss two difficult issues that have been especially close to the hearts of local farmers — the Eastern Livestock bankruptcy case and dead animal disposal.

July 14, 2011 1 Photo
Farmers feel punished by H-2A regulations
Local tobacco farmers feel like they’re being penalized for using legal foreign workers to help them during the tobacco season.

May 2, 2011
Allen receives ag award
A Barren County man has been recognized by the Governor’s Office of Agricultural Policy for his work as an outstanding agriculture leader.

February 25, 2011
Livestock farmers have stake in bill
Efforts to compensate for losses from the bounced checks and bankruptcy litigation of Eastern Livestock Inc. are continuing. This time, hopefully, with the help of new legislation in the Kentucky congress.

February 9, 2011
More Agriculture Headlines

Agriculture

Search Results

Discussion

Date set for tobacco production meeting

Site Map