Study 2 (Kelly, Ranes, & Craig): Methods of Sucker Control for Dark Fired Tobacco with Over-the-Top & Conveyer Hood Applications

Tobacco, one of Kentucky’s largest cash crops, is harvested solely for its leaves. Topping is done to stop the plants apical dominance and production of its flower. This is done in order to direct most nutrients into the leaves. The flower is broken off (topped) and when this happens, sucker growth occurs. Chemicals are then applied to control sucker growth. Tobacco traditionally uses a drop-line application that is time and labor intensive, to spray each plant. Research conducted at Murray State University’s farm evaluated sucker control treatment alternatives without drop-line applications. Chemicals are applied over-the-top using a sprayer. Each plot received Off-Shoot-T (a fatty alcohol compound) applications one week pre-topping. Treatments 2 and 4 were treatments with three nozzles producing a mist directed at each row. Treatments 1 and 3 were treatments using the standard drip-line. Treatment 5 was a control plot with no additional chemical treatments. Treatments 1 and 2 received a mixture of Off-Shoot-T and FLUPRO (flumetralin) seven days after topping. Treatments 3 and 4 received only Off-Shoot-T seven days after topping. Treatments 1 and 2 received a mixture of Off-Shoot-T and FLUPRO fourteen days after topping. Treatments 3 and 4 received a mixture of Off-Shoot-T and MH-30 (maleic hydrazide) fourteen days after topping. Data collected includes sucker biomass and yield for all treatments, which was analyzed statistically