University Update Tennessee and Kentucky Burley and Dark Tobacco Paul Denton Burley Extension Specialist University of Tennessee University of Kentucky

TN-KY Burley Update – Acreage Down from 2009 overall Kentucky down –USDA planting intentions down 5000 ac (7%) –Indications may be down more (10+%) Tennessee steady or slightly up –USDA projects 1000 ac increase (7%) –Receiving station changes relatively favorable to TN

Dark Tobacco Update – Acreage Down from 2009 USDA planting intentions (TN and KY) –15,000 ac fire cured (down 3%) –5,800 ac air cured (unchanged) Bailey (UK) estimate –14,000 ac fire cured –7,000 ac air cured

TN/KY Burley Update – Transplanting Progress Started on time in early May Fell behind in mid May due to rain Caught up rapidly in late May and early June 80+ % transplanted (June 10) Half transplanted in May

Dark Tobacco Update – Transplanting Progress More rain in dark growing area –Delayed transplanting –Suppressed early growth Problem for double curing –Early and late crops too close Progress –USDA-NASS says 75 % transplanted in KY –Bailey (UK) estimates 55 – 60 %

TN and KY Update – Crop Conditions/Problems Overall condition fair to good Problems: Greenhouse –Collar rot, bacterial rot, target spot Problems: Field –Earliest set damaged by too much water –Recently some newly transplanted fields damaged by hot, dry conditions

TN and KY Update – Producer Concerns Dark fire –Availability of slabs and sawdust Burley –Market uncertainty –Cured leaf quality

KT 204, 206 and 209 Predominant burley varieties –High yield –Very good black shank resistance Quality ??? –Many complaints in 07 and 08

Factors that Control Leaf Quality Curing Season Timing of Harvest Variety

University Tobacco Program Update – UT/UK Decreasing state funding Fewer people in tobacco work –Faculty retirements Gene Burgess, UT Entomologist Lowell Bush, UK Tobacco Chemist Jim Calvert, UK Agronomist –County agent positions likely to decrease –Experiment station staff reductions Industry support more and more vital