LD :J?o5!5 A1~1 F5B3 ;C/C/7 vPI ~pee,

(

Vi .. C

irg11113 • ooperative

Extension Tobacco

Flue-Cured Tobacco Variety Information for 1997

T.D. Reed, C.A. Wilkinson, J.L. Jones, and C.S. Johnson*

Seed of four new varieties will be available to tobacco producers in 1997. RG H4 and RG 81 met the chemical and physical standards estab-lished by the Regional Variety Evaluation Com-mittee in 1994. RG H61 and NC 71 met the chemical and physical standards in 1995. Growers are advised to plant only a limited acreage of any new variety until more information and experience is available from a wider range of soil and climatic conditions.

Three of the new varieties (RG H4, RG H61, and NC 71) are hybrids. These are the first commercially available flue-cured tobacco hybrid varieties. Hybrids are advantageous because characteristics from two parents can be combined into one variety in a short time. For example, a parent with high yield and quality and a low level of disease resistance can be crossed with another parent with a high level of disease resistance and poor yield and quality. The resulting hybrid may have a combination of characteristics that is more acceptable overall than either parent. Burley hybrids have been successfully grown for many years but early work with flue-cured tobacco hybrids did not show any advantages. Since tobacco is self-pollinated, production of hybrid seed requires hand pollination and hybrid seed are more expensive to produce. All hybrids are male sterile, which means they will not produce seed. Hybrid seed will only be available in pelleted form.

RG H4, RG H61, and RG 81 were developed by RG Seed Company. RG H4 and RG H61 are hybrids and only pelleted seed will be available for these two varieties. Information on parents used to develop a hybrid is not released.

RG H4 (tested as RG 2H4) is resistant to tobacco mosaic virus and has a higher quality potential than NC 567 and Coker 176. RG H4 is also moderately resistant to black shank and has a high level of resistance to Granville wilt. It is resistant to the common races of the root knot nematode. RG H4 produced average yields in 1996. It is a moderately maturing variety similar to VA 116 and NC 27 NF.

RG H61 (tested as RG3H 61) is similar in yield and quality to K 326. It was reported to cure well in the Regional Variety Evaluation Program. RG H6 l is a moderately maturing variety similar to VA 116 and NC 27 NF. It is moderately resistant to black shank and has a low level of resistance to Granville wilt. RG H61 is resistant to the common races of the root knot nematode.

* Extension Agronomist, Tobacco; Associate Professor of Agronomy; Extension Agronomist, Tobacco; and Extension Plant Pathologist, Tobacco, respectively; Virginia Tech, Southern Piedmont Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Blackstone, Va.

v· .. I®ffllTech • VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE

AND STATE UNIVERSITY

Virginia Cooperative Extension programs and employment arc open to all . regardless of race, color, religion, sex. age, veteran status, national origin. disability, or political affiliation. An equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Issued in furtherance of

Cooperative Extension work, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Virginia State University. and the U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating. C. Clark Jones. Director. Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg;

Lorenza W. Lyons, Adminisuator, 1890 Extension Program, Virginia State, Petersburg.

VT/028/0297/l .SM/9724561436047 VIRGINIA STA TE UNIVERSITY

N

Tab

le 1

. V

irgi

nia

Flue

-Cur

ed O

ffic

ial V

arie

ty T

est R

esul

ts:

Yie

ld, V

alue

, Pri

ce, G

rade

Ind

ex, 1

996.

1

So.

Pied

. C

harl

otte

-H

alif

ax

' S

tate

Ave

rage

I

AR

EC

C

ount

y C

ount

y Y

ield

P

rice

Y

ield

P

rice

Y

ield

P

rice

~i

eld

Pri

ce

Var

ietx

lb

s/A

$/

cwt

lbs/

A

$/cw

t lb

s/A

$/

cwt

bs/A

$/

cwt

CU

26

3

2817

19

1 30

62

192

2851

19

2 20

84

189

K3

26

31

74

191

3093

19

2 30

64

192

2804

19

0 K

34

6

2779

19

1 26

96

192

2867

19

2 22

47

190

K3

94

30

10

191

3088

19

2 27

56

192

2668

18

9 N

C 3

7 N

F

3180

19

1 29

00

192

3072

19

2 ~2

84

188

NC

71

2996

19

1 32

02

192

2690

19

2 61

6 18

8 R

GH

4 27

20

190

2720

19

2 24

17

192

2476

18

9 R

GH

61

2950

19

1 28

82

192

2502

19

2 27

56

188

RG

81

2903

19

1 30

90

192

2845

19

2 23

80

188

Sp.

G-1

17

2709

19

0 28

59

192

2584

18

6 23

03

189

VA

116

28

64

191

f 934

192

2938

19

2 27

98

189

Val

ue

Gra

de

Val

ue

Gra

de

Val

ue

Gra

de

Val

ue

Gra

de

$/A

In

dex2

$l

A

Inde

x $L

A In

dex

~ In

dex

CU

26

3

5391

75

58

75

65

5474

88

5

75

K3

26

60

65

81

5935

75

58

78

87

5317

80

K

34

6

5314

80

61

72

70

5501

88

42

74

71

K3

94

57

38

78

5923

72

52

91

84

5044

80

N

C 3

7 N

F

6050

83

55

60

72

5892

88

61

87

81

NC

71

5702

81

61

43

77

5164

88

49

11

72

RG

H4

5169

79

52

15

74

4635

85

46

76

75

RG

H61

56

23

79

5531

70

47

97

85

~195

77

RG

81

5541

82

59

27

75

5456

86

48

3 78

Sp

. G

-11

7 51

44

75

5488

71

48

00

79

4362

78

V

A 1

16

5467

81

56

30

76

5641

88

52

90

85

New

var

ietie

s fo

r 19

97 a

re in

bol

d.

1 T

ests

wer

e co

nduc

ted

in N

otto

way

(So

. Pi

ed.

Ag.

Res

. an

d E

xt.

Ctr

.),

Cha

rlot

te (

Jam

ie N

ewco

mb)

, Hal

ifax

(W

ayne

Pal

mer

), a

nd

Pit

tsyl

vani

a (K

enne

th H

utch

erso

n) c

ount

ies

in 1

996.

2 G

rade

ind

ex is

a n

umer

ical

qua

lity

rat

ing

base

d on

gov

ernm

ent g

rade

. Hig

h ra

ting

s ar

e be

st.

Pit

tsy 1

vani

a C

ount

y Y

ield

P

rice

lb

s/A

$/

cwt

3271

19

2 37

36

191

3306

19

0 35

27

190

3464

19

0 34

74

190

3266

18

8 36

60

190

3298

19

1 ·3

088

192

2786

19

0

Val

ue

Gra

de

$/A

In

dex

6279

72

71

30

82

6308

92

66

95

76

6562

92

65

90

88

6151

82

69

70

82

6299

88

59

24

70

5307

74

"' T

able

2.

Vir

gini

a F

lue-

Cur

ed T

obac

co O

ffic

ial V

arie

ty T

est

Res

ults

by

Yea

rs, S

outh

ern

Pie

dmon

t A

gric

ultu

ral

Res

earc

h an

d E

xten

sion

C

ente

r. B

lack

ston

e V

A.

Yie

ld2 lb

s/ A

V

alue

2 ~A

Pri

ce,

$Lcw

t V

arie

ty

1992

19

93

1994

19

95

1996

A

vg.1

1992

19

93

1994

19

95

1996

19

92

1993

19

94

1995

19

96

c 31

9 25

02

2683

34

41

2980

23

65

2794

44

46

4385

58

79

5378

45

37

178

163

171

180

192

C37

1 G

old

2854

35

07

3776

30

93

2631

31

72

5041

59

92

6444

55

98

5044

17

7 17

1 17

1 18

1 19

2 C

U26

3 --

--

--

3122

30

62

3092

--

-----

5679

58

75

--

--

--

182

192

K 1

49

2485

27

33

3460

33

19

2585

29

16

4388

44

01

5876

60

06

4957

17

7 16

1 17

0 18

1 19

2 K

326

2874

34

36

4072

35

36

3093

34

02

5056

59

27

7067

64

25

5935

17

6 17

3 17

3 18

2 19

2 K

346

2543

30

61

3625

32

77

2696

30

40

4511

50

23

6061

59

10

5172

17

7 16

4 16

7 18

0 19

2 K

358

2691

35

08

3666

32

72

3001

32

28

4760

56

99

6367

59

62

5757

17

6 16

3 17

4 18

2 19

2

K39

4 26

99

3164

38

19

3579

30

88

3270

47

29

5175

64

73

6532

59

23

175

163

169

182

192

K73

0 25

00

3233

35

81

3197

29

19

3086

43

61

5190

61

07

5792

56

00

174

162

170

181

192

McN

944

2430

30

44

3766

35

14

2837

31

18

4261

49

09

6209

63

68

5428

17

5 16

1 16

5 18

1 19

1 N

C27

NF

26

58

3028

38

10

3755

33

78

3326

46

18

4876

64

53

6783

64

69

174

161

169

181

191

NC

37

NF

2635

29

11

3654

32

98

2900

30

80

4587

47

42

6170

59

72

5560

17

4 16

3 16

9 18

1 19

2 N

C71

--

--

--

--

3202

32

02

--

--

--

--

6143

-------

192

NC

567

2623

32

40

3569

35

08

2749

31

38

4615

52

00

6040

63

04

5274

17

6 16

1 16

9 18

0 19

2 ~

NC

729

2478

29

93

3545

35

38

2982

31

07

4354

48

95

5962

63

97

5720

17

5 16

4 16

8 18

1 19

2 O

X94

0 --

3244

34

34

3283

25

81

3136

--

5158

57

09

5915

49

46

--

160

166

180

192

Rea

ms

158

2424

29

48

3334

32

54

2421

28

76

4163

49

05

5688

58

70

4647

17

1 16

6 17

0 18

0 19

2 R

G 1

1 23

83

3183

33

78

3527

28

99

3074

41

61

5328

57

35

6399

55

64

175

168

170

182

192

RG

17

--

--

3833

36

69

3138

35

47

--

--

6487

66

23

6022

--

169

180

192

RG

H61

--

-----

--

2882

28

82

--

--

--

--

5531

------

192

RG

81

--

--

--

3947

30

90

3518

--

--

--

7135

59

27

--

--

--

181

192

RG

H4

--

--

--

3667

27

20

3194

--

--

--

6658

52

15

----

182

192

Sp. G

-70

--

--

--

4021

29

27

3474

--

--

--

7277

56

15

--

--

--

181

192

Sp. G

-108

27

55 --

3829

34

65

3070

32

80

4848

--

6218

62

65

5881

17

6 -

162

181

191

Sp. G

-117

25

42

3320

33

96

3610

28

59

3145

44

59

5567

56

86

6547

54

88

176

167

168

181

192

Sp. G

-126

--

3154

36

43

3359

27

41

3224

--

5109

62

05

6091

52

62

-16

2 17

0 18

1 19

2 V

A 1

16

2610

34

33

3610

33

89

2934

31

95

4569

58

14

6127

61

38

5630

17

5 16

9 17

0 18

2 19

2 N

ew v

arie

ties

for

199

7 ar

e in

bol

d.

1 A

vera

ges

are

not d

irect

ly c

ompa

rabl

e un

less

the

num

ber o

f yea

rs is

equ

ival

ent.

"""'

Tab

le 3

. A

gron

omic

and

Dis

ease

Inf

orm

atio

n fo

r V

arie

ties

Tes

ted

at th

e S

outh

ern

Pie

dmon

t Agr

icul

tura

l R

esea

rch

and

Ext

ensi

on

Cen

ter,

Bla

ckst

one,

Va,

199

6.

Day

s P

lant

G

roun

d G

rade

to

H

eigh

t L

eaf

Suc

kers

~

Dis

ease

Rea

ctio

ns 3

Varlet~

lnde

x1

Flo

wer

{i

n.)

No.

Q

er Q

lot 2

: B

S

TM

V

RK

G

W

B.S

p.

c 31

9 70

65

38

.4

18.3

23

.7

L

s s

L

M

C 3

71 G

old

76

62

33.0

17

.8

24.7

H

s

s M

M

C

U2

63

65

65

38

.2

18.3

2.

3 L

s

R

L

K 1

49

73

62

33.2

18

.5

5.0

M

s R

H

H

K

32

6

75

65

36.1

19

.2

4.3

I

L

s R

L

H

K

34

6

70

67

I

35.3

18

.6

8.0

IH

s

R

H

H

I

K3

58

77

63

36

.3

18.9

4.

3 M

s

R

M

H

K3

94

72

67

34

.3

19.3

2.

0 ,

H

s s

L

L

K7

30

77

64

35

.5

19.3

15

.0

L

s R

H

M

cN9

44

63

65

I

36.0

18

.5

8.0

I M

s

s L

s

NC

27

NF

74

N

F4

35.7

18

.3

7.7

I L

s

s L

L

I

NC

37

NF

72

N

F

39.0

18

.9

10.0

!

L

s R

L

L

N

C7

1

77

65

: 35

.7

18.7

6.

0 J

H

s R

M

N

C5

67

66

58

35

.1

18.7

17

.3

L

R

R

M

M

~

NC

72

9

79

64

32.6

19

.1

3.7

L

s R

H

I

OX

94

0

76

60

33.1

18

.6

22.7

r

H

s s

M

Rea

ms1

58

71

62

35

.5

18.2

3.

0 M

s

s L

L

RG

11

74

60

! I 33

.8

18.1

20

.0

M

s R

H

R

G 1

7 71

65

I

35.0

19

.3

4.3

L

s R

M

R

GH

61

70

58

36

.2

18.2

7.

0 M

s

R

L R

G8

1

75

63

I 33

.8

18.5

3.

3 ,

M

s R

M

R

GH

4

74

58

34.6

17

.8

7.7

M

R

R

H

Sp.

G-7

0 69

64

34

.7

18.3

26

.7

1H

s

R

M

M

Sp.

G-1

08

72

65

37.7

18

.7

10.0

M

s

R

M

M

Sp.

G-1

17

71

58

33.4

18

.3

3.7

(M

s

R

H

Sp.

G-1

26

72

65

38.0

19

.0

6.7

M

s R

M

V

A 1

16

76

58

34.0

18

.1

21.7

M

s

s L

M

New

var

ieti

es f

or 1

997

are

in b

old.

1 G

rade

ind

ex is

a n

umer

ical

qua

lity

rat

ing

base

d on

gov

ernm

ent g

rade

. H

igh

rati

ngs

are

best

. 2

Gro

und

suck

ers/

22 p

lant

plo

t. 3

Dis

ease

rea

ctio

n -

H =

hig

hly

resi

stan

t; M

= m

oder

ate;

L =

low

; S

= s

usce

ptib

le;

R =

res

ista

nt;

BS

= B

lack

Sha

nk;

GW

= G

ranv

ille

Wil

t; R

K =

Ro

ot

Kno

t; T

MV

=T

ob

acco

Mos

aic

Vir

us;

B.

Sp.

=B

row

n S

pot.

4 N

F =

non

flow

erin

g. P

lant

s sh

ould

be

topp

ed a

t 20

to 2

2 ha

rves

tabl

e le

aves

.

Table 4. Percentage of certain color grade factors of varieties tested at four locations in 1996.

Variett L1 F K v KF KV KM G OT CU263 8 49 25 0 15 1 0 0 2 K326 9 64 15 1 5 0 5 0 1 K346 10 52 32 2 0 0 0 0 4 K394 19 44 17 2 13 0 5 0 0 NC37NF 15 70 12 0 0 0 0 0 3 NC71 10 53 32 2 2 0 0 0 1 RGH4 18 46 28 1 5 0 2 0 0 RGH61 14 59 15 0 6 0 3 1 2 RG81 12 65 17 2 2 0 0 0 2 Sp. G-117 13 53 18 0 14 0 0 0 2 VA116 14 66 5 0 7 0 6 0 2 New varieties for 1997 are in bold. 1 L=lemon; F=orange; K=variegated; V=greenish; KF=variegated orange; KV =variegated

RG 81 (tested as RG OB 18) was developed from a cross of K 326 ¥ K 399. It is similar in yield and quality to K 326. RG 81 is a moderately maturing variety similar to VA 116 and NC 27 NF. RG 81 is moderately resistant to black shank and Granville wilt. It is resistant to the common races of the root knot nematode.

NC 71 (tested as NC TG-71) was developed by North Carolina State University and is a hybrid. Only pelleted seed will be available from Rickard Seed Co. NC 71 has a very high level of black shank resistance, a moderate level of resistance to Granville wilt, and is resistant to the common races of the root knot nematode. NC 71 is a late maturing variety similar to K 326.

Information is provided for widely grown and recently released varieties in Tables 1 to 5 of this publication. Results of eleven varieties included in the 1996 Virginia Official Variety Tests (OVT) are shown in Table 1. These tests were conducted in Charlotte (Jamie Newcomb), Halifax (Wayne Palmer), Pittsylvania (Kenneth Hutcherson), and Nottoway (Southern Piedmont Agricultural Research and Extension Center) counties under the joint supervision of Extension Agents in the respective counties and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University re-search and Extension personnel. Testing in various locations throughout the production area makes it possible to evaluate varietal performance under the widely ranging soil and weather conditions existing in Virginia. Such a testing program

5

also provides an opportunity for produc-ers to observe flue-cured tobacco varieties under field conditions in their particular region. Con-tact the Extension agent in your county to arrange a visit to the on-farm variety test nearest you and to learn of tours of tobacco on-farm tests.

Data in Table 1 are for only one year and the results may not be indicative of what might be obtained in other years. The test in Pittsylvania county was completely harvested prior to hurricane Fran whereas all other tests were only partially harvested. There was some differential leaf drop among varieties, therefore yield data needs to be interpreted cautiously. Where available, averages that include 1992 to 1996 data are also presented in Table 2.

Information on agronomic performance and disease resistance levels is given in Table 3. The use of disease resistant varieties is a very effective means of reducing losses due to certain diseases and nematodes. However, varietal resistance cannot be used alone. Any variety may suffer damage when nematodes and disease causing organisms are present and when weather conditions favor their development. An effective pest management program will also include crop rotation (particularly with fescue and small grains) and other cultural control practices. Combining varietal resistance with crop rotation, early stalk and root destruction, and proper use on pesticides is the only way to achieve consistent, cost­effective disease and nematode control.

Disclaimer Commercial products are named in this publication for information purposes only. Virginia Cooperative Extension and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University do not endorse these products and do not intend discrimination against other products which also may be suitable.

Virginia Cooperative Extension U.S. Department of Agriculture

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Blacksburg, Virginia 24061-0512

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