August 20 - September 6
No new reports or updates
August 18
New reports from KY: TBM has been discovered in Lewis and Franklin Counties, KY. A 15 acre field of burley in Franklin County, KY has 70% disease incidence. Lesions are most prevalent in the lower canopy, and are also most active there. Little to no sporulation was observed in the upper canopy. The presence of older lesions indicates that first symptoms likely appeared around July 29. A burley field of unknown size is infected in Lewis County, KY. First symptoms appeared on or before August 6.
August 15
New reports from KY and OH: TBM has been discovered in Carter County, KY and Gallia County, OH. A 2-acre field in Carter County, KY is 100% infected with blue mold. Sporulation is abundant. Disease is estimated to have been present for 3 weeks, first symptoms appearing around July 23. A 5-acre field in Gallia County, OH is showing about 20% disease incidence. Estimated date of first symptoms is August 5.
August 13
New reports from KY and NC: TBM has been discovered in Davidson and Surry Counties, NC and Pendleton, Robertson, and Owsley Counties, KY. Twelve acres of burley growing in Davidson County, NC were found to have 10% incidence. Estimated date of first symptoms is August 3-6. A 2-acre field is infected in Surry County, NC. Incidence is around 50-60%. First symptom date is August 3. A small, 3-acre field of burley in Pendleton County, KY is showing 5% incidence. Estimated date of first symptoms is August 8. The discovery in Robertson County is in a 5-acre burley field. Incidence is near 100% with severity around 30%. First symptoms appeared around August 3. A 2-acre field in Owsley County, KY has around 100% incidence but severity is 10% or less. Estimated date of first symptoms in this burley field is August 4.
August 11
New reports from KY and TN: TBM has been discovered in Fayette County, KY and Washington County, TN. There are 2 separate cases in Fayette County. One is in a 20 acre field showing 25% incidence. Sporulation is active; estimated date of first symptoms is August 3. Another find is in a .25-acre test plot in the northern portion of the county. Blue mold was found yesterday (Monday) in a 67-acre burley field in northeast TN. About 3 acres (5%) of the field is infected. Symptoms are fresh, within the past few days.
August 8
New reports from KY: TBM was reported late Thursday, August 6 and again early Saturday afternoon, August 8 on tobacco in Rowan, Wolfe, Lincoln, Harrison, Mason, and Bracken Counties, KY. Rowan: approx. 40% of a 2-acre field of burley. First symptoms appeared around July 25. Wolfe: Three separate fields totalling about 8 acres, 30% incidence. Estimated first symptom date is July 24. Lincoln: 20 acre field with approx. 60% incidence. Symptoms first appeared about July 27. Harrison: 40% of a 3-acre field near Cynthiana. First symptoms estimated at July 29. Mason: severe outbreak, 90% of plants in a 3.5-acre field showing symptoms. Estimated date of first symptoms is July 30. Bracken: 5-acre field of burley is showing 30% incidence. First symptoms appeared around August 4.
August 6
First report from OH. New reports from KY and NC: TBM was reported late Tuesday, August 4 on tobacco in Garrard County, KY and Adams / Brown Counties in far southern OH. Approx. 30% of a 17-acre field is infected in the KY outbreak. Symptoms are fresh and were observed in the lower 1/3 of the canopy. Estimated date of first symptoms is August 3. Less than 1% of a 4-acre field on the border of Brown and Adams counties in OH has blue mold. Symptoms are estimated to have first occurred around July 28. TBM was reported in Nash County, NC on August 6, near Rocky Mount. There is 100% incidence in a 0.5 acre biomass experimental plot. Active sporulation is present on numerous lesions in the lower leaves. Estimated date of first symptoms is July 27-30.
August 1
First report from MA. New reports from KY and NC: TBM was confirmed late in the work week on shade tobacco in Hampden County, MA. The infected area is small, about 0.1 acre. Recent weather has been favorable. Observations at the scene indicate symptoms have been present 10-14 days. TBM has been confirmed in Caswell County, NC and Fleming County, KY. The Caswell County outbreak is in a 1-acre field of flue-cured, which is 95% infected. Estimated date of first symptoms is July 15. This location is just southeast of the Pittsylvania County, VA site. In KY, disease is in approx. 25 acres of tobacco in 4 fields nestled closely together. Incidence is estimated at 80% and abundant sporulation is present. Estimated date of first symptoms is July 22. This outbreak is just to the northeast of the other known sources.
July 30
New reports from KY and VA: TBM has been confirmed in a 4-acre field of tobacco in Madison County, KY. Incidence is around 2%. Estimated date of first symptoms is July 27. TBM is now present in Pittsylvania County, VA near the town of Danville. Lesions were noticed on a very small percentage of lower leaves in a 6-7 acre field of flue-cured. The field has been topped but not yet harvested. Estimated date of first symptoms is July 21.
July 18
First report from KY: TBM was found on July 16 on tobacco in fields near the Clark / Montgomery County line in east-central KY. Several fields totalling about 60 acres are infected. Initial estimate of incidence was 30% but subsequent observations indicate a much higher number may be more appropriate. Oldest lesions are approximately 10 days old and no more than 2 weeks. Fresh lesions are present and actively sporulating.
July 14
First report from VA: TBM has been reported from Dinwiddie County, VA on July 13. Symptoms were observed in 5 closely-grouped fields totalling approx. 65 acres on July 11. About 1% disease incidence in this outbreak, 5-10% severity. Lesions are seen more in the bottom 1/3 of plants, with more on plants near the tree lines and bottom areas of the fields. First symptoms estimated at July 1-7. Topping was to have begun the day of the report.
July 4
First report from TN: TBM was confirmed in Greene County, TN on July 2. Lesions were observed on plants in a 6-acre burley field along the banks of the Nolichucky River. No sporulation was observed on now-dry lesions, estimated to be 7 to 10 days old. About 2% disease incidence exists.
June 28
First report from NC: TBM was confirmed in Forsyth County, NC on June 26. The discovery is in a 5-acre field of burley tobacco near the town of Belews Creek. Incidence is estimated at 60%. First symptoms are estimated to have occurred around June 12. Nearby fields of flue-cured tobacco were scouted with no symptoms observed, and the burley infection appears to be limited to this single field at this time. Recent weather has been hot and dry and the field is scheduled to be topped soon, perhaps within a week.
June 14 - June 25
No new reports or updates.
June 11
New report from Lancaster County, PA. Blue mold was reported June 11 in a traditional plant bed of MD 609 tobacco near the town of Landisville. Yellowing of plants and significant fungal growth on the underside of leaves was occuring over about 15% of the plants. It is estimated that the first symptoms appeared around June 5.
June 6
First report of blue mold from the United States.
Blue mold was reported late June 5 from Chester County, PA. Disease was discovered in a float bed house near the town of Oxford. Areas of yellow leaves were observed and sporulation was occuring on some plants. First appearance of symptoms is estimated at May 29, 2009. The report indicates that plants are to be destroyed immediately.
Start of Season through June 4, 2009
There are no reports of blue mold from the U.S. growing regions.