FORECAST SUMMARY: Wednesday, August 20:
***** Disease Update - 20
August ***** Strong blue mold is
present in southern New England.
James LaMondia informs us that blue mold has been
confirmed in several areas of the Connecticut River valley in western
Massachusetts. Heavy disease is present on shade and broadleaf
tobaccos, and active sporulation is occurring. Recent weather has
been very favorable for disease development. Growers are using
Acrobat MZ to combat the problem. In some cases, fields have been
destroyed. The tobacco crop is running later than normal due to the
cool, wet weather this year.
*****Disease Update - 18 August
***** Blue mold has been discovered in the
flue-cured areas of Virginia.
Blue mold lesions were discovered in several fields late
last week in Halifax and Patrick counties along southside Virginia.
Most fields in these counties are beyond the topping stage and into
harvest (the initial discovery in Halifax County occurred while
harvest was occurring).
***** The Weather..... High pressure over the east coast is slowly drifting east. Partly cloudy and dry for most locations Wednesday. Showers likely Wednesday in the Southeast with a chance in the southern Appalachian Mountains. The chance of showers will increase in some areas on Thursday.... as moisture works farther north and a cold front moves into the Great Lakes and upper Ohio Valley late in the day. Still dry on Thursday in the Northeast and much of the mid-Atlantic states. Expect more widespread shower activity this weekend as the cold front moves into the eastern U.S.
***** The Forecasts.... On Wednesday..... HIGH Risk for growing areas of northern FL and southern GA. Moderate Risk in the southern Appalachian Mountains. Dry weather expected elsewhere, with Low Risk to tobacco crops. On Thursday.... HIGH Risk for northern FL and southern GA. Moderate Risk for southern and eastern SC, southeast NC, the southern Appalachian Mountains, and all of the Ohio Valley (including TN, KY, southern IN, southern OH, and western WV). Low Risk otherwise.
TK
Areas at Strongly Moderate or HIGH Risk during the past week: all U.S. growing regions east of the Mississippi River
Current Sources:
Previous Sources:
Pinar del Rio, Cuba
Santiago, Dominican Republic
Papantla, Veracruz, Mexico
Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico
Corpus Christi, Texas
Local Weather in North Carolina is available from the WRAL-TV5 Weather Center, which also has links to other weather sites.
***** NOTE: These forecasts/outlooks only apply to disease development from airborne transport of spores!!! We do not have the capability to ascertain blue mold development by other means, such as transplanting of infected seedlings, nor will we attempt to do so. Please consult the Extension Service personnel in your area if you have concerns about these matters! *****
This service is provided by the North Carolina State University departments of Plant Pathology and Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences.