FORECAST SUMMARY: Friday, June 20:
***** Disease Update - 18 June ***** We have the first reports of blue mold from Tennessee. Our thanks to Buddy Bourne (field agronomist with the U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company), Paul Hart (Robertson County Extension Director), and Steve Bost.... who inform us of two outbreaks of blue mold in Robertson County, TN. Both of these reports are in fields of burley tobacco near the town of Adams. One outbreak is in a small section of a larger field measuring 30ft X 30ft. Numerous lesions are present with heavy sporulation. The other outbreak involves a 5-acre field where most plants are showing symptoms, though not severely. Recent weather has been quite favorable. Other infections may exist but remain undiscovered, as the weather has been too wet for many growers to inspect their fields. This source is being added to the forecasts.
***** Dry weather is expected for most areas this weekend *** After one more day of unsettled weather in the Southeast and mid-Atlantic states.... high pressure building in behind a cold front will bring sunny to partly cloudy skies and dry conditions for most locations. On Friday.... there is HIGH Risk for northern FL and southern GA... Strongly Moderate Risk for southern and eastern SC... and Moderate Risk for eastern NC. Low Risk elsewhere. Mixed conditions will still exist on Saturday near the source areas in southern GA and northern FL, with Moderate Risk for that region. Low Risk elsewhere. Low Risk for all areas on Sunday. Dry conditions will continue for many areas through early next week.
TK
Areas at Strongly Moderate or HIGH Risk during the past week: northern FL, southern GA, central and eastern SC, central and eastern NC, the southern Appalachian Mountains, north-central TN, south-central KY
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.