Source: NCSU COOPERATIVE EXTENSION, 4/1/21


As we gear up for transplanting and general field work, we also find ourselves making a number of crop management decisions. Many of the decisions we make revolve around pesticide selection, and these are often conversations that Cooperative Extension is heavily involved with. Sometimes these are easy conversations to have and sometimes they require in-depth dialogue in order to fully understand what pesticides may or may not be acceptable by industry. Last year we posted an article about specific issues that deserved special attention. We’re reposting this article because much of it rings true in 2021 as well. Below are specific items that we’ll be considering again in 2021, and we strongly feel that you should as well:

1.) FOLLOW YOUR CONTRACT! There is usually information in a tobacco contract that outlines specific pesticides that cannot be used to grow a crop. Unfortunately, we find that there are major differences in what various buying companies have deemed acceptable for application, so there is no longer a “one size fits all approach” for our recommendations. This is where it’s important to remember that just because a pesticide is labeled for tobacco does not mean it can be used in each situation. Remember, you as a farmer have direct access to your contract and the representatives from your buying company – we in Extension do not.

For monre of this story, click here.