All tobacco in the county has been transplanted in what they say has been the best transplanting conditions in a year long time. Transplanting started for us March 31 and finished up a few days later. UGA Extension Tobacco Specialist Dr. J. Michael Moore came down Wednesday and we got to see everything that was set. Below are some pictures of the fields.
In one of the earliest fields, Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus has showed up in a hand full of plants. It has been two weeks to the day of transplant, and Dr. Moore says two weeks is the magic number for TSWV. You can see the reddish-brown necrotic ringspots and also where the bottom half of the leaf stops growing and the other half continues to grow, the leaf will distort. Even immature thrips are present in other fields and field edges which means they are not only out, but reproducing. Virus was showing up only on the edge of this field that also has pecans surrounding it.
Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus
We also saw a little chewing in the leaves from flea beetles. Greenhouse treatments usually control flea beetles. Field treatment for young plants starts at 4 beetles per plant.
Flea Beetle Damage
Thomas County Ag 