This summer, we have begun a new project focussed on implementing integrated pest management (IPM) practices for insects in commercial tobacco fields. This project was inspired by observations during our GAP training sessions and results from county extension agent surveys that suggested that overall use of scouting to make insect management decisions was relatively low. We believe that making insect management choices based on scouting has the potential to reduce pesticide use, to potentially reduce grower cost, and to potentially reduce pesticide residues in cured leaf. This project is designed to determine if these beliefs are justified.
In order to identify the reasons why relatively few growers are scouting for insect pests, we have set up research fields at three locations throughout the state, two in eastern NC and one in the Piedmont, where we will compare insect populations in grower standard fields (where the growers we cooperate make all of the insect management decisions) and insect populations in fields we manage through scouting, our IPM plots. We will be sharing this information at the Tobacco Portal each week.
Our first two fields were transplanted this week, and we made our first scouting visit today. Our other two fields have not yet transplanted, so we will add scouting information for them in later updates.
Scouting Report, Eastern 1 - Grower Standard Field
