FLUE-CURED TOBACCO IN FLORIDA


 There are several problems closely related in handling a
rotation for tobacco. It is highly desirable that the crops
be handled so that the soil will be in the best condition for
tobacco. Several years of research have shown that weeds
are excellent for improving the soil and getting it in condition
for tobacco. It is practically impossible to set up one rotation
for each individual tobacco farm. As a general rule, it is
possible to crop the land to lupines, crotalaria, or hairy indigo
and follow this with corn or the millets and then follow the
corn or millets with oats or rye in the fall. The crop is grazed
or cut for grain, weeds are allowed to grow in the summer and
the following year the land is planted to tobacco.
 Oats and rye may also be turned under as a green manure
crop. However, if this is done they should be planted early
and turned in early in February to permit ample decay and
to reduce possible wireworm and cutworm damage to the
tobacco plants. It should be noted that when the more root-
knot susceptible crops are grown in rotation that less sus-
ceptible crops should be planted ahead of tobacco. Corn, millet,
oats, and rye are the most promising crops to precede tobacco.
Even some species of weeds are susceptible to nematodes, and
this makes it almost necessary to establish a system of plant-
ing resistant crops which need clean cultivation to further
reduce nematode buildup. In addition to rotations, soil fumi-
gation for nematode control is recommended.

 FIELD FUMIGATION
 Soil fumigation has contributed to the crop returns of many
tobacco growers. (See figure 5) For review of the materials
and how they are applied the following suggestions are made
on the recommended fumigants.

 Fumigants:
 DICHLOROPROPANE-DICHLOROPROPENE (D-D)
 ETHYLENE DIBROMIDE (EDB) 40 and 85
 Application: These fumigants may be applied at the follow-
ing rates in the drill row: Seven to 8 gallons of EDB-40, or
2 to 21/2 gallons of EDB-85; or 9 to 10 gallons of D-D per
acre. For broadcast applications: 15 gallons of EDB-40; or
6 gallons of EDB-85; or 20 gallons of D-D. (See Table 4)


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