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Johnston County Tobacco News
Johnston Tobacco Production & GAP Meeting

NC Cooperative Extension in Johnston County will host a Tobacco Production and GAP recertification meeting on Friday, January 17, 2020 beginning with registration at 8:30 AM at the Johnston County Agricultural Center. The meeting will begin at 9:00 AM and will finish with lunch. Leaf dealers and contracting companies require growers to attend the GAP training each year. IF you are not able to attend this meeting, a complete list of meetings can be found at  www.gapconnections.com.  

Tobacco information books, new materials for the GAP record keeping binder, and other materials will be available at the meeting. Pesticide credits and Certified Crop Advisor credits will be offered. Exhibitors representing tobacco production products will be present to discuss their products before and following the meeting.

The program will include topics of labor, insect management, disease management, and agronomics. NC State University Tobacco Specialists from the Crop Science, Plant Pathology, and Entomology departments will be present.

Please register no later than Thursday, January 16, 2020 by 12 pm to help us prepare for the meal.

You can register by calling (919) 989-5380 or via email bmspivey@ncsu.edu.
Tobacco OVT Data

The 2019 Tobacco OVT data is available in the  links below:

Multiple year data are typically more indicative of variety performance across a wide range of growing environments.

Note that the Tobacco OVT data in 2018 was not published due to Hurricanes Florence and Michael, hence why you don't see that year reference in the multi-year data tables.

Also, there are varieties listed in the one year data that are not commercially available yet (such as NC 1960, NC 980, NC 986, NC 987, and NC 989). Goldleaf indicates they plan to release GL365 in 2021.
New Tobacco Variety

NC 1226 is a new variety that will be released in 2020, but my understanding is only sample packets will potentially be available. It has good yield potential with a High rating on Black Shank and Low rating on Granville wilt.
Fumigant Applicator Recertification

There will be a Fumigant Applicator Recertification meeting (Z credits) on
Friday, January 17, 2020 from 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm immediately following the tobacco meeting. This will be in the auditorium at the Johnston County Agricultural Center. In NC, applicators that are certified for fumigant application must attend a fumigation recertification training every three years. The fumigant training timeline is now connected with your pesticide applicator license. The year your pesticide applicator license expires is the year you need to receive the Fumigant Applicator Recertification training. 

If you do not carry the "Z" category on your license or your license does not expire in 2020, then there is no need for you to stay for this training. It is likely that this will be the only such opportunity offered in Johnston County for 2020.


Respirator Fit Test Opportunities

If you apply soil fumigants then an annual respirator fit testing is not only advisable but required. As a reminder, this is a two-part process which includes medical clearance to be supplied by your medical professional or through some other qualified means. The documentation they provide should state a term for this clearance. Your medical clearance may not need to be updated depending on the term placed on this documentation by your medical professional. However, if you have experienced significant health changes, then it is advisable to renew your medical clearance prior to using a respirator. Medical clearance will be required for individuals who were not fitted last year. You can obtain medical clearance at www.respexam.com or at your local doctor's office.

The second step is to acquire an annual fit test to be sure the mask fits and seals properly. Last year there were some issues with seals. Please test your seals prior to making an appointment for fit testing. NC Cooperative Extension is cooperating with Hazard Risk Management to again offer two dates for fit testing at the Johnston County Agricultural Center, Wednesday, January 22, 2020 and Friday, January 31, 2020The HRMA is charging $25 per person for the fit testing. Please bring a check to provide the payment to Hazard Risk Management. If you need fit testing, please call us at 919-989-5380 to schedule an appointment for this service.  


Text Alerts
Anyone who receives text messages can subscribe to receive text alerts about the tobacco crop in Johnston County.  To subscribe send a text message to 40404.  The message should be  Follow @Tobaccodoc

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