Trial Report · Season 2021/22

Maguires Tobacco Trials — Blencathra

Trials on Mike Swears’ farm, Blencathra, in Trelawney — seventeen chemical treatments compared through the season for insect, disease and sucker control on variety T74, planted 11 November 2021.

A healthy tobacco plant in the trial field

Trial at a Glance

Farmer
Mike Swears
Farm & Area
Blencathra, Trelawney
Variety
T74
Planted
11 November 2021

Chemicals on Trial

Seventeen treatment lines — including two controls — were compared across the trial block.

  • 1. Control
  • 2. Oxamyl ×2
  • 3. Velum ½ rate
  • 4. VS04 Kiplant ×3
  • 5. Cuperderm ×4
  • 6. Cabrio Duo ×2
  • 7. Flumetralin 15%
  • 8. Flumetralin Duo
  • 9. Kasugamycin 4%
  • 10. Dual Magnum ×2
  • 11. Frontier Optima
  • 12. Frontier Optima
  • 13. Messenger
  • 14. Ekcosil
  • 15. Myconate
  • 16. Control
  • 17. Ezyflow Lime

The Season, Step by Step

The trial was followed from planting in November through to suckericide application in late January.

  1. 11 November 2021

    Planting

    Planting was done on the 11th of November 2021, with Cuperdem mixed at a rate of 3 L/ha and applied in the planting water.

    Planting crew setting out the trial
    Tractor working the trial land at planting
    Cuperdem being mixed for the planting water
  2. One week after planting

    The crop takes

    One week after planting all the tobacco has taken, and there is no sign of dusty surface beetle throughout the field. None of the crop has been damaged by cutworm or dusty surface beetle.

    Young trial rows one week after planting
    A healthy plant that has taken well
  3. Early season

    No difference yet

    All the chemicals seem to be doing their job, and there is no noticeable difference between the treatments yet.

    Young tobacco plant early in the season
  4. After the first rain

    Weed pressure shows the chemicals worked

    The crop received some rain recently. The weeds have started to come through — although the weed pressure is worse towards the edge of the land, which shows the chemicals have worked.

    Trial rows greening up after the first rain
    Trial rows with a treatment marker board
  5. Mid season

    No disease in the crop

    There is no sign of any disease in the crop — including frog eye, alternaria and angular leaf spot. We have sprayed Azoxy Duo at 500 mL/ha, Twist at 180 mL/ha, Bion at 60 g/ha, Kasugamycin at 800 mL/ha and Cabrio Duo at 1.5 L/ha.

    Disease-free tobacco plant mid-season
    Applying the fungicide programme
  6. 27 January 2022

    Suckericides applied

    Applying our suckericides — N’Decanol and Flumetralin Duo. Flumetralin Duo is made up of 13.5% flumetralin and 30% N’Decanol.

    The trial crop at suckericide application
    Applying suckericides beside the trial marker board

Key Finding

Across all seventeen treatments the crop came through clean — no dusty surface beetle or cutworm at establishment, and no frog eye, alternaria or angular leaf spot through the season.