The transplantation of White Patta tobacco is commencing from next week while that of Virginia type will start from the first week of March in NWFP, an official handout issued by the Pakistan Tobacco Board (PTB) said here on Monday. It said that due to incessant rains, tobacco nurseries sown for 2005 crop are being adversely affected due to possible alga growth, attack of damping-off-disease, cold injury and presence of vegetable weevils in the seedbeds. The board has advised growers to inspect their tobacco nurseries regularly for protecting these from the above mentioned calamities.
They have been asked to drain out rainwater from nurseries, remove the alga mat from the bed sides with hoe/kurpa, keep beds covered with plastic sheets and spray the seedbeds with Mancozeb or Ridomil Gold or Dithane M-45 @ 20gm thoroughly mixed in 10 litres of water against fungal/alga diseases.
Furthermore, for control of vegetable weevil, nurseries may be sprayed with Thiodan 35 EC or Tamaron 600 SL @ 20 ml per 10-litre water.
Similarly, the rainwater should also be drained out from fields kept for tobacco cultivation. Fields may be prepared immediately after rains, when weather conditions sets in.
The board has urged growers to contact field staff of the board and tobacco companies in their respective areas for further guidance.