|
XXI. Tobacco Insects
D.C.
Jones and R.M. McPherson
Tobacco was harvested
from 46,000 acres in 1996, up 10 percent from the 1995 acreage. Georgia's average
yield was a record high 2,470 pounds per acre. The average price received in 1996
was $181.30 per cwt, up $5.40 from the 1995 price, marking the value of the crop
over $205 million.
For the first time in
many years, the tobacco budworm was not the number one insect pest on flue-cured tobacco
in Georgia. The tobacco hornworm was the number one pest of the crop, with total
losses exceeding $2.6 million. This was up significantly from 1995, when this pest
caused only $0.3 million in losses. Most of the losses in 1996 were due to the cost
of controlling this pest.
Wireworms were the
next most economically damaging pest, costing Georgia producers over $1.1
million. Nearly two-thirds of these losses were due to control costs. Flea
beetles and mole crickets were the third and fourth most costly insect pests, costing
producers nearly $0.9 and $0.8 million, respectively.
Tobacco budworms were
the fifth ranked insect pest in 1996, costing producers $0.6 million. Aphids and
thrips were also reported as economic pests in 1996, totalling $0.5 and $0.1 million
in losses, respectively. All of the reported thrips losses were due to costs
of control, although spotted wilt virus was a serious problem in many producer's
fields. This pathogen is vectored only by certain thrips species. All other
pests accounted for $70,000 in losses in 1996. These other pests were primarily
stink bugs, splitworms, cutworms, whitefringed beetles, and grasshoppers.
*Georgia Farm Report. 1997. Volume 97, Number
10.
Estimates of Losses and Control Costs |
Rank |
Insect |
Cost of Control |
Damage |
Total |
1 |
Tobacco hornworm |
$1,574,000 |
$1,101,000 |
$2,675,000 |
2 |
Wireworms |
702,000 |
404,000 |
1,106,000 |
3 |
Flea beetles |
345,000 |
540,000 |
885,000 |
4 |
Mole crickets |
372,000 |
400,000 |
772,000 |
5 |
Tobacco budworm |
138,000 |
479,000 |
617,000 |
6 |
Tobacco aphid |
106,000 |
391,000 |
497,000 |
7 |
Thrips |
112,000 |
01 |
112,000 |
8 |
Other pests2 |
53,000 |
17,000 |
70,000 |
| |
Total |
$3,402,000 |
$3,332,000 |
$6,734,000 |
|
1 Does not include losses due to spotted wilt virus.
2 Includes stink bugs, grasshoppers, splitworms, cutworms, and whitefringed
beetles. |
|
Information Pertaining to Control of Major Tobacco Insects Pests in
Georgia in 1996 |
Insect |
No. Acres Needing Control |
No. Acres Treated |
No. of Acre Applic. |
Avg. Cost Per Unit Treated1 |
Yield Loss on Units Treated2 |
Yield Loss on Units
Untreated2 |
Tobacco hornworm |
41,400 |
39,100 |
3.5 |
$11.50 |
439,875 |
155,250 |
Wireworms |
27,600 |
27,000 |
1.0 |
$26.00 |
146,250 |
72,000 |
Mole crickets |
13,800 |
14,300 |
1.0 |
$26.00 |
135,000 |
81,000 |
Flea beetles |
23,000 |
20,000 |
1.5 |
$11.50 |
225,000 |
67,500 |
Tobacco budworm |
11,500 |
11,500 |
1.0 |
$12.00 |
258,000 |
0 |
Tobacco aphid |
9,200 |
9,000 |
1.0 |
$11.75 |
202,500 |
9,000 |
Thrips |
9,000 |
9,500 |
1.0 |
$11.75 |
25,312 |
0 |
Other pests3 |
5,000 |
4,600 |
1.0 |
$11.60 |
0 |
9,000 |
|
1Includes application costs.
2Yield units measured in pounds.
3Others include stink bugs, grasshoppers, splitworms, cutworms, and
whitefringed beetles.. |
|
