EFFECT OF CHEMICAL SUCKER CONTROL ON YIELD AND ECONOMICS OF FCV TOBACCO IN SOUTHERN LIGHT SOILS OF ANDHRA PRADESH

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the performance of new sucker control chemicals on cv. Hema for three seasons (2007-08 to 2009-10) at CTRI Research Station, Kandukur with 13 treatments in RBD design with three replications New chemicals prime + (Flumetralin) and stomp (Pendimethalin) were tried at 0.75, 1.00, 1.25 and 1.5% along with suckerout 4%, deconal 4% which are presently recommended sucker control chemical along with hand suckering, no suckering and no topping. Stomp or Prime+ @1.5% are found effective for sucker control under southeren light soil (SLS) conditions. Highest green leaf, bright leaf, cured leaf and grade index were observed with stomp 1.5% closely followed by prime+1.5% and hand suckering. Mean improvement in yields due to these treatments was 13.8% in cured leaf, 11.4% in grade index over no topping-control. Topping-without suckering treatment reduced the yields by 8.2% in cured leaf, 10.3% in bright leaf. Bulk trial with promising treatments showed that topping is beneficial and stomp at 1.5% gave maximum additional net returns per ha (Rs. 9305/-) followed hand suckering (Rs.7723) and suckerout 4% (Rs.7753). Similarly, the C:B ratio was maximum in stomp 1.5% (1:3.0), followed by Suckerout 4% (1:2.5) and hand suckering (1:2.1). This demonstrates beneficial effects of topping and the superiority of stomp 1.5% as sucker control agent in FCV tobacco which gave maximum returns under SLS conditions. The residual levels of stomp, as suckercide should be studied in details before recommending to the farming community, as the FCV tobacco is exported to other countries.