Agriculture and Natural Resources s14

Oct. 26, 2007

AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES

Tobacco End-of-Season Disease Management

FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCE

Avoiding Dangerous Staph Infections

4-H YOUTH DEVELOPMENT

4-H Country Ham Entry Deadline Nears

Tobacco End-of-Season Disease Management

Source: Kenny Seebold, UK plant pathologist

The 2007 tobacco growing season is nearing an end and farmers need to begin preparing now to manage diseases in the 2008 crop. There's no way to tell what disease pressures growers will face in the coming growing season. Much depends on the climate when dealing with diseases like blue mold and target spot. However, some problems will show up again and again once certain pathogens become established in a transplant system or the field.

It is important to think about managing diseases like Pythium root rot, target spot, black shank and Fusarium wilt now and not wait until the upcoming production season. A critical step is to institute good sanitary practices on the farm. Many diseases seen in the float system and field survive between crops on equipment and plant residues.

Greenhouses and outdoor float beds should be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized in the fall to reduce overwintering populations of pathogens. Plant debris and trash should be buried or burned. Styrofoam trays should be carefully cleaned, sanitized as recommended (or destroyed), and properly stored before winter sets in.

In the field, especially where black shank was a problem, all crop debris needs to be turned under as quickly as possible after harvest. The black shank pathogen (as well as Rhizoctonia and Pythium) survives very well on crop residues, and stalks left in the field can be a source of inoculum that can lead to outbreaks of disease in 2008.

By plowing crop residues under in the fall, soil microbes will have more time to break down plant matter. This in turn will help reduce pathogen survival over the winter, and the effect will be greater than waiting until next spring to incorporate crop residue.

It's also time to think about crop rotation. One of the best practices that we can recommend for preventing or suppressing diseases like black shank and Fusarium wilt is rotation to a non-host crop. Even though we are many months from planting, growers need to start the planning process and make decisions on field choice and potential rotation crops.

Fall is also a great time to think about variety selection and to begin planning for the production of transplants. We will have a new variety, 'KT 206', available in 2008 that brings improved resistance to black shank (Race 0 and Race 1) along with moderate resistance to blue mold. This variety has performed well in field trials during the past couple of years, and will be a good choice for growers with a history of black shank on their farms.

For more information on tobacco disease management or other tobacco production issues, contact the (YOUR COUNTY) Cooperative Extension Service.

Educational programs of the Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability or national origin.

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Avoiding Dangerous Staph Infections

Source: Peggy Riley, HEEL Specialist

Outbreaks of resistant forms of staph infections have been making the news around the country in recent weeks. This highly contagious infection comes from the staphylococcus aureus bacteria that are normally found on the skin. The resistant strain recently appeared in schools, day care centers and other areas where people congregate. The resistant form is known as Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, meaning it is resistant to certain antibiotics. Previously it was found primarily in medical facilities, such as nursing homes and hospitals.

The best way to prevent the spread of this infection is with good hand washing and hygiene practices. Remind students to keep cuts covered with bandages and not to touch another person’s cut or scrape. Below are several tips to aid in protecting you and your family from this infection.

When to wash hands:

• Before preparing or eating food

• After going to the bathroom

• After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has gone to the bathroom

• Before and after tending to someone who is sick

• After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing

• After handling an animal or animal waste

• After handling garbage

• Before and after treating a cut or wound

How to wash your hands:

• Wet your hands with clean running water and apply soap. Use warm water if it is available.

• Rub hands together to make a lather and scrub all surfaces.

• Continue rubbing hands for 20 seconds. Need a timer? Imagine singing "Happy Birthday" twice.

• Rinse hands well under running water.

• Dry your hands using a paper towel or air dryer. If possible, use your paper towel to turn off the facet.

If soap and water is not available use a hand sanitizer using the following technique:

• Apply product to the palm of one hand • Rub hands together

• Rub the product over all surfaces of hands and fingers until hands are dry.

For more information, contact the (Your County) Extension Office.

Educational programs of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability or national origin.

4-H Country Ham Entry Deadline Nears

Source: Gregg Rentfrow, extension meat specialist

The deadline is Nov. 9 for youth interested in participating in the 4-H country ham curing contest during the 2008 Kentucky State Fair.

The country ham project is just one of the many character building and educational programs 4-H offers that don’t require youth or their families to own considerable amounts of acreage or livestock or have a background in agriculture.

Kentucky has a rich tradition in producing quality country ham. Similar to horse racing, some people consider country ham to be one of the standard symbols of the state. Kentucky ranks second in the nation in country ham production.

The 4-H country ham program educates youth about country ham production and raises awareness on where food comes from and how it is prepared before it is packaged and sent to grocery stores. It also gives children a historical perspective about food preparation before refrigeration was invented.

Youth who participate in the country ham project make a commitment to cure two hams over the course of the year, with the goal of entering one of the hams in the contest at the fair.

More than 480 youth submitted hams during the 2007 contest.

While the project is over the course of the year, most of the time is devoted to letting the ham age. Youth receive hams in either January or February. Youth are responsible for washing, trimming and applying curing mix to the ham. Most use a pre-made cure mix made by a local country ham producer or a 4-H county extension agent. A second washing and curing application is done in either March or April, and final preparations for the state fair are done in

August. Each county extension service has a designated location for hams in their area to age.

In addition to curing the hams, youth must complete six hours of training in the livestock certification program before the state fair to be eligible to submit a ham to the contest. During this training, 4-H’ers learn the history of country ham production, the country ham industry and criteria judges look for in a prize winning ham.

At the fair, hams are judged by country ham producers and meat buyers. The hams are divided into two different categories, smoked and non-smoked hams, and by the age of the youth. Hams are judged on aroma, lean to fat ratio and shape, but this is only 40 percent of the youth’s entire score. Youth must also present a five to seven minute speech about a topic related to the ham curing process, which counts for 60 percent of the score.

The entry fee to participate is $40 per youth, which includes the purchase of two hams.

This is a great investment considering after the hams are cured, they are worth about $100 each.

After the contest, many youth choose to keep the hams or give them to family members.

If youth aren’t interested in keeping both hams, they can donate one or both to local

Cooperative Extension Services that hold auctions to raise money to go toward the purchase of the following year’s hams.

To enter the 2008 ham judging contest or for more information, contact the (COUNTY

NAME) Cooperative Extension Service.

Educational programs of the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability or national origin.

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