NRustica
Well-Known Member
So how's the harvesting of seed going? Have things dried out over there? Is the seed harvest finished or are you in the big midst of of so that's why this thread has come to a stop? Hope your shoulder is feeling better.
US Nicotiana Germplasm Collection 2013 Nursery
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JessicaNicot
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bagging is going well and im probably 90% done. there are a number of late things in the field this year, as well as a couple short-day varieties (known as "mammoth" types) that I am unsure i'll be able to get any/sufficient seed off of in the field. they may have to be done in the greenhouse this winter (which makes me sad because there is already quite a list and it keeps growing).
the field looks like a mess because of all the rain we got in June, and it rained quite a bit in July, and well I heard we will continue to have above average rainfall thru October this year. I've been meaning to take a picture when im out there but I keep forgetting. I need to get one soon because in a couple more weeks i'll start toppling anything without a bag on it and ripping back all the suckers. after I did it last year it looked like a bomb went off in the field.
because of all the rain we've had, many of the plants are trying struggling and some have already just called it quits. last year I harvested everything in order over the course of about two weeks, but I think this year im going to have to start getting some of the seed out earlier since the plants are dying back. im afraid the seed yield off of many varieties wont be adequate this year, but only time will tell.
my shoulder is basically healed up, altho I still get a rouge cramp here and there or a little hand tingling (like right now).
the field looks like a mess because of all the rain we got in June, and it rained quite a bit in July, and well I heard we will continue to have above average rainfall thru October this year. I've been meaning to take a picture when im out there but I keep forgetting. I need to get one soon because in a couple more weeks i'll start toppling anything without a bag on it and ripping back all the suckers. after I did it last year it looked like a bomb went off in the field.
because of all the rain we've had, many of the plants are trying struggling and some have already just called it quits. last year I harvested everything in order over the course of about two weeks, but I think this year im going to have to start getting some of the seed out earlier since the plants are dying back. im afraid the seed yield off of many varieties wont be adequate this year, but only time will tell.
my shoulder is basically healed up, altho I still get a rouge cramp here and there or a little hand tingling (like right now).
NRustica
Well-Known Member
Excuse my ignorance, but why would you be topping plants that don't have bags yet and suckering if all you're doing it going for seeds from these plants. Does that help them to produce more seeds or quicken the seeds producing pace? I thought you didn't do anything with the plants other than gathering seed.
JessicaNicot
Well-Known Member
for me, after taking pictures and data, any plant that doesn't have a pollination bag on it is just in the way. some of the plants can become very large and space is limited. the previous curator told me it was a bad idea to have anything above your bagged head at harvest time. many of the unadapted germplasm lines have capsules which open when they are ripe and seed spreads everywhere. I don't want any potential contamination and so I break off all of the suckers, which tend to grow above the primary flower head that is bagged.
I started cutting them back a little early this year since the plants look bad. I don't know if its true, but its my hope that in cutting back the suckers, I may be able to reallocate the plants resources towards the seed head I am trying to collect. its the same theory behind topping tobacco - cutting off the flower head and keeping it suckered will drive resources into making the upper stalk leaves larger (in addition to the transposition of the nicotine from the roots into the leaves).
Does your group market any of it's leaf to help support the project? Sorry. This may have been asked/answered before but I can't find it.
JessicaNicot
Well-Known Member
nothing that comes out of the nursery is marketed. we do have other experiments where the leaves are harvested and the money goes into a fund for the research station (they are only partially funded by the state of nc and make up the rest of their funding in "receipts"- commodities they sell).
Thank You.
NRustica
Well-Known Member
That make sense. Thanks!
JessicaNicot
Well-Known Member
so i'll be damned if I didn't go out to the nursery today and forget (AGAIN) to take a picture of my awfully sad looking field.
BUT yesterday we went out to the research station in Reidsville, NC to take some data on a couple burley yield and quality experiments and I did get a couple pics because I know how much you guys love your tobacco porn:
BUT yesterday we went out to the research station in Reidsville, NC to take some data on a couple burley yield and quality experiments and I did get a couple pics because I know how much you guys love your tobacco porn:
Boboro
Well-Known Member
Nice patch, glad it ant mine. Looks like more work than my old as could even look at in person.
leverhead
Well-Known Member
LOL! Thank you I needed a laugh today.
If that's a wreck, there's a few guys here that might think it looks pretty good.
Fisherman
Well-Known Member
Miss Jessica,
Were the plants in the research field topped?
Were the plants in the research field topped?
JessicaNicot
Well-Known Member
some of them yes and others no. its not one of our more reliable stations (in fact I think this will be the last year we have materials there. they do a lot of angus work there tho & I pet a cow across the street from those fields) so I cant really say why some were and some weren't, but it was completely random throughout the two experiments.
NRustica
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the updates!
JessicaNicot
Well-Known Member
ok, so I know im really behind in updating my thread.
here is a pic of the field with all of the bags on. the plants look terrible (the rain leeched all the fertilizer out of the soil).
this is what a typical seed head looks like:
I generally will trim off any remaining green capsules and flowers and then put the seed heads in paper bags (double lined) that have the plot numbers written on them:
right now the field is pretty much decimated. I think ive collected somewhere near 75% of the plots already and kicked over or broken what remained of those plants that Im finished with.
here is a pic of the field with all of the bags on. the plants look terrible (the rain leeched all the fertilizer out of the soil).
this is what a typical seed head looks like:
I generally will trim off any remaining green capsules and flowers and then put the seed heads in paper bags (double lined) that have the plot numbers written on them:
right now the field is pretty much decimated. I think ive collected somewhere near 75% of the plots already and kicked over or broken what remained of those plants that Im finished with.
The picture of the seed head ready to harvest will be very helpful to me. Mine still have a way to go. Thank you for posting.
Do you ever find bud worms inside the professional seed bags?
FALaholic
Well-Known Member
I give up...so where's Waldo?
workhorse_01
Well-Known Member
That is impressive. I cant imagine bagging a field that size.
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