Impact of adding Liquid Smoke to Tobacco Seedling Transplant Water

[deluxestogie]

I'm certain that nobody has ever tested liquid smoke in their tobacco transplant water. Presumably, it would increase nicotine production earlier in the plant's growth period, and possibly reduce the effects of some pathogens and pests. Testing this would require careful control (no liquid smoke) transplants of the same tobacco variety within the same bed, with some separating distance.

"...sunflowers grown in soil treated with liquid smoke had larger, thicker, and greener leaves and appeared less prone to pests and disease."

Liquid smoke treatments may enhance a plant's natural defenses

Richard Ferrieri never thought a simple bottle of liquid smoke would change the trajectory of his team's research. Originally, Ferrieri and a team of researchers at the University of Missouri focused on studying how soil, saturated by the intense smoke caused by wildfires, alters plant growth...

phys.org

Bob

EDIT: The research paper (open access)

Treatments with Liquid Smoke and Certain Chemical Constituents Prevalent in Smoke Reduce Phloem Vascular Sectoriality in the Sunflower with Improvement to Growth

Many higher plants possess a physiological organization that is based upon the carbon economy of their parts. While photosynthates are partitioned according to the relative strength of the plant’s sink tissues, in many species there is also a very close relationship between partitioning...

www.mdpi.com

 

[FrostD]

Very interesting read! Interested on hearing the results if someone tests it out!

 

[deluxestogie]

Specific details from the study:
For outdoor studies, 3 sunflower seeds were sown into a 2.7-gallon pot filled with ProMix. After germination, any excess seedlings were removed from each pot leaving a single plant. A capful of fertilizer (~1.2 g) containing nitrogen, phosphate, and potash (14-14-14, Osmocote. Smart-Release Plant Food Flower & Vegetable., The Scotts Company, Marysville, OH, USA) was added at the time of sowing. Fertilizer was reapplied to pots 30 days after germination and again at 60 days after germination. Pots were placed on elevated tables outside and were connected to drip irrigation lines which provided water twice daily in the morning and evening for a daily total of 2 L of water per pot (Figure S4). Two cohorts of plants were grown including untreated control plants (N = 23) and plants (N-22) were treated with 100 mL of diluted liquid smoke (1:200 v/v in water) weekly.

One teaspoon is 5 mL (5cc). So this solution is 5 mL of liquid smoke into 1 liter of water, roughly 1 tsp per quart. The treated group got 100 cc (~3.3 ounces) of this solution added to the soil of each plant once per week.

Expense for 10 plants in the test group x 10 weekly doses (for easy math) = 10 tsp of liquid smoke total (less than 2 ounces).

Bob

 

[Jer]

If the only benefit was to even moderately discourage the ravenous population of whiteflies that plagued my small crop of tobacco this past season I would be ecstatic!
I mean imagine a systemic pesticide that you could administer early on in your grow as opposed to battling the vile critters throughout the growing season with the toxic chemicals that may or may not even be effective. Whiteflies I have learned quickly become resistant to topically applied pesticides.
I will be trying this approach for sure.
Thanks for the heads up Bob

 

[Knucklehead]

If the only benefit was to even moderately discourage the ravenous population of whiteflies that plagued my small crop of tobacco this past season I would be ecstatic!
I mean imagine a systemic pesticide that you could administer early on in your grow as opposed to battling the vile critters throughout the growing season with the toxic chemicals that may or may not even be effective. Whiteflies I have learned quickly become resistant to topically applied pesticides.
I will be trying this approach for sure.
Thanks for the heads up Bob

The imidacloprid systemic pesticide that many of us use with the transplant water for aphids also treats whiteflies.

Bioadvanced fruit and citrus from Amazon

Here is a thread. The name was changed from Bayer to Bioadvanced. Same stuff as the Amazon link.

Imidacloprid: Bayer Fruit Citrus & Vegetable Insect Control for APHIDS

Imidacloprid: Bayer Fruit Citrus & Vegetable Insect Control Imidacloprid is a systemic insecticide that can be added to water at transplant, to provide control of aphids (and some other insects) for most of the growing season. A common problem is that the most readily available...

fairtradetobacco.com

 

[deluxestogie]

The initial research was to examine the toxic effect of wildfire smoke pollution on the plants subjected to smoke particle deposition on the soil. I'm not sure I would assume (just because we eat it) that liquid smoke is non-toxic. Also, do note that each plant was watered with ½ gallon of water every day. That in itself is curiously abnormal. And what did that tobacco taste like, after it was cured and aged?

I have considered conducting a small experiment on 16 plants of NB-11 burley in a single garden bed, with half exposed to liquid smoke, and the other half serving as controls. But I can't quite figure out how a weekly dose of liquid smoke would be adjusted to a more realistic exposure to typical rain patterns.

Bob

 

[Jer]

The imidacloprid systemic pesticide that many of us use with the transplant water for aphids also treats whiteflies.

Bioadvanced fruit and citrus from Amazon

Here is a thread. The name was changed from Bayer to Bioadvanced. Same stuff as the Amazon link.

Imidacloprid: Bayer Fruit Citrus & Vegetable Insect Control for APHIDS

Imidacloprid: Bayer Fruit Citrus & Vegetable Insect Control Imidacloprid is a systemic insecticide that can be added to water at transplant, to provide control of aphids (and some other insects) for most of the growing season. A common problem is that the most readily available...

fairtradetobacco.com

So there is a systemic on the market that is safe for vegetables.
I must say I am surprised.
Thanks for that info knucklehead I will order some for my next crop.

 

[Jer]

The initial research was to examine the toxic effect of wildfire smoke pollution on the plants subjected to smoke particle deposition on the soil. I'm not sure I would assume (just because we eat it) that liquid smoke is non-toxic. Also, do note that each plant was watered with ½ gallon of water every day. That in itself is curiously abnormal. And what did that tobacco taste like, after it was cured and aged?

I have considered conducting a small experiment on 16 plants of NB-11 burley in a single garden bed, with half exposed to liquid smoke, and the other half serving as controls. But I can't quite figure out how a weekly dose of liquid smoke would be adjusted to a more realistic exposure to typical rain patterns.

Bob

I have a lot of liquid smoke on hand (keep it around for my Jerky recipe) and look forward to experimenting on a few of my tobacco and tomato plants this season. I will keep you posted!

 

[Jer]

Today I watched a YouTube video and the guy stated that many pesticides on the market are made from nicotine.
If that is true then why do pests (in my case whiteflies) seem to just love (and thrive) on tobacco plants???

 

[deluxestogie]

There is a difference between "made from" and "derived from". Imidacloprid, for example is a neonicotinoid. The chemical structure differs from nicotine in such a way that the affected insects are no longer capable of breaking it down.

Nicotine

Imidacloprid

Bob

 

[Jer]

There is a difference between "made from" and "derived from". Imidacloprid, for example is a neonicotinoid. The chemical structure differs from nicotine in such a way that the affected insects are no longer capable of breaking it down.

Nicotine

Imidacloprid

Bob

Ok

There is a difference between "made from" and "derived from". Imidacloprid, for example is a neonicotinoid. The chemical structure differs from nicotine in such a way that the affected insects are no longer capable of breaking it down.

Nicotine

Imidacloprid

Bob

Bummer. I guess we couldn’t get so lucky as the little beastards would just have a “first and last meal” at our tobacco salad bars!
Thanks for the info Bob

 

[whotan]

nicotine is a very powerful systemic insecticide and helps with almost all pests!!! However, pure nicotine is mixed with water and sprayed!! which is why it has been banned in many countries! because there have been many accidents! And it cannot be compared with the small amount of nicotine that is on the plant! I am an ornamental plant gardener and when we used to spray nicotine I had to wear rubber suits! You can make a nicotine solution and spray it! But it is really very dangerous if you don't know what you are doing!