Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) is commonly rotated with cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) in North Carolina. An experiment on coastal plain soils determined potential for fluometuron {N,N-dimethyl-N'-[3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]urea} applied to cotton to carry over to tobacco. Cotton received fluometuron preemergence at 1.7 kg a.i. ha-1 broadcast or in a 50% band over the row followed by zero, one, or two postemergence-directed applications at 1.7 kg ha-1 in a 50% band. Greater tobacco chlorosis was noted following broadcast preemergence application. At five of six sites, 6% or fewer plants exhibited minor chlorosis following preemergence and one postemergence application, while 3 to 29% were chlorotic following preemergence and two postemergence applications. At the sixth site, 1, 20, and 67% of plants exhibited chlorosis following preemergence and zero, one, and two postemergence applications, respectively. Necrosis on lower, unharvestable leaves was noted on 13% of plants at one site. No stunting was observed, and no treatment affected tobacco yield or leaf quality. A second experiment determined tobacco sensitivity to fluometuron was affected by transplant source. Fluometuron at 0.03 to 1.7 kg ha-1 was incorporated before transplanting greenhouse- and plantbed-produced transplants. Ten percent visible injury and 10% yield reduction occurred with fluometuron at 0.08 and 0.10 kg ha-1, respectively. Greenhouse transplants initially exhibited greater response to fluometuron, but no difference between transplant sources was noted 4 wk after transplanting. Fluometuron applied to cotton according to label directions should not economically impact tobacco production the following year.
