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Organic Tobacco Production
ATTRA
A Publication of ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service • 1-800-346-9140 •
By George Kuepper
and Raeven Thomas,
Updated by
Katherine Adam
NCAT Agriculture
Specialist
© 2008 NCAT
This publication is a general overview, not a
detailed plan for growing organic tobacco—either
for contract producers or for backyard growers.
Foreword
As of 2003, the former federal tobacco pro-
gram—consisting of price supports, quotas/
acreage allotments, and no-net-cost assess-
ments for burley, fl ue-cured, dark, and cer-
tain cigar leaf tobaccos—was terminated.
Growers with acreage allotments were com-
pensated by means of a buy-out. That same
year, the Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Co. was
acquired by RJ Reynolds, which, according
to a company spokesman, planned to move
production of its natural brand, American
Spirit Tobacco, overseas.
At present, two U.S. grower networks are
recruiting for contract production of organic
tobacco for new product lines:
• Organic Smoke, 2014 Redlawn Rd.,
Boydton, VA 23917
Contents
Foreword ........................... 1
Introduction ..................... 2
Tobacco Culture.............. 2
Transplant
Production
..................... 2
Field Growing
............... 5
Harvesting
..................... 7
Curing
............................. 7
References ........................ 8
Resources .......................... 8
• Organic Leaf Cooperative, 2932 Newton
Rd., Viroqua, WI 54665
Production contracts for 2007 were signed
with growers in Wisconsin, Kentucky, Vir-
ginia, and North Carolina, but growers in
other states are eligible to apply. The com-
panies are seeking experienced tobacco
growers that have organic certification
already in place.
After 2003, when USDA/ERS began to pub-
lish organic production statistics, tobacco
was lumped in with “unclassifi ed crops,
other land.” This means that we can only
say, “no more than X acres were devoted to
organic tobacco” in a given state.
coffee, ginger, wheat grass, vetch, clover,
alfalfa and rye seed, shade and ornamental
trees, Indian corn, sugar cane, CRP land,
and [designated on-farm] wildlife habitat.”
It is possible that no acres were planted in
organic tobacco that year. [Organic acreage
statistics for tobacco for subsequent years
are being compiled.]
•
•
•
•
•
Alabama ........... 51 acres
Kentucky .......... 28 acres
North Carolina . 248 acres
Virginia ........ 1,079 acres
Wisconsin ..... 1,637 acres
AT T R A— National Sus tainable
Agriculture Information Service
is managed by the National Cen-
ter for Appropriate Technology
(NCAT) and is funded under a
grant from the United States
Department of Agriculture’s Rural
Business-Cooperative Service.
Visit the NCAT Web site
ncat.org/sarc_current.
for more informa-
tion on our sustainable
agriculture projects.
In 2005, the latest year for which statis-
tics have been published, no more than the
designated number of acres shown below
was devoted to “Christmas trees, tobacco,
Research on organic tobacco is being con-
ducted at North Carolina State University
by a former principal of Santa Fe Natural
Tobacco Co.
Introduction
T
here are several species of tobacco, all
This publication will focus on techniques
appropriate to organic tobacco production.
Resources for conventional production can
be obtained through archived Coopera-
tive Extension publications, USDA, and, of
course, sources such as grower networks or
processors that contract for production.
of them native to the Americas.
Nico-
tiana tabacum
L. is the most widely
grown, providing virtually all the domestic
leaf used in commercial production of cigars,
cigarettes, and smokeless tobacco products.
Another species,
N. rustica
, more commonly
grown overseas, has generated interest
because of its high nicotine content, useful
in the making of insecticides and for other
specialized uses. However,
N. rustica
is not
a well-domesticated species and is reputedly
diffi cult to grow, in the absence of varietal
improvement. A selection of tobacco books,
focusing on
N. rustica
, is offered by the
Ethnobotanical Catalog of Seeds, published
by the seed company J.L. Hudson, Seeds-
man
Quality factors are extremely important to
the marketability of tobacco. High-quality
leaves are high in carbohydrates and pot-
ash; low in nitrogen, fi ber, calcium, and ash;
and of uniform color. Surprisingly, moder-
ate to low nicotine levels are preferred for
high-quality tobacco, despite the fact that
nicotine is the chemical responsible for the
stimulating effect of tobacco use.
Factors affecting crop quality include soil
type, fertilization, cultural practices, sea-
son, and climate. Current tobacco growing
regions typically have an annual rainfall of
40 to 45 inches, though it is somewhat less
in the Midwest. Summer rainfall and ade-
quate humidity, especially in the fall, are
major factors that delimit growing regions.
Tobacco is unsuited to areas with high
winds or with alkaline soils high in nitro-
gen. As a result, commercial production
of tobacco in the United States is located
almost entirely in regions east of the Missis-
sippi River and the midwestern states that
border it. Soil types within any region also
affect tobacco quality. Light tobaccos with
a fi ne texture, normally preferred for cigars
and cigarettes, are typically grown on sandy
loams with a moderate level of fertility. In
contrast, heavy clay loams with high fertil-
ity produce heavy, coarse plants.
Related ATTRA
Publications
NCAT Organic Crops
Workbook
Backyard growers
have established at least
two forums to discuss micro-production and
curing of tobacco for home use. See
and
www.
techgroups.yahoo.com/group/Home-Grown-
Tobacco
. It should be emphasized that while
organic regulations exempt very small grow-
ers (under $5,000 annual sales) from formally
certifying, they are prohibited from selling to
processors or using the USDA seal. In addi-
tion, some states prohibit the sale of home-
grown and home-processed tobacco.
As a crop, tobacco is very valuable but
also very labor-intensive, even with modern
mechanization. As such, it has been con-
sidered the only feasible high-value crop
for small family farms in certain mountain-
ous parts of the U.S. that have poor soil.
Information about the lengths to which Ken-
tucky has gone to compensate its farmers
for the loss of tobacco allotments can be
found at
Some conventional
farmers have resorted to producing phar-
macrop (transgenic) tobacco on contract.
Sources working with transgenic tobacco
say that safeguards against cross-pollina-
tion include removing fl ower stalks and con-
ducting transgenic tobacco trials in coun-
ties that have not traditionally produced
tobacco. China is a major source of trans-
genic tobacco seed.
Tobacco Culture
The culture of tobacco can be divided into
several key areas: 1) transplant production;
2) fi eld growing; 3) harvest; 4) curing; and
5) marketing. (Marketing tobacco since
2003 has been covered in the Foreword.)
Tra nsp la nt Produc tio n
Traditional Bed Preparation:
Tradition-
ally, tobacco is seeded into beds or cold
frames, and then transplanted to the pro-
duction fi eld when plants reach a height
ATTRA
Page 2
Organic Tobacco Production
Tobacco Classes, Uses, and Producing Regions in the United States before 2003
Class
Common Uses
Principle Production Areas
Cigarettes, pipe and chewing
tobacco, export
North and South Carolina, Virginia,
Georgia, Florida
Flue-cured
Fire-cured
Snuff plug wrappers, export
Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee
Dark types of chewing tobacco, plug
and export; Maryland for cigarettes
and pipe and chewing tobacco
Air-cured (includes burley, Maryland,
& Green River)
Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, Indiana,
Maryland, Virginia, Missouri
Pennsylvania, Georgia, Florida, Ohio,
Indiana
Cigar Fillers
Cigars
Wisconsin, New York, Pennsylvania,
Connecticut, Massachusetts, New
Hampshire, Minnesota
Cigar Binders
Cigars
Connecticut, Massachusetts, New
Hampshire, Georgia, Florida
Cigar Wrappers
Cigars
of fi ve to seven inches. Seedling beds are
located on well-drained sites that have been
well cleared of weeds and trash. Sloping
beds on southern exposure produce the
strongest transplants.
The soil is sterilized using chemicals on
most conventional farms. Wood fi res and
steam may be used as alternatives. Soil
solarization may be another option, though
it is not specifi cally mentioned in the liter-
ature. A good introduction to sterilization
is available from the University of Califor-
nia.(1) Unless some form of soil sterilization
is employed, planting bed locations should
be changed each year.
The seedling bed should be manured the
previous fall, shallow-tilled, and planted
to a cover crop if possible. This cover crop
should be incorporated in early spring, well
in advance of seeding. The seedling tobacco
bed typically receives additional supple-
mentary fertilization. Rates vary depending
on the type of tobacco being grown. Flue-
cured tobacco receives relatively high rates
of fertilizer, while fi re-cured, burley, dark,
air-cured, and shade-grown cigar-wrapper
types receive low rates. Medium rates of
fertilizer are provided to other cigar types
and to aromatic tobaccos.
Float Bed Transplant Production:
An
alternative system of seedling production
using hydroponics is coming into wider use.
Tobacco is seeded into Styrofoam trays with a
soil-less potting mix. The trays are then fl oated
on a bed of water.
Burley Tobacco: Float Bed
Transplant Production
, by Stanley R. Hollo-
way (3) provides an excellent description of
this approach, including budgets.
In conventional float bed systems, sol-
uble fertilizers are placed in the water
solution for plant feeding. Organic grow-
ers might avoid the use of salt-based fer-
tilizers through the use of soluble fi sh and
seaweed products, and other materials
suitable for organic hydroponics. Suppliers
of liquid organic fertilizers often are found
in the periodical
The Growing Edge
(4),
which caters to hydroponic producers. For
further information on liquid fertilizers and
systems, see the ATTRA publication
Green-
house and Hydroponic Vegetable Production
Resources on the Internet
(Web only).
Sourcing tobacco seed
Contract producers customarily use seed supplied by the organization for which they are growing. Sources such as Workman
Tobacco Seed Co. are now online
. Home growers may fi nd it di
cult to
obtain seed, except through the network of other growers. For heirloom varieties, the Seed Savers Exchange 2008 Yearbook lists
13 t y p es . (2)
ATTRA
www.attra.ncat.org
Page 3
Tobacco mosaic. Photo courtesy of
Blue mold. Photo courtesy of
Pests and Diseases in Seedling Beds:
Tobacco mosaic, also called “calico” or
“walloon,” is a serious viral disease that
often gets a head start in the seedling bed.
Sterilization of the soil (by wood fi re or
steam, as mentioned above) is a fi rst step
in suppression, followed by common sani-
tation procedures like removing crop res-
idues, washing hands, and restricting use
of tobacco products when working with the
seedlings. In the fi eld, the spread of mosaic
may be slowed by similar procedures, and
by removing and destroying diseased plants
and eliminating solanaceous (nightshade
family) weeds.
One novel approach to controlling tobacco
mosaic was reported in the Indian Journal
Honey Bee
. The journal stated that farmers
in parts of India used skimmed milk as a
treatment to prevent this disease. A solution
of fi ve liters of milk in 100 liters of water is
sprayed about one month into the season.(5)
and winds easily scatter the spores over
large areas.
Traditional cultural techniques to suppress
blue mold include (3):
Rotating the planting bed to a new
location each year
Selecting sites with good air and
water drainage, sunny exposure,
and no shade
Sowing more bed space than is
needed for the crop and compart-
mentalizing the planting—creating
two to three smaller beds rather
than one large one
Sowing beds early
Avoiding high plant densities
Removing covers from plant beds
frequently to admit sunlight and air
Fertilizing and watering properly to
assure vigorous plants
Transplanting as early as conditions
permit
Soil sterilization
Copper sprays
Cutworms are an occasional pest of tobacco
in seedling beds. Removing weeds from
around the bed area is a good prevention
measure.
Bacillus thuringiensis
(Bt), for-
mulated as a granular bait, may be used
to control the pest. More information on
cutworm control can be found in ATTRA’s
Organic Field Corn Production.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Bacterial diseases such as angular leaf
spot (
Pseudomonas angulata
), also called
“blackfire,” and bacterial leaf spot (
P.
tabaci
), also called “wildfire,” can be
problematic in seedling beds. Strepto-
mycin and copper sprays have commonly
been used in these instances.
Blue mold or downy mildew in tobacco is
caused by the fungal organism
Peronospora
tabacina.
Primarily confi ned to planting
beds, the disease is a serious one that may
cause complete loss of plants if not con-
trolled. It is favored by wet warm weather,
•
•
•
ATTRA
Page 4
Organic Tobacco Production
Flea beetles (
Epitrix spp.
) are often a pest in
seedling beds. Bed sterilization, as well as
burning or clearing vegetation around the
beds, enhances control. Also, covering the
beds with tobacco cloth or similar cover,
with a minimum 25 strands per inch, will
provide a suitable physical barrier. Histori-
cally, cryolite and 1% rotenone dusts have
been used to control fl ea beetles. For fur-
ther information, ask for ATTRA’s
Flea Bee-
tle: Organic Control Options.
Factors such as tobacco type and variety,
soil type, and equipment determine the
precise spacings used.
Supplementary fertilization using standard
commercial fertilizers is the routine practice
on conventionally managed farms. Nitro-
gen is managed carefully to avoid exces-
sive growth and accumulation of nitrogen
compounds in the leaves. Phosphate also is
managed carefully, as excessive amounts in
the leaves alter burning characteristics of
the leaf. High potash levels, on the other
hand, are desirable. Adequate soil potash is
also important in suppressing angular leaf
spot (
P. angulata
) and bacterial leaf spot
(
P. tabaci
). Chlorine-based fertilizers, how-
ever, such as potassium chloride, cannot be
used, as they too reduce burning quality
of the tobacco. Supplementary fertiliza-
tion commonly includes a source of mag-
nesium. Inadequate levels of soil magne-
sium encourage incidence of a nutritional
disorder called “sand drown.” About
24–35 lbs/acre of soluble magnesium is
considered adequate for most fields.
Either dolomitic lime or sulfate of potash-
magnesia is commonly used to supply
magnesium in both conventional and organic
cropping systems.
Soil pH should be maintained in the slightly
acidic range (5.5–6.5) with an available
calcium level five times that of magne-
sium.(6) At higher pH levels, the incidence
of black root rot increases.
Field Growing
Rotations:
Growing tobacco in a planned
rotation with other crops is a good way
to manage fertility and suppress many
weeds, insect pests, and plant diseases—
particularly black root rot (
Thielaviopsis
basicola
), nematodes, and bacterial wilt
(
Pseudomonas solanacearum
). Since the eco-
nomic value of tobacco is very high, it is at
the top of the pecking order with regard to
planned rotations, and the welfare of other
crops is of secondary concern.
As a rule, tobacco does very well following
corn, cotton, and small-grain crops. Leaf
quality usually is reduced following legumi-
nous forage crops and cover crops because
of excessive soil nitrogen and organic
matter. Quality also has been observed to
vary following legume crops of peanuts,
crotolaria, soybeans, cowpeas, velvetbean,
and lespedeza.
A
s a rule,
tobacco does
very well
following corn,
cotton, and small-
grain crops.
To control bacterial wilt, a four- or fi ve-
year rotation is suggested, avoiding sus-
ceptible crops such as tomatoes, peppers,
and peanuts.
Manures have historically been used in
tobacco production, with rates of supple-
mentary fertilizers reduced accordingly.
Dark tobacco, especially, responds well
to fertilization by manures, though it is
advisable that they be applied and incor-
porated the previous fall. Application of
animal manures to fl ue-cured and other
lighter tobaccos is much more risky. Dr.
W.D. Smith of North Carolina State Coop-
erative Extension has advised that manures
be used on corn and other crops in rotation,
to minimize any possible side effects on the
tobacco crop.(7) ATTRA provides addi-
tional guidelines for manure use in
Manures
for Organic Crop Production.
Tobacco does well on virgin soils and soils
previously in grass or grass-legume sods.
Wireworms (
Limonius spp.
) can, however,
be a problem in sod soils and remain a sig-
nifi cant pest to crops up to fi ve years after
the sod is broken.
Cultivation and Fertility:
Good field
preparation should include a well-prepared
seedbed, free of clods and weeds. Trans-
plants are set out in rows, which may vary
from three to four feet in width, with plant
spacing 18–36 inches apart in the row.
ATTRA
www.attra.ncat.org
Page 5
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Organic Tobacco Production
ATTRA
A Publication of ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service • 1-800-346-9140 •
By George Kuepper
and Raeven Thomas,
Updated by
Katherine Adam
NCAT Agriculture
Specialist
© 2008 NCAT
This publication is a general overview, not a
detailed plan for growing organic tobacco—either
for contract producers or for backyard growers.
Foreword
As of 2003, the former federal tobacco pro-
gram—consisting of price supports, quotas/
acreage allotments, and no-net-cost assess-
ments for burley, fl ue-cured, dark, and cer-
tain cigar leaf tobaccos—was terminated.
Growers with acreage allotments were com-
pensated by means of a buy-out. That same
year, the Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Co. was
acquired by RJ Reynolds, which, according
to a company spokesman, planned to move
production of its natural brand, American
Spirit Tobacco, overseas.
At present, two U.S. grower networks are
recruiting for contract production of organic
tobacco for new product lines:
• Organic Smoke, 2014 Redlawn Rd.,
Boydton, VA 23917
Contents
Foreword ........................... 1
Introduction ..................... 2
Tobacco Culture.............. 2
Transplant
Production
..................... 2
Field Growing
............... 5
Harvesting
..................... 7
Curing
............................. 7
References ........................ 8
Resources .......................... 8
• Organic Leaf Cooperative, 2932 Newton
Rd., Viroqua, WI 54665
Production contracts for 2007 were signed
with growers in Wisconsin, Kentucky, Vir-
ginia, and North Carolina, but growers in
other states are eligible to apply. The com-
panies are seeking experienced tobacco
growers that have organic certification
already in place.
After 2003, when USDA/ERS began to pub-
lish organic production statistics, tobacco
was lumped in with “unclassifi ed crops,
other land.” This means that we can only
say, “no more than X acres were devoted to
organic tobacco” in a given state.
coffee, ginger, wheat grass, vetch, clover,
alfalfa and rye seed, shade and ornamental
trees, Indian corn, sugar cane, CRP land,
and [designated on-farm] wildlife habitat.”
It is possible that no acres were planted in
organic tobacco that year. [Organic acreage
statistics for tobacco for subsequent years
are being compiled.]
•
•
•
•
•
Alabama ........... 51 acres
Kentucky .......... 28 acres
North Carolina . 248 acres
Virginia ........ 1,079 acres
Wisconsin ..... 1,637 acres
AT T R A— National Sus tainable
Agriculture Information Service
is managed by the National Cen-
ter for Appropriate Technology
(NCAT) and is funded under a
grant from the United States
Department of Agriculture’s Rural
Business-Cooperative Service.
Visit the NCAT Web site
ncat.org/sarc_current.
for more informa-
tion on our sustainable
agriculture projects.
In 2005, the latest year for which statis-
tics have been published, no more than the
designated number of acres shown below
was devoted to “Christmas trees, tobacco,
Research on organic tobacco is being con-
ducted at North Carolina State University
by a former principal of Santa Fe Natural
Tobacco Co.
Introduction
T
here are several species of tobacco, all
This publication will focus on techniques
appropriate to organic tobacco production.
Resources for conventional production can
be obtained through archived Coopera-
tive Extension publications, USDA, and, of
course, sources such as grower networks or
processors that contract for production.
of them native to the Americas.
Nico-
tiana tabacum
L. is the most widely
grown, providing virtually all the domestic
leaf used in commercial production of cigars,
cigarettes, and smokeless tobacco products.
Another species,
N. rustica
, more commonly
grown overseas, has generated interest
because of its high nicotine content, useful
in the making of insecticides and for other
specialized uses. However,
N. rustica
is not
a well-domesticated species and is reputedly
diffi cult to grow, in the absence of varietal
improvement. A selection of tobacco books,
focusing on
N. rustica
, is offered by the
Ethnobotanical Catalog of Seeds, published
by the seed company J.L. Hudson, Seeds-
man
Quality factors are extremely important to
the marketability of tobacco. High-quality
leaves are high in carbohydrates and pot-
ash; low in nitrogen, fi ber, calcium, and ash;
and of uniform color. Surprisingly, moder-
ate to low nicotine levels are preferred for
high-quality tobacco, despite the fact that
nicotine is the chemical responsible for the
stimulating effect of tobacco use.
Factors affecting crop quality include soil
type, fertilization, cultural practices, sea-
son, and climate. Current tobacco growing
regions typically have an annual rainfall of
40 to 45 inches, though it is somewhat less
in the Midwest. Summer rainfall and ade-
quate humidity, especially in the fall, are
major factors that delimit growing regions.
Tobacco is unsuited to areas with high
winds or with alkaline soils high in nitro-
gen. As a result, commercial production
of tobacco in the United States is located
almost entirely in regions east of the Missis-
sippi River and the midwestern states that
border it. Soil types within any region also
affect tobacco quality. Light tobaccos with
a fi ne texture, normally preferred for cigars
and cigarettes, are typically grown on sandy
loams with a moderate level of fertility. In
contrast, heavy clay loams with high fertil-
ity produce heavy, coarse plants.
Related ATTRA
Publications
NCAT Organic Crops
Workbook
Backyard growers
have established at least
two forums to discuss micro-production and
curing of tobacco for home use. See
and
www.
techgroups.yahoo.com/group/Home-Grown-
Tobacco
. It should be emphasized that while
organic regulations exempt very small grow-
ers (under $5,000 annual sales) from formally
certifying, they are prohibited from selling to
processors or using the USDA seal. In addi-
tion, some states prohibit the sale of home-
grown and home-processed tobacco.
As a crop, tobacco is very valuable but
also very labor-intensive, even with modern
mechanization. As such, it has been con-
sidered the only feasible high-value crop
for small family farms in certain mountain-
ous parts of the U.S. that have poor soil.
Information about the lengths to which Ken-
tucky has gone to compensate its farmers
for the loss of tobacco allotments can be
found at
Some conventional
farmers have resorted to producing phar-
macrop (transgenic) tobacco on contract.
Sources working with transgenic tobacco
say that safeguards against cross-pollina-
tion include removing fl ower stalks and con-
ducting transgenic tobacco trials in coun-
ties that have not traditionally produced
tobacco. China is a major source of trans-
genic tobacco seed.
Tobacco Culture
The culture of tobacco can be divided into
several key areas: 1) transplant production;
2) fi eld growing; 3) harvest; 4) curing; and
5) marketing. (Marketing tobacco since
2003 has been covered in the Foreword.)
Tra nsp la nt Produc tio n
Traditional Bed Preparation:
Tradition-
ally, tobacco is seeded into beds or cold
frames, and then transplanted to the pro-
duction fi eld when plants reach a height
ATTRA
Page 2
Organic Tobacco Production
Tobacco Classes, Uses, and Producing Regions in the United States before 2003
Class
Common Uses
Principle Production Areas
Cigarettes, pipe and chewing
tobacco, export
North and South Carolina, Virginia,
Georgia, Florida
Flue-cured
Fire-cured
Snuff plug wrappers, export
Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee
Dark types of chewing tobacco, plug
and export; Maryland for cigarettes
and pipe and chewing tobacco
Air-cured (includes burley, Maryland,
& Green River)
Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, Indiana,
Maryland, Virginia, Missouri
Pennsylvania, Georgia, Florida, Ohio,
Indiana
Cigar Fillers
Cigars
Wisconsin, New York, Pennsylvania,
Connecticut, Massachusetts, New
Hampshire, Minnesota
Cigar Binders
Cigars
Connecticut, Massachusetts, New
Hampshire, Georgia, Florida
Cigar Wrappers
Cigars
of fi ve to seven inches. Seedling beds are
located on well-drained sites that have been
well cleared of weeds and trash. Sloping
beds on southern exposure produce the
strongest transplants.
The soil is sterilized using chemicals on
most conventional farms. Wood fi res and
steam may be used as alternatives. Soil
solarization may be another option, though
it is not specifi cally mentioned in the liter-
ature. A good introduction to sterilization
is available from the University of Califor-
nia.(1) Unless some form of soil sterilization
is employed, planting bed locations should
be changed each year.
The seedling bed should be manured the
previous fall, shallow-tilled, and planted
to a cover crop if possible. This cover crop
should be incorporated in early spring, well
in advance of seeding. The seedling tobacco
bed typically receives additional supple-
mentary fertilization. Rates vary depending
on the type of tobacco being grown. Flue-
cured tobacco receives relatively high rates
of fertilizer, while fi re-cured, burley, dark,
air-cured, and shade-grown cigar-wrapper
types receive low rates. Medium rates of
fertilizer are provided to other cigar types
and to aromatic tobaccos.
Float Bed Transplant Production:
An
alternative system of seedling production
using hydroponics is coming into wider use.
Tobacco is seeded into Styrofoam trays with a
soil-less potting mix. The trays are then fl oated
on a bed of water.
Burley Tobacco: Float Bed
Transplant Production
, by Stanley R. Hollo-
way (3) provides an excellent description of
this approach, including budgets.
In conventional float bed systems, sol-
uble fertilizers are placed in the water
solution for plant feeding. Organic grow-
ers might avoid the use of salt-based fer-
tilizers through the use of soluble fi sh and
seaweed products, and other materials
suitable for organic hydroponics. Suppliers
of liquid organic fertilizers often are found
in the periodical
The Growing Edge
(4),
which caters to hydroponic producers. For
further information on liquid fertilizers and
systems, see the ATTRA publication
Green-
house and Hydroponic Vegetable Production
Resources on the Internet
(Web only).
Sourcing tobacco seed
Contract producers customarily use seed supplied by the organization for which they are growing. Sources such as Workman
Tobacco Seed Co. are now online
. Home growers may fi nd it di
cult to
obtain seed, except through the network of other growers. For heirloom varieties, the Seed Savers Exchange 2008 Yearbook lists
13 t y p es . (2)
ATTRA
www.attra.ncat.org
Page 3
Tobacco mosaic. Photo courtesy of
Blue mold. Photo courtesy of
Pests and Diseases in Seedling Beds:
Tobacco mosaic, also called “calico” or
“walloon,” is a serious viral disease that
often gets a head start in the seedling bed.
Sterilization of the soil (by wood fi re or
steam, as mentioned above) is a fi rst step
in suppression, followed by common sani-
tation procedures like removing crop res-
idues, washing hands, and restricting use
of tobacco products when working with the
seedlings. In the fi eld, the spread of mosaic
may be slowed by similar procedures, and
by removing and destroying diseased plants
and eliminating solanaceous (nightshade
family) weeds.
One novel approach to controlling tobacco
mosaic was reported in the Indian Journal
Honey Bee
. The journal stated that farmers
in parts of India used skimmed milk as a
treatment to prevent this disease. A solution
of fi ve liters of milk in 100 liters of water is
sprayed about one month into the season.(5)
and winds easily scatter the spores over
large areas.
Traditional cultural techniques to suppress
blue mold include (3):
Rotating the planting bed to a new
location each year
Selecting sites with good air and
water drainage, sunny exposure,
and no shade
Sowing more bed space than is
needed for the crop and compart-
mentalizing the planting—creating
two to three smaller beds rather
than one large one
Sowing beds early
Avoiding high plant densities
Removing covers from plant beds
frequently to admit sunlight and air
Fertilizing and watering properly to
assure vigorous plants
Transplanting as early as conditions
permit
Soil sterilization
Copper sprays
Cutworms are an occasional pest of tobacco
in seedling beds. Removing weeds from
around the bed area is a good prevention
measure.
Bacillus thuringiensis
(Bt), for-
mulated as a granular bait, may be used
to control the pest. More information on
cutworm control can be found in ATTRA’s
Organic Field Corn Production.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Bacterial diseases such as angular leaf
spot (
Pseudomonas angulata
), also called
“blackfire,” and bacterial leaf spot (
P.
tabaci
), also called “wildfire,” can be
problematic in seedling beds. Strepto-
mycin and copper sprays have commonly
been used in these instances.
Blue mold or downy mildew in tobacco is
caused by the fungal organism
Peronospora
tabacina.
Primarily confi ned to planting
beds, the disease is a serious one that may
cause complete loss of plants if not con-
trolled. It is favored by wet warm weather,
•
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ATTRA
Page 4
Organic Tobacco Production
Flea beetles (
Epitrix spp.
) are often a pest in
seedling beds. Bed sterilization, as well as
burning or clearing vegetation around the
beds, enhances control. Also, covering the
beds with tobacco cloth or similar cover,
with a minimum 25 strands per inch, will
provide a suitable physical barrier. Histori-
cally, cryolite and 1% rotenone dusts have
been used to control fl ea beetles. For fur-
ther information, ask for ATTRA’s
Flea Bee-
tle: Organic Control Options.
Factors such as tobacco type and variety,
soil type, and equipment determine the
precise spacings used.
Supplementary fertilization using standard
commercial fertilizers is the routine practice
on conventionally managed farms. Nitro-
gen is managed carefully to avoid exces-
sive growth and accumulation of nitrogen
compounds in the leaves. Phosphate also is
managed carefully, as excessive amounts in
the leaves alter burning characteristics of
the leaf. High potash levels, on the other
hand, are desirable. Adequate soil potash is
also important in suppressing angular leaf
spot (
P. angulata
) and bacterial leaf spot
(
P. tabaci
). Chlorine-based fertilizers, how-
ever, such as potassium chloride, cannot be
used, as they too reduce burning quality
of the tobacco. Supplementary fertiliza-
tion commonly includes a source of mag-
nesium. Inadequate levels of soil magne-
sium encourage incidence of a nutritional
disorder called “sand drown.” About
24–35 lbs/acre of soluble magnesium is
considered adequate for most fields.
Either dolomitic lime or sulfate of potash-
magnesia is commonly used to supply
magnesium in both conventional and organic
cropping systems.
Soil pH should be maintained in the slightly
acidic range (5.5–6.5) with an available
calcium level five times that of magne-
sium.(6) At higher pH levels, the incidence
of black root rot increases.
Field Growing
Rotations:
Growing tobacco in a planned
rotation with other crops is a good way
to manage fertility and suppress many
weeds, insect pests, and plant diseases—
particularly black root rot (
Thielaviopsis
basicola
), nematodes, and bacterial wilt
(
Pseudomonas solanacearum
). Since the eco-
nomic value of tobacco is very high, it is at
the top of the pecking order with regard to
planned rotations, and the welfare of other
crops is of secondary concern.
As a rule, tobacco does very well following
corn, cotton, and small-grain crops. Leaf
quality usually is reduced following legumi-
nous forage crops and cover crops because
of excessive soil nitrogen and organic
matter. Quality also has been observed to
vary following legume crops of peanuts,
crotolaria, soybeans, cowpeas, velvetbean,
and lespedeza.
A
s a rule,
tobacco does
very well
following corn,
cotton, and small-
grain crops.
To control bacterial wilt, a four- or fi ve-
year rotation is suggested, avoiding sus-
ceptible crops such as tomatoes, peppers,
and peanuts.
Manures have historically been used in
tobacco production, with rates of supple-
mentary fertilizers reduced accordingly.
Dark tobacco, especially, responds well
to fertilization by manures, though it is
advisable that they be applied and incor-
porated the previous fall. Application of
animal manures to fl ue-cured and other
lighter tobaccos is much more risky. Dr.
W.D. Smith of North Carolina State Coop-
erative Extension has advised that manures
be used on corn and other crops in rotation,
to minimize any possible side effects on the
tobacco crop.(7) ATTRA provides addi-
tional guidelines for manure use in
Manures
for Organic Crop Production.
Tobacco does well on virgin soils and soils
previously in grass or grass-legume sods.
Wireworms (
Limonius spp.
) can, however,
be a problem in sod soils and remain a sig-
nifi cant pest to crops up to fi ve years after
the sod is broken.
Cultivation and Fertility:
Good field
preparation should include a well-prepared
seedbed, free of clods and weeds. Trans-
plants are set out in rows, which may vary
from three to four feet in width, with plant
spacing 18–36 inches apart in the row.
ATTRA
www.attra.ncat.org
Page 5
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