CROP HUSBANDRY-TOBACCO CULTIVATION PRACTICES IN KERALA

TOBACCO (Nicotiana tabacum)


Tobacco is generally raised as a cold weather crop, the optimum temperature range being 18 to 27ºC. The crop prefers well-drained fertile soil. Acidic soils are also suitable. It is sensitive to waterlogging.

Season:
October-February

Seeds and sowing
Raised nursery beds of 1 m width and of convenient length should be prepared for raising seedlings. The beds should be manured with well rotten FYM at the rate of 1 kg/m2. About 75 g seeds sown over an area of 100 m2 will give the required number of seedlings for planting one hectare. Seeds may be mixed with fine sand or ash at the rate of 1:15 by weight and broadcast. It is covered by raking or by brushing. Watering may be done using rose-can. It is desirable to apply 1 kg of ammonium sulphate per 100 m2 of nursery in liquid form and the application is repeated at tri-weekly intervals. Seedlings will be kept in the nursery for about 8-10 weeks. Pandal may be provided for shade.

Main field planting
Seedlings are transplanted on flat beds. The nursery is irrigated well a day before planting to facilitate easy pulling out of the seedlings. Seedlings are planted 10-15 cm deep in the main field at a spacing of 85 x 85 cm.

Manuring
Cattle manure at the rate of 5-10 t/ha for cigarette tobacco and 50-60 t/ha for hookah tobacco may be applied as basal dose.
Aftercultivation
The first intercultivation may be done 12-15 days after transplanting. Thereafter, three hoeings are to be given at fortnightly intervals. Keep the field free of weeds. Irrigate as and when necessary.

Topping and de-suckering
Remove the terminal bud at the time of flowering. In the case of chewing tobacco, the number of leaves to be maintained varies from 8-15. Remove the suckers as and when produced.

Harvesting
Harvesting is done either by removing the mature leaves or by cutting the stalk when maximum leaves are matured. The harvested leaves are cured for the purpose for which the produce is meant.

Plant protection
Important pests and diseases of tobacco and their control measures are given below:

Stem borer (Phthorimoea spp.)
1. Use healthy seedlings for planting.
2. Spray the nursery with carbaryl 0.2% or endosulfan 0.05%.

Tobacco caterpillar (Spodoptera litura)
1. Destroy egg masses and groups of caterpillars found on the leaves.
2. Prevent oviposition on nursery plants by covering the beds at night with gunny sheets.
3. Spray carbaryl 0.2% or endosulfan 0.05%.

Plant lice (Myzus persicae)
Spray fenitrothion 0.05%.

Bacterial wilt
1. Use resistant / tolerant varieties.
2. Rotate with resistant crops.
3. Do not let in irrigation water or drainage water from infested fields.
4. Discard all seedlings from infested nursery.

Damping off
1. Drench the nursery bed with cheshunt compound solution 3-4 days before sowing.
2. Spray the seedlings with mancozeb or zineb 0.3%.

Powdery mildew
Spray oxythioquinox 0.05% or dust sulphur at 45 kg/ha. Before dusting mix sulphur with sand or ash.