Tobacco is an important cash crop. The tobacco crop is grown for its leaves, which are used as a cured product. India ranks third in the world tobacco production and second in flue cured tobacco exports. This crop occupies a pride of place with export earnings of Rs. 1320 crores and excise revenue of Rs. 72470 crores anuually.

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Production Technology of Tobacco
Prepared by : Md. Aminul Haque
Email:aminulparvez85@gmail.com

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Table of content
SL No Name Page no
01 Introduction 03
02 A. Origin 03
03 B. Area and Distribution 03
04 C. Classification 03
05 D. Climate 04
06 E.Botanical description of Tobacco 04
07 f. Soil 04
08 g. Improved Varieties under Different Tobacco Types 04
09 h. Field Preparation 05
10 i. Seedand Sowing 05
11 j. Raising Seedlings 05
12 k. Transplanting and Manuring 05
13 l. Water Management 06
14 m. Weed Control 06
15 n. Topping 06
16 o. Desuckering 06
17 p. Harvesting 06
18 Conclusion 07
19 References 07

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Introduction
Tobacco is an important cash crop. The tobacco crop is grown for its leaves, which are used as a cured
product. India ranks third in the world tobacco production and second in flue cured tobacco exports.
This crop occupies a pride of place with export earnings of Rs. 1320 crores and excise revenue of
Rs. 72470 crores anuually. The crop offers significant employment opportunities in rural India and
provides livelihood to 36 million people annually in cultivation, curing, grading, factories and cottage
industries, but also earns billions of dollars through trade and business. An industrial product of
considerable importance is nicotine sulphate, which is prepared from tobacco for use as an insecticide and
for the preparation of tobacco cessation products, drugs and the ameliorative effect on different diseases.
At present, nearly 270 tonnes of 40% nicotine sulphate valued at Rs. 38 million are being exported from
India. Solanesol is a naturally occurring tri-sesquiterpene alcohol present in tobacco and it is very in the
pharmaceutical industry.
A. Origin
Tobacco originated in the Western hemisphere, and the types of tobacco presently being cultivated
evolved in Mexico and CentralAmerica. In India, tobacco was introduced during the early part of the
17th century by the Portuguese.
B. Area and Distribution
In tobacco production, India ranks third after China and Brazil and 5th largest exporter after Brazil,
China, USA and Malwi. It accounts for about 10 per cent of the area and 8 per cent of production in
the world. It is cultivated in 4 lakh ha of area and accounts for 0.27% of the total cultivable area in the
country. India’s production is 700 million kilograms. The principal tobacco growing states in the country
are Andhra Pradesh,Gujarat, Karnataka,Tamil Nadu, Orissa, West Bengal, Bihar, Maharastra and
Uttar Pradesh.
C. Classification
Indian tobaccos are classified into two species namely N. tobaccum and N. rustica.
I. N. tobaccum:
• The plants of this species are usually taller attaining a height of 1.5–2.5 m.
• The leaves are larger but rather narrow.
• They may be sessile or petiolate.
• The colour of the flower is reddish, pinkish or white.
• It is used extensively for smoking and chewing purposes.
• It is used in manufacturing cigarettes,cigars, cheroots, bidi, chewing and snuff purpose.
II. N. rustica:
• The plants of this species are stocky, more bushy in nature and also shorter in height, usually not
more than 0.9–1.2 m in height.
• The leaves are large and broad and ovate in shape and always possess a petiole.
• Flowers occur in cluster and are of dull greenish yellow colour.
• It is used extensively for hookah, chewing and snuff purposes.
D. Climate
Although tobacco is a tropical crop, it can be grown in a wide range of environments. In India, tobacco
is grown from 8°N latitude to 34°N latitude. Tobacco seeds require about 21°C temperature for
germination.Temperature between 27°C and 32°C are desirable for rapid and uniform germination.

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E.Botanical Description ofTobacco
Habit: Annual herb
Root: Tap root system
Stem: Viscidaly pubescent, erect, and branched
Leaf: Simple, alternate,petiolate,ovate, entire,
pubescent
Inflorescence: Terminal panicle
Flower: Complete, hermaphrodite, actinomorphic
Calyx: Tubular, slightly unequal
Corolla: Tubular or cylindrical, campanulate
Androecium: Stamen 5
Gynoecium: Ovary superior, stigma bilobed
Fruit: Capsule
Chromosome number: 2n=48
Economic Importance: Leaves are used for
smoking, snuffing or chewing.
E. Soil
Quality of tobacco is greatly influenced by the soil conditions. Tobacco is adopted to moderately acidic
soils with a pH ranging from 5.5–6.5. Tobacco will not do well in water logged soils as it is sensitive
to water logging and impeded drainage.
F. Improved Varieties under Different Tobacco Types
Type Improved varieties
Flue cured Kanakaprabha,CTRI, Special, Jayasri, Line 1494, Line 2359, Virginia gold.
Natu Prabhat,DG.3, DG.4
Burley Momi-2, Burley-24, Ky 58, Ky 21, Ky 16.
Cigar wrapper S.5, Dixie shade, Rangpur Sumatra
Cigar filter Olor-10, Havana,Swanbileshman, Maryland(Contd.)
Cheroot Ok.1, Bhavani special, DR-1, Line 2331
Chewing Bhagyalakshmi, Thangam, Vairam, Sona, Gandak Bahar
Hookah and chewing DD.413, 414, 415, 417, 417, Dp 401, HD 65–40.

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Bidi tobacco Anand 3, Anand 23, Akolgund, Bhjgund, Annekevi.
G. Field Preparation
A clean and well pulverized seed bed of good tilth is needed for transplanting tobacco seedlings. Land
should be well prepared first and by deep ploughing with mould board plough followed by 3-4 cross
harrowings. Each harrowing should be followed by planking so that the soil is well pulverized and
levelled. Care should be taken to see the weeds,stubbles etc are well removed from the field. Red sandy
loam soils are preferred for nursery.
H. Seed and Sowing
Tobacco seeds are very small and so are not sown directly in the field but are raised in a nursery.
Tobacco seedlings are raised in specially prepared raised seed beds (1.25 m width × 10 m length).
Usually, at least 6–8 weeks are required to obtain transplantable seedlings.
I. Raising Seedlings
Application of FYM or compost at 12.5 kg + 80 g of super/2.5m2 as a layer on the top of the beds is
found to be highly beneficial in giving higher number of seedlings. The optimum time for sowing the
nursery is the second fortnight of August. A seed rate of 200–300 g per ha is quite sufficient. As the size
of the seed is very small, it should be mixed with sufficient quantity of sand and evenly distributed over
the bed by sowing twice. Watering of nursery beds should be done carefully. The beds should always
be kept moist but not wet. In the initial stages, on a sunny day 5–6 watering will be needed. Rose cane
is used for watering. Under favourable conditions, germination starts from 5th day and completed(5–12
days) by 12th day. If the seedlings are over–crowded in some places, they can be thinned out, when three
weeks old. Normally, the seedlings will be ready for transplanting in 6–8 weeks time
(42–56 days).
J. Transplanting and Manuring
The field for transplanting tobacco seedlings should be well prepared. A few hours before transplanting,
nursery beds should be well watered to facilitate easy removal of seedlings without root damage.
Fifteen cm height seedlings with 5–7 leaves are good for cigarette tobacco, but bidi tobacco requires
smaller seedlings. Seedlings should be transplanted immediately after pulling. Transplanting should be
done in the late afternoon to avoid heat injury. Optimum time of planting and spacing vary with the type
of Tobacco as given below:
Flue cured (black soil) : 80 × 60 cm
Flue cured (light soil) : 100 × 60 cm
Cheroot : 60 × 45 cm
Natu (rain fed) : 90 × 90 cm.
Transplanting is usually done in the month of October–November in case of winter crop while at
the end of March or in the beginning of April for the second or summer crop. Immediately after
transplanting light, irrigation should be done. Plants, which have not established well, should be
replaced with fresh seedlings within a week of transplanting.
N P K kg/ha
Flue cured (Black soil)
Flue cured (light soil) : 100 100 50 NP & K in equal splits
On 45 and 60th DAP
Cheroot : 50 50 100
Natu (rain fed) : 40 kg N alone
In addition to the inorganic fertilizers, application of organic manure in the form of FYM or
compost at 25 t/ha or Neem cakes at 250 kg/ha may be done.
K. Water Management

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Water requirement of tobacco crop depends upon the type of tobacco and the region where it is grown.
In case of cigar and cheroot tobaccos, more frequent light irrigations are needed. In Tamil Nadu, about
20–22 irrigations at 48 hours intervals starting after seedling establishment for chewing and cigar filter
tobaccos are required. Up to 45 days, irrigation is given once in 3–4 days interval and at maturity stage,
it is given once in 4–5 days intervals.
L. Weed Control
Intercultural operations should start after 10–15 DAT,when the seedlings are well established.
Orabanche,
which is a root parasite and is a menace to the tobacco crop is kept down by hand pulling. The only way
to control this weed is to collect and destroy it before seed formation. Trap cropping of green gram or
gingerly or sorghum reduces the infestation. One hand weeding at three weeks after transplanting (or)
application of pre-emergence herbicide Fluchoralin at 1 lit/ha or oxyflourfen at 0.5 lit/ha one week
prior to planting is recommended.
M. Topping
When flower heads begin to show, the plants are topped by removing off the top of the plant. Topping
means removal of the terminal bud. This practice stimulated the development of the remaining leaves.
It is a very important operation for the quality of tobacco leaf. It gives an uniform quality product
leaving 10 leaves on the plant, besides 2 end leaves.
N. Desuckering
Removal of these suckers is called desuckering. Manual removal of suckers by hand 4–5 times at
weekly intervals is done. The main aim of topping and de-suckering operations is to divert the energy
and nutrients of the plant from flower head to leaves, which influence the yield and quality of tobacco.
O. Harvesting
The right stage for harvesting the crop is when the leaves are matured i.e., when the normal 1. green
colour changes to yellowish green or slightly yellowish, 2. become thick, spotted and sticky to touch,
3. appearance of brown spots on the leaves, and 4. bulging of interveinal portions on the leaves. If such
leaves are bent under thumb, a cracking sound is produced. There are two methods of harvesting
tobacco.
(i) Priming: Harvesting is done by removing few leaves as and when they mature from bottom to
top.
(ii) Stalk cut method: In this method, the entire plant is cut close to the ground with sickle and left
over night in the field for wilting.
P. Curing
Curing is a process by which harvested tobacco leaf is made ready for the market. There are four
common methods of curing.
1. Flue Curing: The harvested leaves are strung on sticks, which are then stacked in a flue curing
barn. The barn is artificially heated. The curing process consists of 3 stages.
(i) Yellowing: During yellowing, leaf is kept at a low temperature (32–35°C) and high humidity for
about (30–40 hrs) till it attains a bright lemon yellow colour.
(ii) Fixing colour: After yellowing, the temperature is raised gradually and humidity of barn is
lowered by opening the ventilators with rapid rise in temperature when the leaf is still wet results
in a bluish-black discolouration called scalding. It takes about 16–24 hrs.
(iii) Drying: The ventilators are closed and temperature is again gradually raised to 160°F to dry the
veins and mid ribs of leaves. This takes about 28–42 hrs. Then, ventilators are opened to cool

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down the barn. The leaves are left in barn overnight for observing moisture to come to normal
condition for handling and storage.
2. Air curing: The leaves are divided into groups according to their sizes and are strung on the
string secured on a bamboo stick. These sticks are taken to barn with closed sides and roof. The leaves
are cured under atmospheric temperature and relative humidity of 70–80% is maintained by sprinkling
water inside the barn. The entire process is over in about five to six weeks.
3. Fire curing: The leaves are harvested in such way that a small portion of stem remains attached
to the leaves. The leaves are wilted for a few hours in the field, then tied into bundles and hung in a
smoke hut. They are smoked for about 12 hours by burning dried leaves of trees locally available. After
smoke treatment, the leaf is fermented in bulks for about 3–4 weeks. The fermented leaves are given
treatment with salt water or jaggery solution.
4. Suncuring: Sun curing is done in three ways.
(i) Curing whole plants on racks: After initial wilting in the field, the plants are strung on bamboo
poles and cured in sun. Entire process takes about 15–20 days.
(ii) Curing leaves with piecesof stems or racks: Here,racks are not exposed to direct sun, therefore
it takes longer period (6–8 weeks).
(iii) Curing whole plant on the ground: Here,leaves are allowed to dry in sun on the ground and are
turned over twice a day. This process continues for about a week and then heaps are made which
are opened on the next day and reheaped. This process of heaping, opening the heaps, spreading
and reheaping is continued for about 10–15 days. By the end of this period, leaves becomes
completely cured. For reducing the cost, stringing can be done on wire at 15–22 cm distance. By
the process of turning, the plants on poles could completely be eliminated.
Conclusion
Bangladesh has made progress on tobacco control in recent years. However,people continue to die and
become sick needlessly, and the costs to society from tobacco use continue to mount. Bangladesh can
still do more to make the proven tobacco control tools work for its citizens’ wellbeing.
References
https://tobaccoatlas.org/country/bangladesh/
https://www.euromonitor.com/tobacco-in-bangladesh/report
https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2014/12/24/tobacco-farming-on-the-rise-in-bangladesh
http://ubinig.org/cpdf/21_53.pdf