Energy conservation and alternative fuels for tobacco curing
- Agri-biomass as alternate fuel for tobacco curing: Integrated use of agri-biomass (coffee husk, 30 kg + areca husk, 560 kg + maize rinds, 736 kg) proved an alternative fuel to replace 100% fire wood (1250 kg) in tobacco curing.
- Improved heat conveyance system for FCV tobacco curing: Improved heat conveyance system developed with an increase in area for heat radiation inside the curing chamber saves wood fuel by 45%.
Crop Production – Management interventions , Healthy seedling production in bidi tobacco:
- Covering nursery with green shade net (90%) in middle Gujarat
- Soil solarization of nursery beds with 25 micron clear plastic sheet in North Gujarat
- Optimum time of sowing for bidi tobacco nursery is I to II week of July
Rationalizing irrigation and topping for bidi tobacco:
- Eight irrigations at 5 ha-cm and topping at 18 leaves for bidi tobacco variety ABT 10 in Middle Gujarat
Optimum planting time for bidi tobacco in Gujarat:
- 1stto 3rdweek of September for variety MRGTH 1 and GT 7
- 3rdweek of September for variety ABT 10
- 3rdweek of September to 1stweek of October for variety A119
Agronomic Interventions
- Ridge planting method was recorded significantly higher cured leaf yield (2265 kg/ha) against flat bed method of planting (1840 kg /ha) in bidi tobacco at Nandyal
- Pre-release culture bidi tobacco, ABD-119 has recorded higher cured leaf yield compared to NBD -119 Application of 130 N kg /ha and topping 18 leaf stage recorded higher yields
- In bidi tobacco at Nandyal,Andhara Pradesh topping at 12 leaf in early flowering stage recorded higher cured leaf yield compared to topping at 8 leaf stage
Resource use-efficiency
- Foliar nutrition of N and K with potassium nitrate at 45 and 55 DAT is recommended for FCV tobacco in KLS
- Foliar application of N and K twice at 45 and 60 DAT through KNO3 foliar spray was recommended @ 2.5% for bidi tobacco in Gujarat
- Application of 20 kg S/ha was recommended for bidi tobacco in Karnataka
- Tobacco stem ash or tobacco stem compost application will substitute 50 kg K/ha thereby reduces the cost of cultivation
- Application of recommended dose P every year along with Nitrogen is superior than P once in two years in bidi tobacco at Nandyal in Andhra Pradesh
- Integrated Nutient Management practice of green manuring with 200 kg N/ha was recommended for Rustica tobacco in Uttar Pradesh
Alternative cropping systems to tobacco
- Maize–Bengal gram and Maize-Sunflower are alternative cropping systems to bidi tobacco in Andhra Pradesh
- Pikka tobacco was found more remunerative than Groundnut- Green gram and Maize-Green gram cropping sequences in Odisha
- Intercropping of vegetable pea in Rustica tobacco was recommended with nitrogen @ 180 kg N/ha for Rustica tobacco growing areas of Uttar Pradesh.
- Crop intensification with Pearl millet (summer) after bidi tobacco is more remunerative than other cropping sequences in Gujarat
Alternative uses of tobacco
- Bidi tobacco varieties A 145 and GABT 11 are most suitable for the purpose of seed oil and pure nicotine yield potential with modified agronomic interventions