The Hindu Business Line : Tobacco research body working on organic variety

Hunsur (Mysore), Aug. 30 Growing organic Mysore FCV leaf tobacco, having less harmful substances, may not be too far away going by the pace of research being undertaken by soil scientists at the regional station of Central Tobacco Research Institute (CTRI) in Hunsur (Mysore district), Karnataka.

Dwelling on the feasibility of producing organic tobacco in the KLS region of Karnataka, Dr M.M. Shenoi, Principal Scientist and Head, CTRI Station, told Business Line that although organic tobacco had a 30 per cent lower yield com pared to the conventional variety, with low nicotine, tar, and TSN (Tobacco Specific Nitrosoamines) content, it can be successfully developed.

Explaining that changes in soil fertility and study of organic carbon status were needed for this, the scientist said: “We still need to study in greater detail the yield and quality parameters, chemical composition, and smoke analysis and also the time required for the change-over,” he explained.

Feasibility study

Stressing on eco-friendly cultivation practices, he favoured an integrated nutrient management approach for both inorganic and organic tobacco. He said the feasibility study for producing organic tobacco, at Sollepura Demonstration Farm (in Hunsur) involving some 500 plots, was now on, though a pilot project in actual farm conditions was still some distance away.

Dr Shenoi said the key was to strike a balance between yield and quality, for which the ratios have to be worked out.

He said that a beginning has been made at CTRI for organic tobacco, and that the combined effect of less rains in May 9 (around 65 mm against a long term average of 102 mm), and excessive rainfall around mid June (around 400 mm) has affected the planting schedule for the naturally grown rain-fed Mysore crop this year.

Outlining the pre and post-harvest packages for the Mysore crop, which had the potential to fetch higher prices internationally as a preferred neutral filler tobacco, he recommended tray nurseries, balanced fertiliser application and inter-culture to prevent proliferation and help avoid premature ripening of the leaf.

According to him, use of chemical weedicides for a field crop like tobacco was a strict no-no.

Productivity call

The scientist felt that timely topping of the plant (nipping the bud soon as it appears), and de-suckering (removing the shoot from the rooted part), were critical for productivity and quality, as even a day’s delay can cause a one per cent crop loss for the farmer.

He said expansion of top leaves for overall quality was essential if a better price average for the leaf in the auction floor has to be achieved.

On the post-harvest front, Dr Shenoi stressed on model storage facilities for proper bulking after curing the leaf in the barn, especially if colour and aroma have to be retained.

Cautioning against overloading of the barn, he said farmers need to be educated periodically (as being done by the CTRI team now) on storage and grading, proper barn ventilation, flue-pipe arrangement, and tying of leaves in proper rows among others. Karnataka has some 60,000 registered barns.

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