Nitrogen Fertilization for Optimizing the Quality and Yield of Shade Grown Cuban Cigar Tobacco: Required Nitrogen Amounts, Application Schedules, Adequate Leaf Nitrogen Levels, and Early Season Diagnostic Tests

Abstract

Nitrogen (N) fertilizers have a decisive influence on the yield and quality of tobacco. Yield, percentage of plant N, wrapper leaf quality, and nicotine content are all important quality characteristics in tobacco growing. This work is an attempt to provide a tool for optimizing mineral N nutrition for Cuban cigar tobacco, using a strategy that links N supply with leaf N concentration and wrapper yield. Similar approaches developed worldwide have mainly involved Virginia and Burley tobacco types but not Cuban cigar tobacco. The objective of the current work is to identify the effects of fertilizer N levels and timing of application on each of the mentioned quality factors for shade grown Cuban cigar tobacco. Another purpose is to explore the usefulness of a quick method of assessing the N status of plants based on measuring leaf transmission at two different wavelengths (650 and 940 nm). The experiments were done in the main tobacco growing area of Cuba (Vueltabajo). In each experiment, nine separate treatments were used covering different levels and times of fertilizer N application. The same experiment was carried out in three different years (2005-2006, 2006-2007, 2007-2008) but as the results were similar only one set of data is described (2006-2007). The patterns of response to N fertilizer of all four quality measurements, including yield and wrapper leaf quality, were similar in the different replications of the experiments. The optimal fertilizer level was 140-190 kg N/ha (40% applied on days 8-10 after transplanting and 60% on days 18-20 after transplanting). The optimal N concentration of leaves taken at the central foliar level of the middle stalk position was 4.3-4.7% at harvest time. Leaf transmission measurements by means of the SPAD-502 Chlorophyll Meter in the early stages of growth were correlated with leaf chlorophyll and N concentration and provide an excellent guide for predicting Cuban cigar tobacco wrapper leaf yield.

A Survey of Fertility Program Responses of Kentucky Dark Fire-Cured Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) Yield and Quality for Cigars Manufacture in the Benevento Province (Southern Italy)

“…For the Fh product, there was a significant location × N fertilization interaction (Table 3) since Fh yield increased with fertilization in 9 out of 11 locations and the increments were significant up to 200 kg N ha !1 in B1, B2, B6, B9 and B10, but only up to NFP treatment in B4, B5, B8 and B11 locations ( Figure 2). These results were similar to those previously reported for Burley (6) and Cuban tobacco (10). Moreover, Fh yield did not change significantly with N treatments at B3 while it decreased with N200 treatment at B7 location ( Figure 2).…”

“…Surprisingly, fertilization increased yield of wrappers up to the NFP treatment, which for that location was just 113.5 kg N ha !1 , without any significant increase at the N200 treatment (Table 3). These results are different from those for Cuban tobacco as reported by BORGES et al (10) who found that a supply of N around 190 kg ha !1 resulted in maximum high quality wrapper yield from the middle stalk position. In addition, in that study the wrapper production accounted for 75% of total production of this commercial type, much greater than that obtained at 200 kg N ha !1 in the present experiment which was only 14%, due to foliar diseases, mainly caused by infestations of tobacco flea beetle (Epitrix hirtipennis (Melsheimer)) very widespread in that area, or mechanical injuries.…”

“…However, heavier tissues positively contribute to leaf quality only when they have open leaf intracellular spaces and do not reduce the burning capacity (9). More-over, it is likely that if N rates are increased to excessive N levels, the rate of leaf ripening slows (10) and the potential for negative environmental impact increases. In addition, the best results are obtained when irrigation practices are also efficiently applied.…”

Improving the sustainability of tobacco cultivation by optimizing nitrogen fertilization

“…Our results show that the percentage of nitrate-N, calculated on the total N accumulated by plants at the end of the growing period, increased with increasing N fertilization up to 120-240 kg N ha -1 under stressed conditions and up to 360 kg N ha -1 under irrigated ones (data not shown). Consistent with our results, Borges et al (2012) also reported optimal fertilization levels around 140-190 kg N ha -1 for Cuban cigar tobacco, which further highlights the site-specific requirements for optimal N fertilization. In our conditions, DM accumulation, LA expansion and weight of cured leaves did not improve at N rates above 240 kg ha -1 .…”

Low Light Alters the Photosynthesis Process in Cigar Tobacco via Modulation of the Chlorophyll Content, Chlorophyll Fluorescence, and Gene Expression

“…Wrapper tobacco is the outer part of the cigar which is thin in texture and usually dominates the flavor of a cigar. The expensive hard-to-obtain wrapper leaves are acquired from plants grown in shady environments which are used as a cover towards the end of manufacturing highquality cigars [19]. Shading or low light (LL) conditions are a key and necessary cultivation technique in cigar wrapper tobacco production.…”