Principals of seed technology

by
Mahesh K N
Mahesh M K
 Scientific name : Nicotiana tobaccum
 Family : Solanaceae
 Division : Magnoliophyta
 Order : Solanales
 Chromosome no : 2n=4x=48
 Origin : America
 Production : 74,90,661 mt
 Area under tobacco in the world is 4291014 ha
 Productivity :1,745 kg/ha
 The major tobacco growing countries in the world are China, USA,
India,Brazil,Turkey,Russia,Italy,zimbabwe
 India produce 7-8% of worlds Tobacco, while china alone accounts
for nearly 40%
 In India, Andhra Pradesh ranks 1st in tobacco cultivation
 4-5 ploughing followed by planking
 After ploughing the field is divided into small plots
 Levelling is necessary
 Then ridges are made
 Tobacco needs well drained, light to medium texture soil
 pH : 5 - 5.7
 The limiting factor of tobacco production are frost, early
monsoon rains, wind stroms, hail stroms and non availability of
irrigation water
Seed treatment:
 Tobacco seeds should be planted outdoors with warm temperature
of about 24˚c to 27˚c for proper germination
 Seeds should be covered with soil since they need light to enhance
germination
 Tobacco seeds takes 7-10 days to germinate
 Tobacco seeds can be transplanted after 3-4 weeks
The distance between the rows and between the plants within a
row varies with the type of tobacco
• A spacing of 80cm× 80cm is required
 Isolation distance is the minimum separation required between
two or more varieties of the same species for the purpose of
keeping seed pure.
Roughing:
 it is the process of removal of unwanted plants or weeds
A minimum of 3 inspections shall be made as follow:
• 1st Inspection : before flowering in order to determine isolation,
presence of volunteer plants, outcrosses, error in planting ratio
and relevant factors
• 2nd Inspection : made during flowering to check isolation, off
types, other relevant factors
• 3rd Inspection: at maturity and prior to harvesting to verify true
nature of plants and other relevant factors
 The optimum dose of nitrogen: 35kg/ha
 Phosphorus: 70kg/ha
 8-10 irrigations are required for Tobacco
• The inflorescence of tobacco is a terminal raceme

• The flowers are Pedicellate and Hermophrodite

• Calyx contain five sepals

• Corolla contain fivepetal

• The stamens are five in number

• It has superior ovary

• Pollens are viable for24 hrs
• Stigmaisreceptiveonedaybeforeand after floweropening
• The first is premature bloom where a tobacco plant will start
to bloom at approximately 3 to 6 weeks after transplanting.
• Flowering in Tobacco Needs Gibberellins ( GA3)
• It is self pollinated crop but; 4-10 of cross pollination occurs due to
insects
• Therefore it is grouped into often cross pollinatedcrop
 Selfing Technique
• Covering entire inflorescence with paperbag will ensures the
selfing technique
 Crossing Technique

• It involves emasculation followed by Pollination

• For emasculation select the unopenedflowers with pink colour

tip and anthers are removed with five pointed forceps after
tearingpetals

• Collectthepollengrain from matured flowers and dust iton the

emasculated flower

• Bag thepollinated flower and then tagit

 The wild species Nicotiana velutina , N.benthamiana ,
N.maritima , N.paniculata were used as cytoplasm donor
and N.tobacum as donor of nucleus.

 Completely sterile hybrids from these combinations

were obtained whose sterility was overcome through the
use of tissue culture .
Pest:
 Aphids
 Tobacco horn worm
 Loopers
Diseases:
 Alternaria leaf spot /brown spot
 Blue mold
 Black shank
 Broom rape
 Collar rot
 Tobacco Leaf Curl disease(TLCV)
 Tobacco Mosaic Virus(TMV)
 The leaf yield of hucca tobacco: 2500-3000 kg/ha
 The leaf yield of ciggarette tobacco : 2000 kg/ha
Thank you