Bhavya
A CTRI FCV variety recommended for the Karnataka Light Soils, bred for yield and quality with reasonable leaf-spot tolerance.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Tobacco
- Type
- FCV tobacco variety
- Season
- Rabi
- Maturity period
- About 110–120 days after transplanting
- Seed rate
- About 2.5–3 g per m² of nursery bed; ~100 m² of nursery per hectare
- Expected yield
- Cured leaf around 2,000–2,500 kg/ha under Karnataka light-soil management
- Suitable soil
- Karnataka Light Soils (Mysore belt)
- Release
- A CTRI FCV variety for the Karnataka Light Soils (Mysore belt)
About this variety
Bhavya is a flue-cured Virginia (FCV) tobacco variety from the Central Tobacco Research Institute recommended for the Karnataka Light Soils — the Mysore belt around Hunsur, Periyapatna and Hassan. It combines a good cured-leaf yield with acceptable bright-grade quality and reasonable tolerance to the region's common leaf spots. It has no black-shank resistance and depends on rotation.
Key characteristics
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeNursery July–August; transplant hardened seedlings September to October in the Mysore belt
- Seed rateAbout 2.5–3 g per m² of nursery bed; ~100 m² of nursery per hectare
- Spacing100 × 55 cm on ridges
- Sowing methodTransplant hardened nursery seedlings one per hill onto ridges
- IrrigationLight frequent irrigations to topping, then a controlled dry-down for ripening
- FertilizerAbout 60:60:90 kg N:P2O5:K2O/ha, sulphate of potash, all nitrogen within 30 days of transplanting
- HarvestingPrime ripe leaves bottom-up in 5–7 rounds; flue-cure each batch to schedule over about a week
Soil & climate
Soil
- Suitable soil
- Light sandy loams and red loams of the Karnataka light-soil belt
- pH
- 5.0–6.5
Climate
- Climate
- Adapted to the Karnataka Mysore-belt rabi conditions; a dry, bright ripening period is still needed for a good cure
Yield & maturity
Maturity period
About 110–120 days after transplanting
Expected yield
Cured leaf around 2,000–2,500 kg/ha under Karnataka light-soil management
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
Pest & disease considerations
Major diseases
Management notes
- Rotate 2–3 years with a non-host; keep the nursery clean
- Top and desucker on time; all nitrogen early and chloride-free
- Use its leaf-spot tolerance as a buffer, not a substitute for a spray in a wet ripening
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Good yield with acceptable bright-grade quality on the Karnataka Light Soils
- Some tolerance to the common leaf spots of the Mysore belt
Things to consider
- No black-shank or virus resistance
- Recommended for the Karnataka Light Soils; not bred for the Andhra black soils
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Karnataka
Frequently asked questions
Which region is Bhavya tobacco recommended for?
Bhavya is a CTRI FCV variety recommended for the Karnataka Light Soils — the Mysore FCV belt around Hunsur, Periyapatna and Hassan. It is not bred for the Andhra Pradesh light or black soils, which have their own recommended varieties.
Does Bhavya's leaf-spot tolerance mean I can skip fungicide?
No. Bhavya has some tolerance to frog-eye and brown leaf spot, which reduces the pressure, but in a humid, cloudy ripening spell a susceptible spot epidemic can still riddle the leaf and cut its grade. Use the tolerance as a buffer and still spray as the crop ripens in wet weather.
Sourced from: ICAR-Central Tobacco Research Institute (CTRI), Rajahmundry, Tobacco Board, India. editorial policy.