GT 9
A Gujarat bidi-tobacco variety from the Anand programme, grown on the heavy alluvial soils of the KhedaтАУAnand belt for a heavy-bodied, aromatic sun-cured leaf.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Tobacco
- Type
- Bidi tobacco variety
- Season
- Rabi
- Maturity period
- About 120тАУ140 days after transplanting
- Seed rate
- About 2.5тАУ3 g per m┬▓ of nursery bed; ~100 m┬▓ of nursery per hectare
- Expected yield
- Cured leaf around 1,400тАУ1,900 kg/ha of heavy-bodied bidi leaf
- Suitable soil
- Heavy alluvial "goradu" soils of the Charotar (KhedaтАУAnand) belt
- Release
- A bidi-tobacco variety from the Anand (Gujarat) programme for the Charotar belt
About this variety
GT 9 is a bidi-tobacco variety from the Anand (Gujarat) breeding programme, grown on the heavy alluvial goradu soils of the Charotar tract тАФ the Kheda and Anand districts of Gujarat. Unlike FCV, bidi tobacco is grown for a heavy-bodied, aromatic leaf that is sun- and air-cured in the open and sold to bidi manufacturers, and it takes far more nitrogen than an FCV crop. GT 9 gives a dependable yield of that leaf type.
Key characteristics
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeNursery AugustтАУSeptember; transplant hardened seedlings October to November onto the prepared goradu soil
- Seed rateAbout 2.5тАУ3 g per m┬▓ of nursery bed; ~100 m┬▓ of nursery per hectare
- SpacingAbout 90 ├Ч 60 cm
- Sowing methodTransplant hardened nursery seedlings one per hill onto ridged, manured land
- IrrigationIrrigated at 10тАУ15 day intervals through vegetative growth on the goradu soils; eased off toward maturity
- FertilizerFarmyard manure or green manure plus a high nitrogen dose (often 150тАУ250 kg N/ha) for body тАФ the opposite of the FCV approach; follow the Anand / state package
- HarvestingCut the whole plant near the base at maturity when most leaves have matured; cure the leaf on the ground or on racks in the open, then bundle
Soil & climate
Soil
- Suitable soil
- Heavy alluvial goradu (sandy-loam to loam) soils of the Charotar tract
- pH
- 7.0тАУ8.0
Climate
- Climate
- A Gujarat rabi crop; the open-air cure needs a dry post-monsoon spell, so unseasonal rain at curing is the main quality risk
Yield & maturity
Maturity period
About 120тАУ140 days after transplanting
Expected yield
Cured leaf around 1,400тАУ1,900 kg/ha of heavy-bodied bidi leaf
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
Pest & disease considerations
Major diseases
Management notes
- Manure and feed heavily for body тАФ bidi leaf is grown the opposite way to FCV
- Strict TMV sanitation at every operation тАФ the virus is the main yield loss in the belt
- Cure in a dry spell; protect drying leaf from an unseasonal shower
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Dependable heavy-bodied, aromatic bidi leaf for the Charotar market
- Well adapted to the goradu soils and the Gujarat rabi calendar
Things to consider
- A bidi type тАФ not sold through Tobacco Board auctions and not for FCV curing
- Very sensitive to TMV; needs strict hand and tool sanitation
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for тАФ check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Gujarat
Frequently asked questions
How is a bidi variety like GT 9 grown differently from an FCV variety?
Bidi tobacco is grown for body and aroma, not for a bright, freely burning leaf. So GT 9 gets farmyard or green manure and a heavy nitrogen dose (often 150тАУ250 kg N/ha) тАФ the opposite of the modest, chloride-free, early nitrogen an FCV crop gets тАФ the whole plant is cut at maturity rather than primed leaf by leaf, and the leaf is sun- and air-cured in the open, not flue-cured in a barn. It is sold to bidi manufacturers, not at Tobacco Board auctions.
Sourced from: ICAR-Central Tobacco Research Institute (CTRI) тАФ Bidi Tobacco Research Station, Anand, Anand Agricultural University. editorial policy.