GT 9
A Gujarat bidi-tobacco variety from the Anand programme, grown on the heavy alluvial soils of the Kheda–Anand belt for a heavy-bodied, aromatic sun-cured leaf.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Tobacco
- Type
- Bidi tobacco variety
- Season
- Rabi
- Maturity period
- About 120–140 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 1,400–1,900 kg/ha of heavy-bodied bidi leaf
- Suitable soil
- Heavy alluvial "goradu" soils of the Charotar (Kheda–Anand) 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 — 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 August–September; transplant hardened seedlings October to November onto the prepared goradu soil
- Seed rateAbout 2.5–3 g per m² of nursery bed; ~100 m² of nursery per hectare
- SpacingAbout 90 × 60 cm
- Sowing methodTransplant hardened nursery seedlings one per hill onto ridged, manured land
- IrrigationIrrigated at 10–15 day intervals through vegetative growth on the goradu soils; eased off toward maturity
- FertilizerFarmyard manure or green manure plus a high nitrogen dose (often 150–250 kg N/ha) for body — 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
- 7.0–8.0
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 120–140 days after transplanting
Expected yield
Cured leaf around 1,400–1,900 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 — bidi leaf is grown the opposite way to FCV
- Strict TMV sanitation at every operation — 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 — 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 — 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 150–250 kg N/ha) — the opposite of the modest, chloride-free, early nitrogen an FCV crop gets — 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) — Bidi Tobacco Research Station, Anand, Anand Agricultural University. editorial policy.