Author: William Bailey
Planning Unit: Plant and Soil Sciences
Major Program: Tobacco
Outcome: Initial Outcome
Although burley and dark tobacco are the primary tobacco types grown in Kentucky, a new type of tobacco called Connecticut Broadleaf began to be produced in Kentucky on a very small scale in 2018 and continues today. This new type of tobacco is specifically suited for production of cigar wrappers, and commands a very high price per pound if cigar wrapper grades are produced. This new type of tobacco had been grown in Connecticut and Massachusetts, but not in Kentucky prior to 2018, and since it was used for delicate cigar wrapper production, production practices were likely to be quite different from recommendations that have long established for burley and dark tobacco. I have been developing research projects that focus on developing production recommendations for Connecticut Broadleaf tobacco grown in Kentucky. Research projects focusing on variety performance, nitrogen application rates, and fungicide use have been conducted since 2019. In 2020 and 2021, research has been expanded to curing strategies also. This research has led to the addition of an new chapter specifically devoted to cigar wrapper tobacco in the latest 2021-2022 edition of ID-160 (Burley and Dark Tobacco Production Guide). In addition to providing new recommendations for Connecticut Broadleaf cigar wrapper production in Kentucky and Tennessee, I have also spent significant time providing guidance for production of this type of tobacco to growers in Pennsylvania, Missouri, Ohio, and Indiana.
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