Planting
Planting does
not just begin when the seed germinates but rather it begins as
soon as the crop before is harvested. When a crop is harvested
from a field then a cover crop is usually planted on the field.
This allows the soil on to remain in its place to retain nutrients
for the next season. This can be a variety of crops but the most
common crop used as a cover crop in Kentucky is Winter Wheat.
Sometimes this cover crop is never harvested but some cover crops
are harvested before the tobacco ground is prepared for planting.
 Lime may be applied to the soil where tobacco
patches generally have not been producing as well as expected
and the producer wants to get the soil’s pH back to the correct
levels. This may need to be done in the fall after harvest and
then again in the spring prior to planting. To determine the needs
of their farm farmers should always do a soil test prior to applying
any type of fertilizer. Local extension agencies have information
about soil testing and assist farmers on getting these done.
Seeds of tobacco
plants are very small and because of this tobacco is not direct
seeded like other crops. The seeds are seeded and then transplanted
into the field where it will finish its growing season. Plants
are seeded generally one of two ways; either in a tobacco bed
that is outside or in a greenhouse in float trays. Tobacco beds
are the way tobacco was traditionally raised in the past but float
tray in the greenhouse has become the more popular way of raising
tobacco transplants.
Tobacco beds
are gassed before the seeds are sewn over the bed. The beds are
usually gased in late February to early March. Methalbromide is
used to gas the beds in most cases but other products can be used.
This kills all of the weeds and other plant life in the area that
is to be seeded. Tobacco seeds are extremely tiny. Because of
their size the seeds are mixed with sand shta they will be spread
evenly over the soil. The seeds are sewn over the soil with a
seeder or by hand. Plastic is placed over the bed once the seeds
are wewn. After the plants come up and are still small the plastic
is replaced with canvas. This canvas will be left on the plants
until they are ready to be planted. Before the plants are transplanted
they will be trimmed at least twice. This is generally done with
a weed eater by can also be done with other types of equipment
depending on the management system.
Plants that
are grown in a greenhouse do not require as much time to become
ready to transplant. Plants are usually seeded in March. Seeding
can be done one of two main ways. The trays are done as plug and
transfers or they are direct seeded. With plug and transfers the
seeds, which are coated to make them larger, are placed in thin
trays made of Styrofoam that can hold several hundreds of seedlings.
These trays contain individual cells of soil for each seedling.
Once seeded the trays are floated on a float bed. These seedlings
are then transferred into larger trays containing soil. These
trays are then floated on the float beds. Plants are trimmed before
they are ready to set.
With direct
seeding the coated seeds are seeded directly in the larger trays.
A tray type structure that is attached to a vacuum. The vacuum
sucks the seeds up to the tray which has holes in it that correspond
with the cells on the trays. Before the seeds are placed into
the trays the trays are dibbled. A dibble board that has spikes
on it that compress The tray is then placed over the tray and
then a switch is slid that cuts off the vacuum flow and the seeds
drop into the tray. The
The field
are prepared by plowing the area to be planted fires. If a cover
crop was on the field that can be harvested it may be harvested
before the field is plowed. The plowing can be done with a wide
variety of plows. This plowing can cause a compaction layer in
the soil if plowing is continually done at the same depth. Compaction
in the soil can lead to poor root growth which will decrease the
final yield.
Transplanting
generally takes place starting in mid-April and can go on through
the end of June. This is done in the fields that have previously
been prepared for planting. Plants are transplanted into the soil
using a machine called a transplanter. There are different kinds
of transplanters. The two most commonly used transplantors are
the carousel setter and the ferriswheel setter. The carousel setter
has cups that turn around. Plants are dropped into the cups by
a person riding on the setter. The ferriswheell setter has fingers
that go around like a ferrous wheel. Plants are placed in the
fingers as they travel around. The ferrous wheel setter requires
2 people per row set whereas the carousel setter requires only
1 person per row.
With both
types of setters water is placed in the soil along with the plants.
The water may contain fertilizer of other things to aid the plant’s
development. These products must be added with caution. Some of
the chemicals added may be dangerous if they are not dealt with
properly.
The transplanters
are pulled through the fields with tractors. These tractors can
be of a variety of sizes. The size of the transplanter generally
determines the size of the tractor used.
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