The Influence of Fertilizers on Cigar-Filler Tobacco Quality

Abstract

The influence of fertilizers on cigar-filler tobacco quality, as judged by price per pound, was investigated, using three crops of a major-element fertilizer (N-P₂O₅-K₂O) experiment at Aibonito on a Juncos clay and a source-of-nitrogen experiment at Caguas clay. The results obtained were as follows: 1. The use of 50 pounds per acre of nitrogen increased the quality of the tobacco significantly when compared to the no-nitrogen treatment. 2. Rates up to 150 pounds per acre of nitrogen did not increase significantly either yield or quality of tobacco per acre over the 50-pound-per-acre nitrogen treatment. However, the quality of the tobacco was not reduced by the high nitrogen applications. 3. Phosphates and potash failed to increase the quality of the tobacco. 4. Lime and magnesium oxide increased the quality of the tobacco. 5. The other sources of nitrogen used failed to increase the quality of the tobacco, as far as price per pound was concerned, beyond the price of the tobacco produced with ammonium sulfate. 6. The burning rates of cigars made with tobacco fertilized with various nitrogen sources showed urea to give the slowest rate of burning, and a mixture of urea and cottonseed meal the most rapid. Ammonium sulfate as a nitrogen source was about intermediate between these. 7. The nicotine content of the tobacco increased with applications of nitrogen up to the 100-pound-per-acre level. Phosphate and potash applications tended to lower the nicotine content of the tobacco leaf. 8. A discussion of the influence of fertilizers on quality of the tobacco is presented to aid the farmer in his use of fertilizer to increase tobacco quality. Warning is also given that these relationships on the relation between yield and quality of tobacco cannot be regarded as applicable to all commercial tobacco-growing in Puerto Rico until further work is done on other tobacco soils.