Transplanting .- -Tobacco is transplanted in October, November, and December. That 

 transplanted in October and November requires that ample water be used, while later 

 transplantings are usually made after the rainy season has started. Many authorities 

 recommend early transplanting, as tobacco so treated matures earlier and is of better 

 quality. Some growers with large acreages transplant over a considerable period of time, 

 because this enables them to utilize more efficiently labor for both the transplanting and 

 the harvesting operations. Plants are transplanted by hand because labor is plentiful and 

 because conventional tobacco-transplanting machines do not work well on ridges. 



Use of fertilizers . --Rhodesian growers use considerable fertilizer in tobacco pro- 

 duction, even though some of their soils have fairly high inherent fertility. As a rule, 

 fertilizers are placed by hand on or in the ridges. However, machines have been developed 

 to place a band of fertilizer along the top of the ridge on either side of the plant location. 

 Sonne growers, when transplanting, place a snnall amount of fertilizer at each planting 

 hole. 



When transplanting plants early, or during the dry season (October-November), 

 some of the growers apply the nitrogen fertilizer in the planting water. (This method 

 saves one operation.) The correct amount is added to the planting water. The amount 

 of water varies between 1 and 2 pints per plant, depending upon conditions. 



Fertilizers for flue-cured tobacco in Southern Rhodesia are estinnated to account for 

 about 13 percent of production costs. The Tobacco Research Board publishes carefully 

 prepared fertilizer recommendations, based upon research. 



In general the sandveld soils and the sandy loam soils require greater proportions 

 of nitrogen, the clay and clay loam soils more phosphate. Some of the soils are said to 

 need 20 pounds of nnagnesia (MgO) as an insurance against "sand drown". The element 

 is usually supplied by 45 pounds of magnesite, or 100 pounds of dolomite, per acre. 



Diseases and pests . --Soil funnigants now used on about 50 percent of the acreage 

 are usually applied below the plant stations. They are placed in this position after soil 

 ridging and at least 14 days before transplanting. Sometimes chemicals for control of 

 nematodes are applied in the planting water. 



Diseases and pests cause considerable trouble and result in heavy losses if growers 

 do not follow good control progranns. Nematodes take their toll and some of the diseases 

 which cause losses are: white mold (mildew), wildfire, bushy-top rosette disease and 

 altenaria. Costs for combating pests and diseases are surprisingly high, averaging about 

 $30 per acre. When "white mold" breaks out (and four or five applications are often 

 required to control the disease) the cost of this treatment alone is about $8 per acre. 



A disease, "Necrotic Virus Y," associated with potatoes and commonly known as 

 tobacco vein-browning virus, has recently been detected for the first time on tobacco in 

 Southern Rhodesia.^ It is generally regarded as a strain of the common potato virus Y, 

 which can also infect tobacco, but causes only vein clearing, followed by banding. This 

 disease produces a severe necrosis of the mid-rib, petioles and stems of most varieties 

 of tobacco, especially Virginia and Burley. The leaves of infected plants tend to dry up, 

 and become a total loss. Both the common and potato viruses are transmitted by aphids. 

 The necrotic virus, however, is not very long-lived or persistent in the aphid. This factor 

 may be important in limiting the distance which the disease can be spread by infected 

 aphids. The government has decided to issue regulations to prevent the spread of this 

 virus. 



Cultivation .- -Since the tobacco is grown on ridges, cultivation is largely performed 

 by hand. Considerable hand labor is used also in rennoving the "suckers" fronn the tobacco 

 plants and in the topping operation. A special type of oil is used by some growers in 

 controlling suckers on tobacco. Maleic hydrazide is not approved by the Rhodesian 

 Tobacco Growers' Association. 



1 Source: The Rhodesian Herald. June 28. 1963. 



