OUR TOBACCO BREEDING PROGRAM 
Since 1928, when we initiated our tobacco improvement 
program, we have been constantly striving toward pro- 
ducing better flue-cured tobaccos. During this period, 
selected lines from standard varieties have been con- 
tinuously inbred and reselected to produce uniformly good 
yielding varieties of superior smoking qualities. As a 
result, many varieties, including hybrids, are available 
that give dependable performance from year to year, 
under widely varying soil and seasonal conditions. 
THOUSANDS OF INDIVIDUAL PLANT SELECTIONS 
MADE EACH YEAR 
Each year in our breeding blocks thousands of indivi- 
dual plants are selected, the flower heads bagged to pre- 
vent cross pollination, and a record of the performance 
of each studied, especially with reference to curing quali- 
ty, leaf type and texture, disease resistance and other 
factors that contribute to a better flue-cured tobacco. 
Crosses between varieties are made to bring together the 
most desirable characteristics of each. Selections from such 
hybrids are included in the breeding blocks for inbreeding 
and further study. In all breeding work the seed from 
each individual plant selection is planted on a separate 
bed plot and young plants transplanted to a separate row 
PEDIGREED AND 
We have found that considerable confusion exists on 
the part of some of our customers as to the meaning of 
PEDIGREED SEED and CERTIFIED SEED and in order 
to clarify this, the following explanation is offered: 
PEDIGREED SEED or REGISTERED SEED, as they 
are classed by State Seed Improvement Associations, are 
seed that are genetically pure and must have originated 
from individual plant selections. The progeny of these 
selections must have demonstrated their value in plot and 
field tests, and must have been recognized and approved 
by a certifying agency. No seed can be classed as Regis- 
tered Seed unless it is produced under the direct control 
of the originator or breeder. The purple label bearing the 
words, REGISTERED SEED, which appears on each 
package of our pedigreed tobacco seed simply means that 
for detailed study. Some improvement is made each year 
and is passed on to the grower as rapidly as is possible. 
DISEASE BREEDING PROGRAM INTENSIFIED 
More recently we have intensified the work of breeding 
for disease resistance. Crosses have been made between 
lines of our standard flue-cured varietics, and between 
these standard varieties and foreign types where such 
have been shown to have resistance to some particular 
disease or diseases when grown in our plots, located on 
soils heavily infested with disease-producing organisms. 
Such soils are artificially inoculated to maintain and in- 
crease the disease severity, and, where the disease is not 
soil borne, the plants themselves are inoculated to be 
certain that all individuals are exposed to the disease or 
diseases in question. A few of these disease-resistant 
hybrids look very promising, and, it is quite likely that 
oe or more will be available for distribution in the near 
uture. 
The ultimate aim is to include a high degree of resis- 
tance to many of the major diseases in a single variety 
of excellent flue-cured type. The importance of breeding 
for disease resistance is shown in the fact that diseases 
account for an average annual loss of about 15 per cent of 
the flue-cured tobacco crop. 
CERTIFIED SEED 
the South Carolina Crop Improvement Association rec- 
ognizes the quality, value and purity of our pedigreed va- 
rieties and has given them its stamp of approval. 
CERTIFIED SEED are those seed which have satisfied 
the requirements of the Certifying Agency as to purity, 
germination and quality and which were produced from 
pedigreed or registered stock or, in some instances, from 
other certified seed. 
Pedigreed or Registered seed must be produced by the 
breeder, while certified seed may be grown from registered 
seed or other certified seed. 
Coker’s Pedigreed Tobacco Seed are at least one year 
closer to the individual plant selections from which the 
variety originated than are certified seed. 
Photo below shows section of plant-to-row breeding field. Two rows are planted from each plant, 
one bagged tor breeding purposes, the otuer fur recurd on yield, quality and texture. Our tobacco specialist, 
J. V. Williamson, is shown on left in foreground. 

