ON-FARM TESTING OF NATU TOBACCO LINE (L 45-90) IN NORTHERN LIGHT SOIL AREA OF ANDHRA PRADESH – AN ANALYSIS

Abstract

Natu tobacco is grown in West Godavari, Krishna, Guntur, Prakasam, Khammam, Kurnool, Mahaboobnagar, Nalgonda, Ananthapur, Visakhapatnam and Srikakulam districts of Andhra Pradesh for cheroot and chewing purposes. Natu tobacco has good aroma and burning quality. Soils growing natu tobacco range from heavy black-clay soils as in Guntur district to sandy and sandy loam soils of West Godavari and Srikakulam districts. Natu tobacco is grown in conserved moisture conditions, mostly as an un-irrigated crop in heavy clay soils of Guntur district. These soils are generally rich in lime. In West Godavari district, this crop is irrigated 5-8 times because of the free draining nature of the soil.This tobacco is used in the manufacture of cheaper brands of cigarettes, cheroots, chewing, pipe mixtures and snuff. It is also blended with Flue-cured Virginia tobacco (FCV) in the manufacture of several brands of cigarettes. Important Natu varieties viz., Prabhat (1977), Natu Special (1992), Pyruvithanam (2001), Bhairavi (NG73) were important natu varieties release by CTRI Research Stations. (Prasad Rao, J.A.V. 2005).