Lisa Shirichena Herald Reporter
The Tobacco Research Board (TRB) has released new varieties to boost tobacco production in the country. In an interview on Tuesday, TRB assistant general manager Mr Oswel Mharapara said the new varieties had been bred to combine acceptable growth behaviour and resistance to all major pests and diseases including root-knot nematodes.

“The new tobacco varieties include T70, T73, T74, T75 and T76. These varieties are adaptable and expected to cater for the wide-ranging environmental conditions into which tobacco growing has expanded lately,” he said. Mr Mharapara said each variety had its own unique features and all had potential for high yields under good management.

“T70 has a medium maturity rate, the ripening rate is also medium, it is suitable for all areas, should be early irrigated under double cropping and it performs better than KRK 26 another variety,” he said. Mr Mharapara said this type of variety grew into deep orange mahogany styles and had good holding capacity during reaping.

“T73 matures early, its ripening age is between medium and slow, it is suitable for all areas. In terms of germinating it is very quick, easier to manage in the seed beds and has high holding capacity during reaping,” he said. Mr Mharapara said the varieties T74 and T75 matured late, they ripen slowly; they grow fast in hot areas, also in areas with irrigation facilities.

In terms of results, T74 grows slowly in seedbeds therefore people should sow two weeks earlier than KRK26 while T75 has good holding capacity in field. “T76 matures at a medium rate, ripens from medium to fast, it is suitable for slow growing areas with irrigation, it produces very clean lemon cures and has high holding capacity in slow growing areas,” he said.

Mr Mharapara said growers who wished to try the varieties this season, were encouraged to get seed from the Plant Breeding Division at Kutsaga.  This would not only assist the grower in identifying the best variety for his/her area, but also enable TRB researchers to further evaluate the varieties on-farm.