Tobacco Types Grown in South Africa
Different tobacco types require different production, curing and marketing approaches. The main types grown in South Africa are:
This guide focuses primarily on flue-cured Virginia (FCV) tobacco, as it represents the overwhelming majority of commercial production in South Africa and is the type most relevant to growers in Mpumalanga and Limpopo.
Climate & Soil Requirements
Climate
FCV tobacco performs best under specific climatic conditions that are well-matched to Mpumalanga's Highveld and Lowveld zones:
- Temperature: Optimal growth between 20°C and 30°C. Cool nights during ripening improve leaf quality and colour development. Frost kills tobacco, production must be completed before autumn frosts.
- Rainfall: 500–750mm during the growing season, well-distributed. Excess rainfall increases disease pressure and dilutes leaf quality. Most South African production uses supplementary irrigation to top up rainfall.
- Sunshine: High light intensity during leaf development and ripening enhances leaf colour and quality. The Mpumalanga Highveld receives excellent summer sunshine hours.
- Frost-free period: A minimum of 150 frost-free days required from transplanting to final harvest. Mpumalanga's growing season (October–April) typically satisfies this requirement.
Soil Requirements
Soil selection is critical for tobacco, it directly influences leaf quality, not just yield. Ideal soils are:
- Sandy loam to loamy sand texture, good drainage, quick warming in spring, and the ability to control moisture levels through irrigation
- pH (KCl) between 5.0 and 6.0, slightly acid. High pH reduces leaf colour quality and manganese availability.
- Low chloride (Cl) levels, chloride is extremely damaging to tobacco leaf quality. Never use muriate of potash (KCl) fertiliser on tobacco. Use potassium sulphate only.
- Good internal drainage, waterlogging causes root rot (black shank) and poor leaf quality
- Moderate fertility, very high organic matter soils can cause excessive nitrogen release, resulting in poor-quality, rank leaves
⚠️ Critical: No Chloride on Tobacco
Chloride is the single most damaging element for flue-cured tobacco leaf quality. Never apply any fertiliser containing chloride (KCl, muriate of potash) to tobacco soils. Always use potassium sulphate (K₂SO₄) as the potassium source. Even small amounts of chloride cause "chloride burn" symptoms and drastically reduce leaf grade and price received at auction.
Tobacco Varieties in South Africa
South African tobacco varieties are primarily FCV hybrids selected for yield, leaf quality, disease resistance (particularly to black shank and root-knot nematodes), and suitability to local growing conditions. Key variety groups include:
| Variety Group | Type | Key Attributes | Notes |
|---|
| K 326 | FCV | Industry standard, excellent leaf quality | Widely planted globally; susceptible to black shank race 1 |
| Coker 176 | FCV | Good yield, disease tolerance | Used where black shank pressure is moderate |
| PVH 2110 | FCV | High yield, strong disease resistance | Popular in Mpumalanga Lowveld |
| NC 297 | FCV | Nematode resistance, good curing | Preferred on nematode-infested soils |
| CMS 600 | FCV | Locally adapted, good leaf colour | Bred for South African conditions |
Variety selection should be guided by your local extension officer or the Tobacco Association of South Africa (TASA). Nematode and black shank resistance are the most important disease traits in SA production systems.
Seedbed Preparation, The Foundation of the Crop
Tobacco seeds are extremely small (approximately 12,000 seeds per gram) and cannot be direct-seeded into field soils. They must be germinated and grown in a dedicated seedbed (nursery) system for 6–8 weeks before transplanting. There are two main seedbed systems used in South Africa:
1. Float (Hydroponic) Seedbed System, Preferred
The modern float system is now the standard in South African commercial production. Seeds are sown into polystyrene trays (each with 200–288 cells) filled with a specialised peat-based growing medium. The trays float on a shallow (10–15cm deep) pool of nutrient solution in a plastic-covered greenhouse or shade-net structure. Process:
- Construct a sealed, level water-holding bay (concrete, polythene-lined, or galvanised steel) approximately 1.2m wide × up to 30m long
- Fill with clean water, never use water with high salt or chloride levels
- Add tobacco-specific float fertiliser at the recommended rate
- Sow 2–3 pre-germinated seeds per cell, or use pelleted seed at 1 per cell
- Float the trays and cover the structure to maintain humidity and temperature (22–28°C for germination)
- Monitor pH (5.5–6.5), EC (0.8–1.5 mS/cm), and water levels throughout the 6–8 week nursery period
- Clip (top) seedlings at 5–6cm height 2–3 weeks before transplant to promote stem hardening
2. Open Seedbed System, Traditional
Still used by some smaller growers and smallholder operations. A raised bed of sterilised soil is prepared, seeds are sown, and seedlings grown under shade cloth for 8–10 weeks. This system is lower in capital cost but more labour-intensive and vulnerable to soilborne disease and weather. Steam sterilisation or methyl bromide alternatives (dazomet) are used to sterilise the seedbed soil.
Land Preparation & Transplanting
Land Preparation
Thorough land preparation is essential for tobacco's shallow, sensitive root system. Begin 3–6 months before planting:
- Soil sampling: Test for pH, nutrients, nematodes and chloride levels. This is non-negotiable for tobacco.
- Lime application: If pH is above 6.0, use sulphur to acidify; if below 5.0, apply agricultural lime. Target pH 5.0–6.0.
- Deep ploughing: 40–50cm mouldboard ploughing to eliminate compaction layers and incorporate residues.
- Subsoiling: If a hardpan is present, subsoil before ploughing.
- Secondary cultivation: Disc and harrow to create a fine, firm seedbed.
- Ridging: Form raised planting ridges 0.9–1.1m apart, ridges improve drainage and warming of the root zone.
Transplanting
Transplanting is the most labour-intensive operation in tobacco farming. In Mpumalanga, the main transplanting window is October to November (after the last frost risk has passed and soil temperatures exceed 15°C). Float seedlings are ready when they are 10–15cm tall with 4–5 true leaves.
- Plant spacing: 50–60cm in-row × 0.9–1.1m between rows, giving 18,000–22,000 plants/ha
- Transplanting method: Machine transplanters (water-wheel or finger-type) are standard on commercial farms. Manual transplanting is used on smallholder operations.
- Water at transplant: Apply 300–500ml of water or starter solution directly to the planting hole to prevent transplant shock. Irrigate the whole field within 24 hours of transplanting.
- Replace missing plants: Walk all rows 7–10 days after transplanting and fill gaps with reserve plants from the nursery. A plant stand below 90% significantly reduces yield.
Fertilisation of Tobacco
Tobacco nutrition management is among the most precise aspects of the crop, over-fertilisation (especially nitrogen) is as damaging as under-fertilisation, producing rank, low-quality leaf. Base all programmes strictly on soil analysis results:
| Nutrient | Rate (kg/ha) | Source | Timing |
|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | 50–80 | LAN, KAN (never urea on heavy soils) | Split: 1/3 at transplant, 2/3 at 4–5 weeks |
| Phosphorus (P) | 20–40 | SSP, MAP | All at transplant or pre-plant |
| Potassium (K) | 100–160 | K₂SO₄ ONLY, NEVER KCl | Split or all at transplant |
| Magnesium (Mg) | 20–40 | Kieserite or dolomitic lime | At transplant |
| Sulphur (S) | 20–30 | Elemental sulphur or K₂SO₄ | Pre-plant or at transplant |
Nitrogen rate is the single most important fertilisation decision in tobacco farming. Excess nitrogen produces thick, dark green leaves with poor curing characteristics and low market value. Follow your soil analysis recommendation precisely.
Topping & Suckering
Topping is the removal of the flowering head (terminal bud) to redirect the plant's energy into leaf development rather than seed production. It is among South Africa's most critical agronomic operations in tobacco and must be done at the correct growth stage:
- Top at early flower bud stage (button stage) when 10–16% of flowers are open in the terminal cluster
- Leave the correct number of leaves per plant, typically 18–24 leaves for FCV, depending on the leaf programme and market requirements
- Top by hand (break off the terminal bud) or with mechanical toppers on large commercial operations
After topping, axillary buds (suckers) develop rapidly at each leaf axil and must be suppressed. This is done chemically using contact sucker control agents (maleic hydrazide, fatty alcohols) applied immediately after topping. Without sucker control, the crop becomes unmanageable and leaf quality declines sharply.
Harvesting, Leaf Priming
Tobacco is not harvested all at once. Leaves ripen from the bottom of the stalk upward, and are harvested in successive "primings" (passes) every 10–14 days over 8–12 weeks. A full crop typically yields 5–8 primings over the season. Harvesting guidelines:
- Ground lugs (leaves 1–3): Harvested first. Often low-quality, used for filler leaf. Remove when yellowing begins.
- Cutters and bodied leaves (leaves 4–14): The highest-quality, most valuable leaves. Harvest when a light yellow-green colour appears.
- Tips (top leaves): Harvested last. Smaller and thinner but can be good quality.
All priming is done by hand, workers walk the rows removing ripe leaves individually and stacking them in wooden or plastic transport crates. Avoid bruising or crushing the leaves, which causes dark spots and grade loss.
Curing Tobacco, The Flue-Curing Process
Curing is the process of drying harvested green tobacco leaf under controlled temperature and humidity conditions to develop colour, flavour and aroma. Flue-cured tobacco uses heat conducted through pipes (flues) from an external firebox, without exposing the leaf to smoke. This is what gives FCV its bright, golden colour.
Modern South African operations use bulk curing barns rather than the older stick-and-barn system. Bulk barns can hold 800–1,200kg of green leaf per curing cycle and use fans and computerised temperature controllers to manage the cure:
Flue-Curing Temperature Stages
- Yellowing phase (35–40°C, 24–48 hours): Leaf biochemistry converts starches to sugars and produces the golden-yellow colour. High humidity maintained.
- Colour fixing (45–55°C, 24–36 hours): Leaf colour is fixed and enzymes deactivated. Humidity is progressively reduced.
- Lamina drying (55–65°C, 24–48 hours): Leaf blade dries out completely at lower humidity.
- Stem drying (68–72°C, 12–24 hours): Final stage dries the mid-rib and stem. Barn fully ventilated to remove remaining moisture.
A complete cure takes 5–7 days. After curing, leaf is conditioned (allowed to reabsorb some atmospheric moisture) and then graded. Incorrectly cured leaf (whether undercured (green), overcured (brown) or scorched) is heavily penalised at the market.
Grading & Selling Tobacco in South Africa
Cured tobacco is graded into grade groups based on leaf position on the stalk, colour, damage, maturity and texture before being sold. South Africa operates both a contract (quota) system and an auction floor system for tobacco marketing.
- Tobacco Association of South Africa (TASA): The industry body that registers growers, allocates quotas, manages the auction floor (in Hartswater and Rustenburg), and provides technical extension services.
- Auction floor system: Baled, graded tobacco is presented on the auction floor where buyers (tobacco companies and traders) bid. Price is determined by grade and quality on the day.
- Contract growing: Some South African manufacturers contract growers directly for specific quality grades at pre-agreed prices, reducing price risk. BAT (British American Tobacco) and Philip Morris source under contract from selected SA growers.
Register with TASA before planting, you will need a production quota and to comply with the Tobacco Products Control Act. Contact TASA or your provincial DALRRD office for registration details. See our farming grants guide for government support available to tobacco growers.
📊 Cost and market considerations
FCV tobacco yields in South Africa typically range from 1,800–2,800 kg/ha of cured leaf. Auction floor prices vary by grade and season, but top-grade FCV leaf commonly fetches R40–R80/kg (approximate current values). At mid-range yields and prices, gross income of R80,000–R160,000/ha is achievable, against input costs (seedbed, fertiliser, labour, curing fuel) of R40,000–R70,000/ha. Tobacco remains one of the highest gross income potential field crops in South Africa, but also among the most capital and labour intensive. Confirm current prices with TASA before committing.
Pest & Disease Management in Tobacco
Key Diseases
- Black shank (Phytophthora nicotianae): The most destructive soilborne disease in SA tobacco. Causes rapid wilting and death. Manage through resistant varieties, good drainage, and fungicide soil drenches. Avoid moving soil from infested to clean lands.
- Root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.): Cause stunting, poor water and nutrient uptake, and yield loss. Use nematode-resistant varieties and nematicides at transplanting. Rotate with non-host crops.
- Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV): Spread by contact (hands, tools). No cure, remove and destroy infected plants immediately. Wash hands with soap before handling tobacco seedlings.
- Granville wilt (Ralstonia solanacearum): Bacterial wilt. Soilborne, spreads through water movement. Use clean transplants, avoid waterlogging, practice strict crop rotation.
- Blue mould (Peronospora tabacina): Downy mildew affecting both seedbeds and field crops. Managed with fungicides and good ventilation in float systems.
Key Pests
- Tobacco aphid (Myzus persicae): Major virus vector and direct feeder. Monitor from transplanting and apply insecticides when thresholds are exceeded.
- Budworm (Helicoverpa armigera): Caterpillar that damages the terminal bud and young leaves. Monitor from mid-season onwards.
- Tobacco thrips: Cause silvery leaf damage and transmit viruses. Seedbed hygiene and appropriate insecticides reduce thrip pressure.
For a full integrated pest management approach applicable to tobacco and other crops, visit our pest control guide.
Crop Rotation for Tobacco
Tobacco must not be grown on the same land more than once every 4–5 years due to the build-up of soilborne diseases (black shank, nematodes, Granville wilt) and the difficulty of managing them once established. Suitable break crops include:
- Maize, excellent break crop, breaks disease cycles and allows good chemical nematode management
- Small grains (wheat, triticale), non-host for most tobacco diseases
- Green manure crops (sunn hemp, lablab), improve organic matter and suppress some nematodes
Avoid tomatoes, peppers, potatoes and other solanaceous crops as breaks, they share many of the same pathogens as tobacco. See our crop rotation planning guide for more detail.
