Tobacco - It's Not Just Nicotine

In short: Tobacco (Nicotiana) is a Solanaceae genus with 75 known species. About 97% of its nicotine forms in the roots and is stored in the leaves, where dried leaves of cultivated species contain 0.5 to 8% nicotine. Seeds germinate only in light, so sow them on the soil surface; whole-plant drying takes 40 to 80 days.

Tobacco - It's Not Just Nicotine

Today we'll introduce you to interesting plants for growing and placing in your garden.

Tobacco is a genus of herbs and shrubs from the Solanaceae family, which includes, among others, tomatoes, potatoes, and poisonous plants.

Tobacco was introduced to the world with the discovery of America. The word Nicotiana (as well as nicotine) was named after Jean Nicot, the French ambassador to Portugal, who sent the plant as medicine to the court of Catherine de' Medici in 1559. Today, 75 species of tobacco are known.

Tobacco plants produce the alkaloid nicotine in their roots, which they store in their leaves.

Growing Tobacco

Tobacco grows as annual or perennial herbs ranging in size from 0.1 m to 0.4 m. Leafy shrubs are then several times larger, up to 2.5 m tall. The leaves are usually wavy and leathery. They are often around 100 cm long (other species 8-15 cm), with petioles shorter than the leaves.

The flowers are small, either unscented or fragrant, blooming in the evening and can be various colors, such as pink, yellow, white...

The capsules containing the seeds are 4-20 mm long and contain a large number of seeds, typically between 100 and 5000 seeds. When sowing, the plant seeds are scattered across the soil surface, as their germination is activated only by sunlight. For pre-cultivation, we recommend substrate designed for sowing.

Nicotine Content

The most important secondary plant substance is Nicotine, which belongs to the Nicotinoid alkaloids. In 54 of 64 studied species, it was one of the most represented alkaloids. Among others, tobacco also contains the alkaloids Nornicotine and Anabasine, which are present in higher amounts in many plant species.

In the species Nicotiana tabacum (Virginia Tobacco) and Nicotiana rustica (Aztec Tobacco), it has been proven that the largest proportion of nicotine, around 97%, is formed in the roots, which is then stored in young leaves, stems, and flowers of the plant. It is transported through the xylem, which is found in all other parts of the plant.

The proportion of Nicotine in dried leaves of unprocessed tobacco, especially in cultivated Aztec and Virginia Tobacco, typically ranges between 0.5 to 8%. In other species, it varies depending on the total number of alkaloids, in the dried part of the plant between 0.003% and 2.96% in leaves and 0.027% to 2.46% in roots.

Industrial Cultivation
Due to the high adaptability of subtropical tobacco plants, it is grown in the temperate zone from 38° south latitude to 56° north latitude. The main growing areas are China, North, Central and South America, Southeast Asia, the Middle East to the Balkans and Europe.

At the beginning of the 21st century, almost 90% of plantations were in southern countries. Especially in developing countries of tropical and subtropical regions - Africa, Latin America, and Asia.

Between 1961-2002, the consumption of this plant increased by approximately 60%. Tobacco cultivation in African production areas leads to increased deforestation, soil degradation, humus depletion and strong economic dependence on tobacco companies.

Tobacco cultivation in Europe is annually supported by European Union subsidies amounting to 1 billion euros. Of this, approximately 150 million euros goes to tobacco cultivation in Germany. In the Czech Republic, Nicotiana rustica was extensively cultivated until 1996. In 2000, global production in 120 countries, covering an area of 4.1 million hectares, reached approximately 7.4 million tons of tobacco.

History of Tobacco

Until the 17th century, tobacco was significant as a medicinal plant in ophthalmology (the branch of medicine dealing with diseases and surgery of the visual pathways). Today, only two types of tobacco are commercially cultivated from numerous varieties.

The most common type is Virginia tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum), which includes almost all varieties grown today. After proper processing, it is used to produce most cigarettes and other tobacco products. However, Nicotiana rustica can also be commercially cultivated, which is notable compared to Virginia tobacco for its faster growth and higher nicotine content.

Tobacco can be processed into many forms. Most commonly, it is dried whole, a process that takes between 40 to 80 days depending on temperature and humidity. Alternatively, you can cut the plant leaves into small pieces, which after drying are used as pure tobacco mixture suitable for smoking.