@ProZachJ Mulching and Irrigation Studies

[ProZachJ]

Some light reading I've been doing to improve my methods

Evaluation of the use of polyethylene mulches in the production of organic flue-cured tobacco

https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/agj2.21100

Should Tennessee tobacco growers invest in irrigation, fertigation, or plastic mulch?

https://irrigation.tennessee.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/176/2020/08/Tobacco-irrigation-fertigation-or-plastic-mulch-W283.pdf

Crop Management System Consisting of Biodegradable Mulching Film + Drip Irrigation Increases Yield and Quality of Flue-Cured Tobacco​

https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/16/7089

Irrigating Tobacco

https://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html?number=B892&title=irrigating-tobacco

 

[deluxestogie]

Added to Index of Key Forum Threads.

Bob

 

[ProZachJ]

I'll try to add some excerpts and my take aways in case of future dead links.

 

[ProZachJ]

From Irrigating Tobacco

...irrigation can significantly affect leaf quality at two stages of growth and development: the rapid growth phase and harvest....

...After transplanting and before severe wilting occurs, an application of approximately 0.5 in. of irrigation is recommended to wet the soil slightly deeper than the roots...

...During the early growth stage, from the time of transplant establishment until the tobacco plants are knee-high, approximately four to six weeks after transplanting, water is withheld to create moderate moisture stress. This moderate stress is considered beneficial to the tobacco plants as deeper root development is encouraged in preparation for the rapid growth phase and may result in increases in yield and quality of the cured leaf. ..

...The rapid growth stage occurs from the time the tobacco plants are knee-high to early bloom, approximately between weeks four and six after transplanting...water use curves indicate that tobacco (in this phase) should only be irrigated often enough to keep the moisture level sufficiently high to ensure rapid growth, not to exceed 2 in. per week.

...During harvest, irrigation is not generally required...irrigation during the harvest stage will increase the maturity rate of tobacco, improve curability of the leaf by allowing better yellowing

 

[ProZachJ]

From https://www.netafimusa.com/contenta...29387674ebcaaba34/tobacco-manual.pdf?v=49165c

How to calculate irrigation inches from dripper rates.

In/HR = (1.6 x Dripper flow rate (GPH) ) / (Row spacing (ft) x Dripper spacing (ft))