The following are some of the highlights from the annual meeting of the Ontario Recommending Committee for Flue-Cured Tobacco held on February 22, 2017.
Variety Situation
Eight tobacco varieties were grown in farmers’ fields in Ontario in 2016, and for the sixth consecutive year, CTH14 was the most popular variety grown, occupying 59.3% of the acreage. CT572 was the next most popular variety at 25.3% of the acreage and has been in this same position (second place) since 2002. The rest of the varieties grown were CT157 (7.7%), CC160 (3.0%), NC297 (2.2%), CTH2 (1.6%), CTH8 (0.7%) and CT652 (0.2%).
Registered Variety Trial
The registered variety trial is conducted annually to provide growers with information about the current performance of the registered varieties. The committee reviewed results from the past three years. The data set showing the physical, agronomic and chemical characteristics of the registered varieties over these years can be found in the plant breeding section of this website.
Ontario Regional Variety Registration Trial and Small-Scale Variety Release
New elite varieties in the breeding program are evaluated for at least 2 years at 3 locations in this trial before being considered for registration. Based on overall merit, the committee approved a small-scale release for the conventional variety 13AA27-4 to allow up to 12 producers to grow this variety on a limited scale in 2017. 13AA27-4 was among the varieties that were put on display at CTRF’s Open House in December, 2016. The average yield of 13AA27-4 across locations was 3,824 kg/ha, which was statistically similar to Delgold (3,656 kg/ha) but superior to CT157 (3,214 kg/ha). The grade index for 13AA27-4 was 81 compared to 73 for Delgold and 65 for CT157. 13AA27-4 was rated an 80 for the company visual evaluation of useability and was higher than Delgold (75) and CT157 (79). Other entries found to be promising in the trial were CTH144 (TMV resistant) and CTH128 (Black Root Rot resistant). 13AA27-4 and these two other entries have been kept in the trial and will be evaluated in 2017 along with five other promising varieties that have been advanced into this trial from the strain trials.
Post prepared and sent by Canadian Tobacco Research Foundation
Mailing Address: CTRF, P.O. Box 322, Tillsonburg, ON N4G 4H5
Telephone: 519-842-8997
Web Address: http://ctrf1.com