Hydroponic / Aquaponic Tobacco

[Colt45]

A few years back, member Demiurgic discussed growing tobacco aquaponically......

The other day, for some reason or other, I was wondering to myself whether hydroponics or aquaponics has ever been considered / experimented with in Cuba, or other tobacco growing / cigar producing countries.

I'm curious to know if any members who've had opportunity to visit with people in the industry have ever discussed this, or heard it discussed.

If so, any mention / thoughts on not growing tobacco in soil?

[Habana Mike]

Hmmm, works pretty well for some other weeds - so I'm told......

[oliverdst]

Hmmm, works pretty well for some other weeds - so I'm told......

You are joking but I think marijuana proves that some interesting effects can come out of this kind of experiment.

[LordAnubis]

Hydroponic setups are very energy dependant, and water dependant. Rain and sunshine on the other hand are free. If it did ever happen it would be in limited quantities and who knows how much it would cost per cigar. Would be interesting for a backyard grower to try though...

[mazolaman]

Hmmm, works pretty well for some other weeds - so I'm told......

Ahhh, whipes nostalgic tear from eye...those were the days..

[baragh]

Hydroponic setups are very energy dependant, and water dependant. Rain and sunshine on the other hand are free. If it did ever happen it would be in limited quantities and who knows how much it would cost per cigar. Would be interesting for a backyard grower to try though...

When you're growing something legal you can have an aquaponic setup outdoors and still get that free rain and sunshine

Be interesting to try and put to the test what impact that cuban soil really has

[benfff888]

When you're growing something legal you can have an aquaponic setup outdoors and still get that free rain and sunshine

Be interesting to try and put to the test what impact that cuban soil really has

Same as hydroponics, they're both just systems that, grow in a soil free medium and deliver nutrients through a water solution. both can be grown indoors/outdoors.

I've read that tobacco are very intolerant to over-watering, so the tobacco plant may not work well in a hydro/aero set-up.

The amount of capital involved in setting up a farm style hydro crop would be overwhelming, you would need pots, containers an intricate irrigation system, and that's not to mention a plethora of chemical coctails to make the required nutrient solution.

I think hydroponics on any credible tobacco farm in Cuba would be a sad day.

[Ryan]

I'm nearly sure I've heard somewhere that tobacco seedlings in Cuba are started using hydroponics until they are transplanted into the soil. I think I've even seen a picture.

Growing the entire plant this way I think would lead to flavourless tobacco, as it grows flavourless tomatoes.

Remember the Hector Luis Prieto interview? He believes the main difference between Cuban tobacco and tobacco from other countries is the stress that the poor soil in Pinar del Rio induces in the plant, making it work harder.

Just as tomatoes, lettuce etc. will taste better from your garden than from a supermarket, the stress of a little water/nutrient starvation every now and then induces them to produce more chemical compounds for survival.

There is no reason to think that the same could not be true for tobacco. I keep coming back to the example of the tomato because it is a relative of tobacco.

With all the cigar smokers on this forum, surely there is a chemist amongst us with access to a gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer. Run some samples of Cuban tobacco, non-Cuban tobacco and, if possible, hydroponically grown tobacco and see where the spikes are.

I'm surprised this has not been done and published, given the amount of speculation out there. Somebody in the wine industry is doing this every day of the week.

[OZCUBAN]

Where's Ray when you need him

If I was growing the Tobacco it would be well and truly STRESSED Lol

[Colt45]

Growing the entire plant this way I think would lead to flavourless tobacco.......

That was my thought as well - but it leads me to another question(s). If all of the nutrients were stripped from soil, what type, if any at all, of plants would be produced. That is, would the soil element be rendered moot?

Couldn't the nutrient supplementation in hydro / aqua be adjusted to replicate the stress levels of poorer soils? Also, it's my (limited) understanding that hydro uses less water as it's the plants, not the soil, being watered.

[benfff888]

I'm nearly sure I've heard somewhere that tobacco seedlings in Cuba are started using hydroponics until they are transplanted into the soil. I think I've even seen a picture.

Again not 100% sure but commercially, a lot of seeds are germinated under artificial light, mostly to keep the roots warm, this is not hydroponics, its just growing under artificial light.

Growing wrapper plants indoors, using hydroponics, would provide visually amazing quality huge wrapper leaves, being protected from bad weather and strong sunlight.

On another note, tomatoes are a fruit, we want tobacco leaf. Has anyone had to snap off a little bit of stem with a couple of leaves of the top of a hydroponic tomato? I have and I can tell you that it has more smell than any natural grown tomato. when in the supermarket next time, crack one of the stems, have a smell and tell me the green matter is lacking in flavour. I suspect the tobacco would have a very high nicotine content too, maybe to strong. Was just throwing in the idea that although tomato and tobacco are related, different parts of the plant are being used.

[DrunkenMonkey]

Wow, this is fascinating.