Tobacco harvesting is the process of removing the mature leaves or the entire plant from the field, preparing the crop for curing. This process requires judgment and expertise because the timing and method of removal significantly affect the final quality of the tobacco product. The labor-intensive nature of the harvest varies depending on the specific type of tobacco being cultivated and the intended use of the leaves.
Indicators of Tobacco Readiness
Farmers rely on several biological changes within the tobacco plant to determine the optimal harvest time. The first and most noticeable sign of ripeness is a shift in leaf color, which transitions from a dark, vibrant green to a paler, light green or yellowish hue, particularly at the tips and edges. This yellowing indicates that the leaf is depleting its nitrogen content and beginning the senescence process, which is necessary for proper curing.
Another key indicator is a change in the leaf’s texture. Mature leaves become thicker and develop a more leathery feel, and they may even become brittle enough to crack when folded. Some varieties will exhibit a faint oily sheen or a sticky exudate on the leaf surface.
Harvesting the tobacco prematurely, while it is still too green, compromises the leaf quality, leading to a thin product that is difficult to cure correctly. Conversely, waiting too long results in overripe leaves that are brittle, hard to handle without breakage, and prone to losing nicotine content.
Primary Harvesting Techniques
The choice of harvesting method depends on the type of tobacco being grown and the characteristics desired in the finished product. The two major techniques are priming and stalk cutting.
Priming
Priming is the most selective and labor-intensive method, involving the removal of individual leaves as they reach peak maturity. Since tobacco leaves mature sequentially from the bottom to the top of the stalk, the priming process begins with the lower leaves and progresses upward over several weeks. Farmers typically harvest two to four leaves from each plant at weekly intervals, allowing the remaining upper leaves to continue ripening.
This technique is predominantly used for flue-cured tobacco, such as Virginia tobacco, and for wrapper-grade leaves used in premium cigars, where uniformity and a high sugar content are desired. Priming ensures that each leaf is harvested at its ideal ripeness, resulting in a more consistent final product. While historically performed by hand, specialized mechanical harvesters are now common, which strip the mature leaves off the stalk using a series of belts or rotary blades.
Stalk Cutting
Stalk cutting involves harvesting the entire tobacco plant at once by severing the main stalk close to the ground. This technique is often employed for air-cured tobaccos like Burley and dark fire-cured tobacco, where the presence of the stalk aids in the air-curing process.
Stalk cutting is generally less labor-intensive than priming, making it suitable for large-scale operations or for tobaccos that benefit from whole-plant curing. The tool used is typically a specialized knife, hatchet, or machete to quickly cut the thick, woody stalk. After cutting, the whole plant is often left in the field for a brief period to begin the wilting process before transport.
Preparing the Crop for Curing
Once the leaves or stalks are separated from the field, the immediate post-harvest handling prepares them for the specific conditions of the curing structure. This ensures the material can be efficiently hung inside the barn or shed.
For tobacco harvested by priming, the individual leaves must be gathered and affixed to a support structure for hanging. Flue-cured tobacco leaves are often looped onto a string that is then tied to a stick, which allows the leaves to hang separately for proper circulation during the heat-intensive curing process.
For stalk-cut tobacco, the entire plant must be prepared to be hung from the barn rafters. This process involves “spearing” the plant by driving the main stalk onto a wooden curing stick, often using a sharp metal spike attached to the stick’s end.
Before spearing, the cut plants are typically allowed to wilt in the field for a few hours up to two days, depending on the weather, to make the leaves pliable and reduce the risk of breakage during handling. The speared stalks are then carefully loaded onto wagons or trucks and transported to the curing structure, ready to be hung for the long air-drying process.