Recipient Organization
NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIV
(N/A)
RALEIGH,NC 27695
Performing Department
Crop & Soil Sciences
Non Technical Summary
The Regional Minimum Standards Program was created in the 1960's to ensure that varieties planted by growers in the UnitedStates are acceptable to the tobacco industry. The Program is conducted cooperatively by university researchers in Georgia,South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia. Once a breeding line is genetically stable, it can be entered into the first year of theprogram, the Regional Small Plot Test (RSPT). Breeding lines that pass the minimum standards for chemical and physicalquality in the RSPT can be entered in the second year or stage of the program, the Regional Farm Test (RFT). In the RFT, thevarieties are again evaluated for chemical and physical quality and in addition are evaluated by the industry for smoke flavor.Once a breeding line passes both the RSPT and the RFT, it is eligible for release as a commercial variety. Each year between35 and 40 breeding lines are evaluated in the RSPT and 13 breeding lines are evaluated in the RFT. The program is veryunique and is commonly viewed as the standard for tobacco variety evaluation programs in the world because it ensuresconsistency of chemical and physical tobacco quality for the industry. According to the tobacco industry, the minimumstandards program has been essential in preserving our status as producing the highest quality tobacco in the world.The flue-cured tobacco Official Variety Testing Program (OVT) is conducted at four research stations across North Carolinaeach year. The test evaluates between 45 and 50 released cultivars for yield, quality, value, leaf number, leaf spacing,alkaloids, reducing sugars, days to flower, and plant height each year. Data are reported in the Flue-cured Tobacco Production Guide by location and combined over locations for each year in addition to two-year and threeyear averages. Data are also presented annually at grower meetings. Most growers consider the OVT the single most important annual tobacco data generated by NCSU. There are approximately 150,000 acres of tobacco in NC valued at nearly $600 million. The OVT is the only source of unbiased data used by growers to make variety planting decisions.The Regional Minimum Standards Program data are reported at an annual meeting held in Raleigh, NC each December. Awritten report is provided after the meeting summarizing the data for each year and the decisions of the committee relative tovarieties evaluated in the program. The Official Variety Test data are reported annually in the Flue-cured Production Guide(North Carolina Cooperative Extension Publication AG-187). 6,250 copies of this document are printed each year in Decemberand distributed upon request to all growers and industry personnel.
Animal Health Component
75%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
25%
Applied
75%
Developmental
0%
Goals / Objectives
To improve the quality of flue-cured tobacco produced in North CarolinaTo reduce cost of production at the farm level
Project Methods
Research will be conducted on NCSU and NCDA research stations with appropriate scientific methodology and researchdesign. Results will be analyzed using statistical analysis software and with statistical consulting advice as needed. Results willbe published in either peer-reviewed journals or extension publications.