Do tobacco growers use pesticides?
I've heard from some people that tobacco growers use pesticides. I don't have a problem with this, but a friend of mine recently told me that tobacco growers do NOT use pesticides because tobacco was a natural pesticides. Is my friend correct?
I'd appreciate it if people would refrain from doing the whole "DON'T SMOKE" thing that people seem to do on this site. It isn't relevant and, honestly, you're not going to convince anyone not to smoke.
Comments
They use pesticides. And nicotine was once used as a pesticide.
From first wikipedia article, cultivation of tobacco:
Tobacco production requires the use of a large amount of pesticides. Tobacco companies recommend up to 16 separate applications of pesticides just in the period between planting the seeds in greenhouses and transplanting the young plans to the field.[19] Pesticide use has been worsened by the desire to produce bigger crops in less time because of the decreasing market value of tobacco.
From second wikipedia article
Nicotine is an alkaloid found in the nightshade family of plants (Solanaceae) that constitutes approximately 0.6–3.0% of the dry weight of tobacco,[1][2] with biosynthesis taking place in the roots and accumulation occurring in the leaves. It functions as an antiherbivore chemical with particular specificity to insects; therefore nicotine was widely used as an insecticide in the past,[3][4] and currently nicotine analogs such as imidacloprid continue to be widely used.
@Basanti - they use pesticides, a lot of them. And if you care about your health, you'll not smoke. But honestly, why I should care for your health if you yorself don't care? I'm ex-smoker by the way.
I don't have a problem with this, but a friend of mine recently told me that tobacco growers do NOT use pesticides because tobacco was a natural pesticides. Is my friend correct?
I'd appreciate it if people would refrain from doing the whole "DON'T SMOKE" thing that people seem to do on this site. It isn't relevant and, honestly, you're not going to convince anyone not to smoke.
Your friend is right. Tobacco is a natural pesticide.
DONT SMOKE..... you mad?