The USDA GRIN grows
smokesahoy said:
Joined: Apr 13, 2011
Posts: 17
April 26, 2011 11:11 PM
I have been browsing the GRIN grows for data and one thing I have been noticing is the numbers for nicotine all seem oddly low.
The highest primitive is listed at around 60mg/g of cured leaf which would be 6% I have been reading burleys can have anywhere from 5mg/g to 60mg/g.
I was wondering if the grin grows ended before the leaf was finished ripening? They all have very fast grow times as well.
Do you think that is right? otherwise i cant explain all the really low numbers. the problem is compounded because for all the known named varieties such as burley 21, ytb etc they dont list any of the content, just the suckers, leaf size etc.
the strain that intrigued me the most is one they have listed as a primitive that has 20mg nic and 40mg sucrose, but if that is right it is low even for a burley... they highest prim type would be about the same as burley mentioned in other reports.
FmGrowIt said:
Joined: Mar 30, 2011
Posts: 63
April 27, 2011 1:08 AM
There are a lot of discrepancies in the grin "observations". The grin or USDA doesn't do the testing, the universities listed do the scientific analyses. the grin simply holds the seed and regenerates the the germplasm.
In my experience, I've found the grin to be pretty close on the nicotine observations, but a lot of things affect nicotine development in the leaf. Hot dry weather will produce more nicotine in a plant than cool wet weather in the same variety. The grin also bases "maturity" on the days until the first flower opens or emergence of the flower head...so add about 4 weeks to that date for a ripe leaf.
Hopefully, I'm going to eliminate the hobbyist's need for the grin by offering free seeds to everyone who registers with the new forum. This Should secure the resource for more serious experiments in the future. If the established members here were to pool their seed resources, I'd bet we would have a library of over 100 varieties. With the combined experience in growing what we know, I'm sure a beginner could find something to grow within that library of seeds.
smokesahoy said:
Joined: Apr 13, 2011
Posts: 17
April 27, 2011 8:00 AM
thats not a bad idea. when i first came about i had no idea there were multiple varieties, much less which i should grow. i found seedman and got some descriptions there which served to only confuse the matter further. that and i have 1 healthy plant from all the seeds i started from him lol.
but since the analysis is on unripe leaf i think that it is still good since it should be indicative of the end result.
Vegaman72 said:
Joined: Apr 8, 2011
Posts: 7
April 27, 2011 7:25 PM
I'm not too sure you can say label a tobacco plant with a fixed percent of nicotine. How many times have we grown the same plant year to year only to find some years the plant has no kick at all, and other years it knocks you on your ass. Nicotine levels vary for sure based on many factors like when the leaf was picked, nutrient content of the soil, abnormally warm weather etc. I use the GRIN data as a rough guide.
smokesahoy said:
Joined: Apr 13, 2011
Posts: 17
April 26, 2011 11:11 PM
I have been browsing the GRIN grows for data and one thing I have been noticing is the numbers for nicotine all seem oddly low.
The highest primitive is listed at around 60mg/g of cured leaf which would be 6% I have been reading burleys can have anywhere from 5mg/g to 60mg/g.
I was wondering if the grin grows ended before the leaf was finished ripening? They all have very fast grow times as well.
Do you think that is right? otherwise i cant explain all the really low numbers. the problem is compounded because for all the known named varieties such as burley 21, ytb etc they dont list any of the content, just the suckers, leaf size etc.
the strain that intrigued me the most is one they have listed as a primitive that has 20mg nic and 40mg sucrose, but if that is right it is low even for a burley... they highest prim type would be about the same as burley mentioned in other reports.
FmGrowIt said:
Joined: Mar 30, 2011
Posts: 63
April 27, 2011 1:08 AM
There are a lot of discrepancies in the grin "observations". The grin or USDA doesn't do the testing, the universities listed do the scientific analyses. the grin simply holds the seed and regenerates the the germplasm.
In my experience, I've found the grin to be pretty close on the nicotine observations, but a lot of things affect nicotine development in the leaf. Hot dry weather will produce more nicotine in a plant than cool wet weather in the same variety. The grin also bases "maturity" on the days until the first flower opens or emergence of the flower head...so add about 4 weeks to that date for a ripe leaf.
Hopefully, I'm going to eliminate the hobbyist's need for the grin by offering free seeds to everyone who registers with the new forum. This Should secure the resource for more serious experiments in the future. If the established members here were to pool their seed resources, I'd bet we would have a library of over 100 varieties. With the combined experience in growing what we know, I'm sure a beginner could find something to grow within that library of seeds.
smokesahoy said:
Joined: Apr 13, 2011
Posts: 17
April 27, 2011 8:00 AM
thats not a bad idea. when i first came about i had no idea there were multiple varieties, much less which i should grow. i found seedman and got some descriptions there which served to only confuse the matter further. that and i have 1 healthy plant from all the seeds i started from him lol.
but since the analysis is on unripe leaf i think that it is still good since it should be indicative of the end result.
Vegaman72 said:
Joined: Apr 8, 2011
Posts: 7
April 27, 2011 7:25 PM
I'm not too sure you can say label a tobacco plant with a fixed percent of nicotine. How many times have we grown the same plant year to year only to find some years the plant has no kick at all, and other years it knocks you on your ass. Nicotine levels vary for sure based on many factors like when the leaf was picked, nutrient content of the soil, abnormally warm weather etc. I use the GRIN data as a rough guide.