There were some parts of the video that I had some questions about. Here's both sides of an email that should clear some things up.
Hi Istanbulin,
I've been watching that video you posted today, it's a great video. I have some questions though, I think there may be something lost in translation.
In the seed bed part of the video. They mix the seed with ash or water and sow the seed, then they cover it with 1/3 burned sheep dung, 1/3 sand and 1/3 soil, then tamp it flat and water it. Has that been translated out of order, or can tobacco seed germinate covered with soil? Would the sheep dung be burnt/charred or would it be just sterilized with heat?
Later in the video, they talk about "tempering" the tobacco in piles. Would that mean adding moisture?
They are planting in a furrow 5 - 7 cm deep, to be filled by later cultivations. Is that for the plants to have easier access to moisture, or for wind resistance? It must be pretty dry where they are growing, it wouldn't take much rain to flood that field.
Leverhead
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Hi Leverhead,
Actually burnt/burned dung means composted manure. They directly translate the term into English and this made the term senseless. Yes, seeds can germinate when covered with small amount of manure/soil. As you see they don't cover the seeds deeply.
Tempering is another translation failure, they meant to case the leaves so adding moisture to press them in boxes with minimum breakage.
They fill the bottom of the plants because it helps to keep moisture in soil, blocks evaporation from the soil where roots are in. Also cultivation helps roots to develop better and helps soil/roots to take some nitrogen from air.
Istanbulin
EDIT: Tobacco plants can't fixate atmospheric (molecular) Nitrogen (N[SUB]2[/SUB]) directly but presence of Nitrogen-fixing bacterias in soil allows plant to get and use Nitrogen (Nitrified).