What is tobacco, its origin, cultivation and use

The history of tobacco goes back about 8,000 years. It was first cultivated in America, and in the 16th century. imported to Europe and Russia. Now there are tobacco plantations in more than 100 countries around the world, the plant is in constant demand in the market.

Over several centuries, tobacco has experienced a number of ups and downs. At one time it was considered a panacea and was used as a cure for many diseases, at another time it was banned from the plant, including the death penalty.

From the article you will learn what tobacco is, what its features are, its production, as well as all the most important things about its smoking properties.

Origin and distribution

The spread of tobacco began in the 1st century. BC e. on the territory of America, but did not go beyond the continent until the arrival of Europeans. The situation changed when, in 1492, Columbus landed in America and the Indians brought him gifts, including dried tobacco leaves.

This is interesting! The sailor Rodrigo de Jerez, who traveled with Columbus, is considered the first smoker in Europe. The Spanish Inquisition considered the man with smoke coming out of his mouth and nose to be possessed by the devil and imprisoned de Jerez.

At the beginning of the 16th century, when the Spaniards created the first tobacco plantations, the plant began to spread throughout the world. Soon, successful promotion of smoking began in high society, although in some countries and cities (Ottoman Empire, Bavaria, Zurich and Saxony) tobacco was banned, and smoking was punishable by up to the death penalty.

Tobacco first appeared in Russia under Ivan the Terrible. At first, smoking was popular among the Russian nobility, but Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich issued a decree banning tobacco. Only under Peter I was smoking legalized.

Biological description

Common tobacco belongs to the Solanaceae family, genus Tobacco (Nicotiana). This is an annual (less often perennial) plant about 2 m high. Around 6000 BC. e. culture took shape in the form in which we know it now.

The leaves are large, the flowers are pink, red or white and funnel-shaped. Their distinctive feature is their strong aroma. The corolla is 5–6 cm long. The pistil has an upper ovary and a capitate stigma. The fruit is a capsule 1.5–2 cm in size, inside which contains a large number of small seeds.

Variety of varieties

There are 75 types of tobacco. Most Valuable varieties for cultivation and processing (descriptions and photos below):

1. Broadleaf or Maryland (lat. Nicotiana macrofilla). Features: red flowers, long tubular corolla and wide leaves. The side veins on them are located perpendicular to the main one.
2. Virginia (lat. Nicotiana tabacum). It is distinguished by pink flowers and a tubular corolla with sharp blades. The leaves are oblong, sessile.
3. Common shag (Nicotiana rustica). The flowers are yellowish, with short tubes. The leaves are ovoid in shape with a rounded tip.
4. Girlish, or sticky (Nicotiana glutinosa). Has pink flowers with small tubes. The leaves are grayish green.
5. Curly (Nicotiana crispa). Height is about 1.8 m, the flowers are pink, the leaves have a characteristic bumpy surface.

Composition and properties

Tobacco leaves are a real chemical factory. The composition is largely depends on the variety, a method of drying and fermentation, but on average the plant contains about 2,500 different substances and compounds.

Despite the fact that tobacco is considered extremely harmful and dangerous to health, some substances in its composition are extremely valuable. For example, nicotinic acid is actively used in industry, in particular medical.

Chemical composition

The most active components of tobacco leaves include alkaloids:

• nicotine;
• nornicotine;
• cotinine;
• myosmin;
• anabasine;
• nicotirine;
• anatabine;
• 2,3-dipyridyl;
• amino acids;
• carbohydrates;
• sterols;
• phenolic compounds.

The processed leaves have different compositions. Depending on the variety, quantity and method of fermentation, the volume of substances in the leaves varies: nicotine - from 1 to 4%; carbohydrates - from 1 to 13%; essential oils - from 0.1 to 1.7%; organic acids - from 5 to 17%.

Benefits and harm to the body

Tobacco is valuable in medicine because it serves as a source of nicotinic acid. This substance performs a number of functions in the body:

• participates in metabolism, stimulating the process of energy production;
• regulates blood cholesterol levels;
• participates in the synthesis of hormones necessary for the body (serotonin, somatotropin);
• improves memory and sleep, the general condition of the nervous system;
• supports the functioning of the heart and blood vessels during coronary artery disease and in the first stages of atherosclerosis;
• cleanses the body, which is why it is often used for intoxication;
• restores and improves digestion.

Despite its positive qualities, tobacco also brings considerable harm. Polonium-210 accumulates in the plant, which passes from fertilizers into the leaves of the plant. This is one of the reasons for the development of bronchial cancer in smokers. It is impossible to remove the substance from the plant.

Attention! Substances such as resins, benzene and formaldehyde are extremely dangerous. They provoke the development of oncology, affect the lungs and respiratory tract, and negatively affect the digestive and circulatory systems.

Growing

Most of the tobacco plantations are located in North America, India, China and the countries of Asia Minor. In the territory of the former Soviet Union, it is cultivated in Transcaucasia, Crimea, Krasnodar Territory, Moldova, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.

At first, tobacco seedlings are grown in open ground or special nurseries. When they grow to 13–15 cm, they are transferred to plantations. After about 40 days, the leaves are harvested. On average, the entire process takes 15–17 weeks.

Preparation and storage

Raw materials are collected from late summer to mid-autumn. Leaves are picked from the tops of bushes that receive maximum light. The lower layers are removed as they grow.

Drying

This process consists of two stages: languishing and fixation.. In the first case, tobacco leaves are kept at a temperature of about +25 °C, when they still retain vital activity. During fixation, moisture is directly removed from the leaves.

To dry, tobacco is strung on a rope and placed in dryers. These are large rectangular shaped barns located close to the plantations. There the leaves are tied in pairs and hung on poles. As the plants dry out, these poles are placed closer to the ceiling, and fresh leaves are hung from below. Depending on the variety, the procedure takes from 25 days to 1.5 months. How it looks, look at the photo.

Fermentation

Fermentation is a chemical reaction that converts organic substances into inorganic substances.

Primary fermentation is carried out for all types of tobacco.To do this, the leaves are stacked (as they are called, “pylons”) or sent to barrels under a press. In this form, tobacco is stored in a dark, closed room for about a month.

After fermentation, the leaves are sorted, quality is identified and distributed for the production of cigars and regular cigarettes. The raw materials for the cigars are sent for aging, and the rest is sent for a second fermentation. The whole process takes from 6 months to 3 years.

Application

The uses of tobacco are very diverse. It finds a place in medicine (traditional and folk), the chemical industry, gardening and even cooking. The plant has also been successfully adapted for some household needs.

For smoking

This is tobacco's primary role in the global industry and generates the most revenue. Tobacco products for every taste are on sale.

Rolled cigarettes and pipes have become popular again among smokers. Therefore, many types of packaged tobacco of any variety with a wide variety of aromatic and flavor additives are supplied to the market. They often radically change the taste of tobacco. Tobacco for hookahs occupies a separate market niche.

At home

Some varieties of crops perform a decorative function, for example, winged tobacco. It is often planted in gardens solely for beauty.

In agriculture, the plant improves the quality and fertility of the soil, so it is often planted in fields before sowing wheat or rye. Tobacco tincture helps fight pests (aphids, red fleas or thrips).

The strong smell of the plant repels moths, so some housewives use it to preserve woolen items.

This is interesting! Some chefs use tobacco as an ingredient in dishes.At the XV International Cigar Festival in Havana, guests were offered such unusual dishes.

ethnoscience

Tobacco has been used to treat many diseases. Some even use it against tuberculosis and hemorrhoids.

The most popular recipes are as follows:

1. Crushed leaves are used to treat colds.
2. Tobacco decoction is used against skin diseases.
3. The raw materials are infused with vodka and taken for dizziness and nausea.
4. Tobacco ointment serves as a pain reliever.
5. Cigarette tincture is used to get rid of subcutaneous mites.

Read also:

The best recipes for pickled beets for the winter in jars.

What is chard, how to eat it correctly and how it can be useful.

Production of tobacco products

The main use of raw materials is the production of a variety of tobacco products. Of these, cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos and hookah hold the undisputed leadership.

The most common product is cigarettes. They are a paper stick with finely chopped tobacco leaves inside. Cigarettes are equipped with a filter that prevents harmful substances from entering the lungs.

This is interesting! Cigarettes in their now familiar form appeared only in 1913. It was then that the world-famous Camel brand was born.

Cigar is a tobacco product made from tightly rolled leaves. Raw materials for cigars undergo at least two fermentations. Another feature is the absence of a filter.

Cigarillos very similar in shape to cigars, but in their manufacture they use shredded tobacco. Cigarillos also do not have a filter, and you cannot inhale smoke from them.

Hookah - An ancient smoking device.It consists of a flask into which water is poured (it serves as a filter), a shaft extending from it (its function is to retain harmful substances), a hose and a bowl for tobacco.

Important! It is widely believed that hookah is a safe alternative to cigarettes. This is not true: hookah tobacco contains the same harmful substances as regular tobacco. The water filter filters out only the smallest part of them.

Consequences of smoking

According to the World Health Organization, Tobacco smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the world. Smoking caused 100 million deaths in the 20th century.

Inhaling toxic chemicals (such as carbon monoxide) through smoke increases your risk of developing heart and lung disease. Carcinogens (benzopyrene and tars), which are found in large quantities in smoke, can cause cancer.

Smokers are at risk of developing:

• heart attack;
• stroke;
• chronic obstructive pulmonary disease;
• emphysema;
• cancer (the risk of getting cancer of the lungs, larynx, mouth and pancreas is especially high).

Passive smokers receive almost the same dose of substances hazardous to health. They also inhale combustion products of tobacco, including carbon monoxide and nitrogen monoxide. About 600,000 deaths a year occur due to secondhand smoke, almost a third of those who die are children.

Tobacco use leads to disruption of the blood supply to the skin, due to which it does not receive the necessary amount of oxygen. As a result, the skin becomes dull, acquires an unpleasant grayish tint, loses elasticity and becomes dehydrated.

Cigarettes cause your breath to smell bad and your teeth enamel to turn yellow. The general condition of the oral cavity worsens, the mucous membranes suffer greatly, the gums deteriorate and the acid-base balance is disturbed.Smokers are more likely to develop periodontal disease and lose teeth.

The nicotine contained in tobacco causes addiction and subsequently dependence in a person. Women and teenagers are most vulnerable to this. They become addicted much faster than men.

Tobacco is extremely dangerous for pregnant women. Inhalation of smoke has a detrimental effect on the reproductive system. Smoking causes a number of pathologies of fetal development and congenital diseases.

Important! On April 16, 2008, Russia joined the tobacco control convention. At that time, it had already been accepted by 145 countries and the European Union.

Conclusion

Tobacco has firmly entered the life of modern man. The plant has found application in various industries, from gardening to medicine. The benefits and importance of culture in these areas are beyond doubt.

However, whatever the benefits of tobacco, we must not forget that smoking it causes enormous harm. In this case, not only the smoker himself suffers, but also those who are next to him. Despite the beliefs of sellers and marketers, there is no safe way to smoke tobacco.