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[Objective] This study explored the application efficacy of biostimulants in flue-cured tobacco cultivation to provide new approaches for enhancing tobacco soil and leaf quality. [Method] Field experiments were conducted, with conventional fertilization as the control(CK), and three biostimulants, including alginate (BS1), paleontological biostimulant (BS2), and mineral-derived biostimulant (BS3), were applied to the soil on the basis of CK. The soil surrounding the roots of flue-cured tobacco plants were collected during the flowering stage to assess the physical and chemical properties, encompassing pH, cation exchange capacity, the content of organic matter, alkali-hydrolyzed N, availability P and availability K, activity of sucrase, nitrate reductase, catalase and urease enzymes, as well as microbial community diversity; At the maturity stage of flue-cured tobacco, agronomic traits including plant height, stem circumference, effective leaf count, maximum waist leaf length and width, apical leaf length and width were assessed. The fifth to sixth upper leaves were selected for chemical composition total sugar (TS), reduced sugar, nicotine (NIC), total N(TN), K, Cl, starch content, and calculating TS/NIC, TN/NIC, K/Cl after modulation to investigate the impact of three biostimulants on soil micro-ecological environment and leaf quality. [Result] Compared with CK, BS1 and BS3 treatments exhibited varying increases in the availability of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium as well as cation exchange capacity (CEC) in tobacco root soil. These treatments significantly increased activities of soil sucrase and urease. The relative abundance of dominant soil bacterial phyla Thaumaacchaeota and Entorrhizomycota, as well as dominant fungal genus Entorrhiza was significantly increased, while that of Ascomycota and Fusarium was decreased. The richness and diversity of soil bacterial and fungal communities and the abundance of their functional metabolic pathways in BS3 treatment were significantly higher than other treatments. The application of biostimulants enhanced the growth and leaf opening of flue-cured tobacco, and the BS3 treatment improved the suitability and coordination of its chemical composition. [Conclusion] The application of mineral fulvic acid treatment exhibits a superior comprehensive efficacy in enhancing soil quality, facilitating the growth of flue-cured tobacco, and improving tobacco characteristics. Therefore, it serve as an appropriate biostimulant for flue-cured tobacco cultivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the environment is severely harmed by tobacco (like growing, processing, production, and disposal), the study was set forth to determine the tobacco cultivation status and perceptions of the tobacco farmers toward the environmental and health hazards of tobacco farmers due to tobacco cultivation. We conducted the study in Lama Upazila, Bandarban Hill District, Bangladesh. The survey method was applied to collect the necessary data, utilizing a pre-structured interview schedule, from 242 tobacco farmers who were selected randomly. The study's results portrayed that the average tobacco cultivation farming experience of the farmers was about 10 years, and the farmers occupied about 0.97 acres of land for cultivating tobacco, while 81% of the tobacco farmers utilized the plain lands for cultivating tobacco, although the study area was a hilly one. A huge amount of fuel wood (average 5390 kg) was required for the curing of tobacco leaves. The farmers produced about 2 MT of tobacco per year and earned about BDT 89,066 (USD 810) from this production. Given that 77% of the tobacco farmers in the research area felt that tobacco production increased the risks to the environment and tobacco farmers health, their opinions ranged from somewhat to highly favorable, which meant they were concerned about the environment and health hazards. The research's findings provide useful background knowledge on the detrimental effects of Bangladesh's tobacco farming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the environment is severely harmed by tobacco (like growing, processing, production, and disposal), the study was set forth to determine the tobacco cultivation status and perceptions of the tobacco farmers toward the environmental and health hazards of tobacco farmers due to tobacco cultivation. We conducted the study in Lama Upazila, Bandarban Hill District, Bangladesh. The survey method was applied to collect the necessary data, utilizing a pre-structured interview schedule, from 242 tobacco farmers who were selected randomly. The study’s results portrayed that the average tobacco cultivation farming experience of the farmers was about 10 years, and the farmers occupied about 0.97 acres of land for cultivating tobacco, while 81% of the tobacco farmers utilized the plain lands for cultivating tobacco, although the study area was a hilly one. A huge amount of fuel wood (average 5390 kg) was required for the curing of tobacco leaves. The farmers produced about 2 MT of tobacco per year and earned about BDT 89,066 (USD 810) from this production. Given that 77% of the tobacco farmers in the research area felt that tobacco production increased the risks to the environment and tobacco farmers health, their opinions ranged from somewhat to highly favorable, which meant they were concerned about the environment and health hazards. The research’s findings provide useful background knowledge on the detrimental effects of Bangladesh’s tobacco farming.

Bangladesh's Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) were mainly covered with forest and interspersed jhum--shifting cultivation--plots until the beginning of the British colonial period in 1760. Since then, policy interventions undertaken by the state regimes to govern and regulate the indigenous people and maximize the extraction of natural resources gradually transformed the region into a capitalist frontier. Consequently, the operation of largescale tobacco companies in the CHT during the last two decades radically reconfigured indigenous peoples' relationship with the land and the state. Analytically, in this article, we explore: Who has access to what? Who does what? Who gets what? And what do they do with it? Our ethnography reveals that agrarian changes via tobacco cultivation in the CHT included converting communal lands into private property, contract farming, land control polarization, and labor commodification. Despite emerging precarity, the indigenous people identified tobacco cultivation as a way to earn cash profits to build a life "free" from their inferior status--historically linked with their Pahari identity. Overall, our ethnographic findings problematizing the presumption that indigenous people evade "state spaces" to preserve their autonomy suggest that the CHT became a capitalist frontier embodying "zones of potential" and generating competing interests, actors, and imaginations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The present study aims to find occupational health hazards during agricultural operations performed by tobacco farmworkers and their relationship with different personal and occupational parameters. Methods: A study was carried out among 120 tobacco farmworkers in Andhra Pradesh, India. Two soil regions (Northern light and Southern light soils) were selected based on the Tobacco Board of India (2019–20) to collect data through personal interviews with the help of a developed survey proforma. Gender-stratified and odds ratio (OR) analyses were used to examine variables associated with occupational health problems. Results: Tobacco farm workers frequently experienced symptoms of Green Tobacco Sickness (GTS), namely headache (14.2%), nausea (11.7%), dizziness and increased sweating (9.2%), weakness (7.5%), exposed running eyes (2.5%), and breathing difficulty (1.7%). They also occasionally had skin diseases, with the highest percentage of allergy (4.2), itching (3.33), rashes (2.5), and 1.0 % for superficial wounds, contact dermatitis, and traumatic skin lesions. The odds ratio (OR > 1) exposure was associated with higher odds of outcome; the values for the female gender, age (20–40 years), working months (1 to 4) per year, protective clothes, without protective gloves, headcovers, and footwear were 2.22, 1.80, 1.28, 5.39, 4.15, 3.39, and 5.78, respectively, showing higher odds of GTS. Conclusions: GTS symptoms are a common illness that causes discomfort and loss of productivity. In tobacco cultivation, few operations involve working with bare hands, making the workers vulnerable to nicotine absorption and skin diseases. Few injuries were observed associated with the loading and unloading of tobacco leaves during curing in the barns. To prevent occupational health hazards, development of appropriate, cost-effective interventions suitable for farmworkers is needed, along with creating awareness of the potential hazards among them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Northwest A & F University - Natural Science Edition is the property of Editorial Department of Journal of Northwest A&F University (Natural Science Edition) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The study was conducted to determine the impact of tobacco cultivation on soil and human health in the agricultural ecosystem at Bhuapur and Kalihati upazila of Tangail region from January to December 2019. Among them, 40 soil samples were collected, each 20 from Kalihati and Bhuapur Upazila. Among 20 samples, every 10 samples were collected from tobacco and non-tobacco land at a depth of 0 to 15 cm in Bhuapur, 0 to 15 and 15 to 30 cm in Kalihati Upazila. The soil pH, organic matter (OM), total nitrogen (N), available phosphorus (P), available sulfur (S), available zinc (Zn), exchangeable potassium (K), exchangeable magnesium (Mg) and exchangeable calcium (Ca) were analyzed in the laboratory of Soil Resource Development Institute (SRDI), Tangail. In Kalihati Upazila, tobacco land showed significantly higher content of OM, available N, available P, available Zn, exchangeable K and exchangeable Mg, whereas pH was low in non-tobacco land. Surface soil (0 to 15 cm) and tobacco land showed significantly higher content of S than sub-surface (15 to 30 cm) soil and non-tobacco land. On the other hand, there was no significant variation between tobacco and non-tobacco land on soil properties in Bhuapur Upazila. In both Upazilas, all the nutrients except exchangeable Ca and Mg were lower than optimum in tobacco and non-tobacco land, which was unsuitable for crop cultivation. The cost of production was higher in tobacco land than in non-tobacco land in both Upazilas. About 36% of farmers informed that they were suffering from various diseases due to tobacco cultivation and curing. Tobacco cultivation in these areas degrades soil health and the agricultural ecosystem and releases nicotine into the environment, hampering food safety and human health. The study indicated that tobacco cultivation should be replaced by other crops to protect soil quality and human health.

Women's land rights are still suppressed in India because men hold most of the land, and men decide what crops to grow. Tobacco use and farming are both detriments to one's health. It causes cancer, and cancer treatment is unavailable in the majority of India's remote areas. On the other hand, tobacco is grown in remote regions of India, and cancer hospitals are concentrated in major cities. There are eight states in India's north-eastern region, but only one cancer treatment facility in Guwahati, Assam. There is a need for new cancer hospitals in the north-eastern part of the country, where there is just one cancer hospital for eight states. Mindfulness training and tobacco harmful effects awareness education should be integrated into the educational curriculum and community centres. The school curriculum should include more mindfulness and psychoeducation about tobacco's detrimental effects. The pandemic situation in India and elsewhere make any community-based response difficult right now. Some parts of India, such as A&I Island, the North-Eastern region of India, and J&K, lack high-speed internet connectivity; therefore, radio, television, audio CDs, audio files, recorded videos, reading materials, and cell phones may be the best ways to reach out. Internetbased outreach is another option. A non-governmental organisation (NGO) or other organisation would be required to create regional language reading material, audio files, and video files. Given the global pandemic crisis, such programmes must be put in place as soon as possible. A team of specialists, regional language experts, local cultural experts, and volunteers would be needed to achieve these objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women workers in Andhra Pradesh play a crucial role in tobacco cultivation. This article discusses their involvement in regular operations and examines and assesses the health hazards they risk in the course of their work. There is an uneconomical use of human energy due to long hours of work, task postures deleterious to the body and exposure to pesticides. The tedious work, inhospitable environment and poor socio-economic conditions lead to chronic morbidity. It is unfortunate that these workers are not getting the protection of laws that apply to them. Massive intervention in this sector is a responsibility of the departments of labour and public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solving high-temperature plastic mulching film-induced leaf burning in the first week during tobacco cultivation would take much time and effort. In the present study, the growth as well as the leaf sugar and nicotine contents of seedlings with or without leaf burning induced by high-temperature plastic mulching film were tested at two independent sites in 2015 and 2016 to identify the influence of leaf burning on seedling growth. The results showed that the growth of seedlings with leaf burning was improved with increased leaf area, leaf number and plant height compared to those without leaf burning, combined with an increased seedling survival rate at two sites in two years. In seedlings with leaf burning, the contents of fructose and glucose increased and peaked at 11:00 and 13:00 in the leaf and root, respectively, with an increased root nicotine content beginning at 13:00, highlighting the signalling role of sugars. Activities of antioxidant enzymes including peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) were all increased in seedlings with leaf burning. More plant biomass was allocated to roots in seedlings with leaf burning with increased root volume compared to control seedlings, which might facilitate the absorption of water and nutrients from the soil. Our findings demonstrate that high-temperature plastic mulching film-induced leaf burning not inhibited but benefited seedling survival and growth, suggesting that the time and labour-consuming manual plucking of burnt leaves can be avoided during tobacco cultivation.

I ncreased cost of tobacco cultivation is a major concern for its sustainable production in Iran. Therefore, the development of tobacco mechanized cultivation is a necessity. Given this, the driving and inhibiting factors of the development of mechanized tobacco cultivation were investigated by the Delphi technique in three rounds in Guilan Province, Iran. Nineteen experts from the Jahad Agriculture Organization of Guilan Province and the Agriculture Management Services in Rasht County and Western Guilan were selected as the research panel as recommended by the academic professors of the Guilan Province. The results were analyzed by SPSS21. In the last round, 10 superior driving and inhibiting factors were ranked based on the final experts’ consistency as the final decision. The results revealed that identification of pioneer farmers and their encouragement to mechanized tobacco cultivation and the import of the latest technologies of tobacco cultivation and their modification in accordance with regional conditions were the most important driving factors as 97.37 and 94.74% of panel experts agreed, respectively. In addition, 98.68% of experts rated insufficient research on tobacco cultivation mechanization and 96.05% of experts rated the small size of tobacco farms as the most important inhibiting factors. Accordingly, the development of supportive policies to support pioneer tobacco growers in mechanized cultivation of this industrial crop, the technical assessment for modern tobacco cultivation machinery, the reduction of imported tobacco machinery prices, and the support of research on mechanization of tobacco cultivation are some important strategies that should be considered by those involved in tobacco production in Guilan Province, Iran.

The essay aims to outline the biographical profile of Giorgio Misrachi (1888 Costantinopoli-1962 Rome) who, awarded various positons and honors of chivarly and belonging to a prestigious family of entrepreneurs, contributed to the development and progress of tobacco farming and the Italian economy. In a difficult period characterized by war and post-war phases he distinguished himself as benefactor and started important national business initiatives that created numerous jobs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dem internationalen Abkommen zur weltweiten Tabakkontrolle (WHO FCTC) wurden die Menschenrechte zu Grunde gelegt. Obwohl im WHO FCTC das Recht auf Gesundheit im Vordergrund steht, verweist das Abkommen auch auf die Produktion von Tabak. Dieser Artikel verschafft einen knappen Überblick, wie in der Lieferkette der Tabakindustrie Kinderrechte verletzt werden, und zeigt Wege zur Verwirklichung von Kinderrechten auf. The international Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) was based on human rights. Although the WHO FCTC focuses on the right to health, the convention also refers to the production of tobacco. This article provides a concise overview of how children's rights are violated in the tobacco industry's supply chain and outlines ways to improve the implementation of children's rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continuous cropping of the same crop leads to land degradation. This is also called the continuous‐cropping obstacle. Here, we investigated how long‐term continuous cropping of tobacco influences soil biochemical properties and bacterial networks in the mountain lands of China. Two different fields were sampled: one with 25 years of continuous cropping tobacco and one with noncontinuous cropping tobacco. Soil chemical and biological properties were measured including available phosphorus and potassium, soil organic matter, pH, alkali‐hydrolysable nitrogen, micronutrients contents, and activity of urease, catalase, invertase, and phosphatase as well as tobacco agronomic characteristics. Bacterial communities of the two different soils were sequenced by metabarcoding of the 16S ribosomal RNA, and, with these data, network analysis was done. Soil chemical properties and tobacco agronomical properties were negatively affected by the continuous‐cropping obstacle, and this treatment has a less complex network (less modules, nodes, and connectivity) than the soil with noncontinuous cropping treatment. For continuous cropping, there were less generalists, which were key species that connect network, than noncontinuous cropping. Moreover, the taxonomic composition of bacterial network was different in the two different treatments. In the continuous‐cropping network, 40% nodes had negative interactions, suggesting that more competition or antagonism existed among bacterial species. It concluded that continuous cropping has a detrimental effect on soil chemical and that the bacterial network properties under continuous cropping are more sensitive to soil variables (so more unstable and inefficient) because there are less bacterial species that interact each other and this is due to limited nutrients or excessive toxic nutrient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The heavy metal in tobacco has been widely concerned for the toxicity and bioaccumulation. Heavy metal in tobacco is of extremely related with the corresponding concentration in soil. One hundred soil samples were collected from five typical tobacco cultivated areas to evaluate the environmental quality and health implications. The inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was employed to determine the concentrations of heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, and Pb). The geo-accumulation index and potential health risk assessment were performed to investigate the environmental quality and health risk. The concentrations of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, and Pb are ranged from 0.40 to 112 mg/kg, 0.07 to 4.22 mg/kg, 5.52 to 338 mg/kg, 3.40 to 64.5 mg/kg, 0 to 1.62 mg/kg, respectively. The concentrations of heavy metals are various among the five different typical cultivation areas. The elevated concentrations of heavy metals in the selected soils suggesting that these heavy metals may be derived from anthropogenic sources i.e. industrial and agricultural activities. The results shown that the soils in the Jingxi, Longlin, and Debao County are posed to a moderately to heavily contamination for Hg and Cd. The noncarcinogenic and carcinogenic effects (except Lingyun County) caused by heavy metal exposure is regarded as acceptable. The Lingyun County soil should be paid more attention due to the unacceptable level of carcinogenic risk. As, Cd, Hg, and Cr are regarded as the priority control metals. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 36: 483-488, 2017 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Studia Historyczne is the property of Polska Akademia Nauk, Warszawska Drudkarnia Naukowa and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The aim of our preliminary studies was to characterize the change in the activity of enzymes PPO and PDX, the concentration of total soluble phenolic compounds and soluble protein content of different tobacco cultivars measured in tobacco plants during cultivation. The results suggest that a shorter cultivation period (13-14 weeks) is more favourable for tobacco plants as protein source than for tobacco industrial use (16-17 weeks). We found some correlation between the concentration of total soluble phenolic compounds and PPO activity data. In the increasing and maximum period of total phenol content the PPO activity was high. But later because of decrease of substrate phenol content the activity of PPO also decreased. We found higher soluble protein concentrations in Virginia than in Burley varieties.

The loss of metalaxyl, a systemic fungicide, was determined in runoff water from loamy soil plots of various surface slopes cultivated with tobacco, over a period of 170 days. Conditions were selected to simulate agricultural practices employed in the Mediterranean region. The surface slopes of plots were 0, 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10% and both cultivated and uncultivated (control) areas were simultaneously monitored. The cumulative losses of metalaxyl in surface runoff from tilled and untilled plots with a slope of 10% were estimated at 0.469% and 0.740% of the initial applied active ingredient respectively, while for the plots with a slope 0% they were 0.033% and 0.044%. The dissipation in topsoil was studied for a period of 110 days. The half-lives that were calculated using first-order kinetics ranged from 13.7 to 16.6 days in tobacco soil and from 13.8 to 17 days in non-cropped soil. The dissipation of metalaxyl from the topsoil in cultivation of tobacco was higher in comparison with the untilled plots (46–62% and 52–69% respectively, of the applied dose in 23 days after the second application). The slope of soil surface, the compound solubility and sorption capacities are the main parameters that influenced the transport of metalaxyl residues via surface water in soil-water systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of International Social Research is the property of Journal of International Social Research and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The loss of imidacloprid, a systemic insecticide, was determined in runoff water from loamy soil plots of various surface slopes cultivated with tobacco over a period of 174 days. Conditions were selected to simulate agricultural practices employed in the Mediterranean region. The surface slopes of plots were 0, 2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10%, and both cultivated and uncultivated (control) areas were monitored simultaneously. The cumulative losses of imidacloprid in surface runoff from tilled and untilled plots with a slope of 10% were estimated at 0.076% and 0.131% of the initial applied active ingredient, respectively, while for the plots with a slope of 0%, they were 0.003% and 0.005%. Analyses of soil samples for a 110 day period made it possible to study the kinetics of pesticide residue decrease. The average half-life was 17.8 days in bare soil and 16.9 days in tobacco-cultivated plots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The net income of tobacco decreased when fertilisation rates were too high. • The discharges of N and P were positively correlated with the fertilisation rate. • The recommended N and P 2 O 5 application rates in the study area are both 120 kg ha−1 yr−1. Fertilisation, although it improves crop yield and enhances farmer income, can contribute to freshwater pollution. Thus, it is important to determine the recommended fertilisation rate that can ensure crop yield and farmer income, as well as not harm the environment. We calculated the yield and net income of tobacco and measured the nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) concentrations under different fertilisation rates in plot runoff and local stream water during 2017 and 2018. Tobacco yield increased with increasing fertilisation rates, but net income decreased at extremely high rates. The opposite pattern was observed for the fertiliser nutrient use efficiency (NUE). When fertilisation was applied, the N and P concentrations in the runoff exceeded the established national thresholds, and the concentrations and discharges of N and P in the runoff were positively correlated with the fertilisation rate. According to the ratio of arable land to the total watershed area, reduction characteristics of N and P in the watershed stream, and the established national thresholds, the recommended N and P 2 O 5 annual application rates in the study area are 120 kg ha−1 for both fertilisers. The recommended rates are lower than what farmers currently apply. Therefore, reducing the synthetic fertiliser application rate should be implemented to achieve sustainable development in the study region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tobacco production continues to increase in low-income and middle-income countries including in Bangladesh. It has spreads to different parts of Bangladesh and is now threatening food cultivation, the environment and health. The aim of this study is to determine the factors those are influenced farmers' decisions to grow tobacco., Methods: We surveyed 371 tobacco farmers using a simple random sampling in the Meherpur district of Bangladesh. Binary logistic regression was used to examine the variables affecting farmers' decision to cultivate tobacco., Results: Approximately 87.0% of the respondents were contract farmers with different tobacco companies. Almost 83.3% of the farmers had intentions to continue tobacco farming. Binary logistic regression results suggest that company's incentives to farmers, farmers' profitability, a guaranteed market for the tobacco crop and economic viability were the variables most affecting the decision to cultivate tobacco., Conclusions: Governments seeking to shift farmers away from tobacco will need to consider how to address the dynamics revealed in this research., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)