polinating seeds questions

[USHOG]

I have 5 different strains growing at the moment that I would like seeds from. The way I have always made tobacco seeds in the past is to only let one strain flower at a time but this takes so long when you are wanting seeds from multiple strains. I have read about bagging the flowers but I would like a little more information on how this works. Do I use a clear or unclear bag or does this matter at all. How do they pollinate if no bugs are allowed inside the bag? Any help will be greatly appreciated.

 

[skychaser]

Tobacco will self pollinate inside a bag. You need to use a bag like this: http://delstartech.thomasnet.com/vi...elnet/delnet-pollination-bags?&bc=100|3001152
But you can make your own from Agribon fabric. wedding veil fabric or even use bucket sized paint strainers. Seed growers used to use waxed paper bags before mesh became available. You should save seeds from several plants and mix the seed after harvest, rather than saving seed from just one plant.

 

[USHOG]

The plants I picked to seed are the best looking four out of 50 burleys, but my main reason for these to be seeded is that they where the best looking burleys I had that aphids would not touch these 4. The aphids where on the same burley plants around these but not these 4. I do not know if this is an accident or they possess something that the aphids do not like. Who knows but we will see next year if there is anything to my madness. Question on seed pod timing. Is there any differences between the seeds from an early flowering plant or the later flowering tobacco plant of the same strain or it does matter? I am talking about when you grow the seeds out from these 2 different flowering times. I breed hunting dogs and I assume the same is in breeding tobacco. I pick the ones that have traits I need or want.

Where do I get the bags in under 500 counts? I only need 20 or so.

 

[Knucklehead]

5 gal paint strainer bags work just fine: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0038RRPI2...UTF8&colid=13VBKGVGUSMWU&coliid=IQKPLFFUTSMNL

The first consideration in bagging for seeds is that the plants hold true to type. From those you can select to save seed for other traits. It may take up to seven years of selection for those traits to be influenced in the line.

 

[USHOG]

Thank you for the information

 

[DGBAMA]

You're note on the aphids is interesting. Maybe keep seed from one plant with bugs too (separately of course) as a control group. Plant some of each side by side next year for comparison. Bugs vary a lot year to year, without growing seeds from both, any apparent resistance or lack of could be misleading next year.

 

[USHOG]

Yes I agree you always need a control group to check your results