Patent ID: 9462754
Filing Date: 2016-10-11
CPC Classification: A01G,A24B

Claim Text:
1. A system for producing tobacco suitable for making manufactured tobacco products, comprising: (a) direct seeding of tobacco seeds at a rate sufficient to produce a plant population density of at least 500,000 tobacco plants per acre after germination; (b) mechanically harvesting above-ground portions of the tobacco plants at least one time during a growing season, to obtain harvested tobacco plant material comprising leaves attached to stalks, thereby obtaining a harvested tobacco plant material characterized by average stalks (stems) of between 2 to 60 inches, average green stalk (stem) thickness less than 1.5 inches, and an average of about 4 to 18 leaves per harvested plant; and (c) curing the harvested tobacco plant material comprising leaves attached to stalks to obtain a cured harvested tobacco plant material.