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CORESTA Meeting, Agronomy/Phytopathology, Santa Cruz do Sul, 2005, APOST 35

Loose leaf barn for the curing of flue-cured tobacco

ESPINDOLA E.
Souza Cruz SA, Blumenau, SC - Brazil.

The system is based on the forced air flow generated by a fan of 940 mm activated by an electrical engine of 2 HP which produces an air volume of 370 m3/minute which passes through a heater exchanger getting warm and then, it passes through the tobacco loose leaves arranged with the stem on the wood rail at the vertical position removing the humidity of the leaves. The humidity and the temperature are controlled by an electronic panel which can be automatic or semi automatic. The readings are obtained through Thermometers of dry and wet sensors. The structure has two tears of mobile rails. The first one is located at 36 cm from the floor and the second at 108 cm. This structure makes the loading of the barn easy. The curing process takes about 140 hours consuming around 3.5 kg of firewood per kg of cured tobacco and around 250 kWh of electrical energy. These barns can be constructed with frames of concrete or bricks. The roof is made of cement fibres coated internally with aluminium laminas. The main advantages are:· Labor reduction, of at least 50%· Possibility of large increase of the grown area with the same number of workers· Increase the tobacco yield, in approximately 130 kg/ha, by eliminating the losses caused by the stitching machine· Better tobacco quality· Elimination of the stitching machine and the sowing string· Less contact of the workers with the tobacco· Less accidents risks· Indirect heating through the heater exchanger