In Romania, the flue-cured tobacco is grown beginning with 1937, in that year being also built the first curing barn for this tobacco type. The first attempts for acclimatization the Virginia tobacco were made using American varieties of type Virginia Bright. A long period of time (1937 - 1960), this type of tobacco was subjected for improving its features, especially the enrichment of the breeding material and also growing and acclimatization of the Virginia varieties from America, Canada, India, Germany, Poland, France etc.The first Romanian Virginia selection practically were obtained in the '60s, and they were supposed to react properly to the very favourable climatic conditions for Peronospora tabacina A. occuring in that period.The accumulations obtained in tobacco research abroad and in our country led, in a short period of time, to the release of valuable Virginia cultivars, from the point of view of resistance to the main viruses (PVY, TMV) and also of yield potential and industrial quality. In the period 1998-2000, seven Virginia tobacco genotypes were tested in a comparative culture, along with two check cultivars, Virginia 196 and Virginia 207, which are the most widespread cultivars in Romania. As well, tests were conducted concerning the behaviour of these genotypes to PVY and TMV, using the method of artificial infections, in the greenhouse. The results of the tests showed that the genotypes: Virginia 236, Virginia 165, Virginia 211, Virginia 233 and Virginia 203 are resistant to PVY while, with the exception of the first check (Virginia 196), all the other genotypes are resistant to TMV. Concerning the agronomical value of these genotypes, the results show that they recorded yield increases of 5-23% compared with the first check and of 7-26% compared with the second check (Virginia 207). The industrial quality of the tobacco is very good, the percent of tobacco of the first two classes of quality (Superior and 1st) varied between 74 and 96% and for the third class between 3 and 5%, depending on the cultivar. The chemical composition is well balanced, the content of soluble sugars being between 15.65 and 19.85%, that of nicotine from 1.70 to 2.10% and albumines being below 6%. These new created genotypes represent an alternative for field growing to the two cultivars sensitive to PVY and TMV.