NC 987

NC 987 has exceptional yielding ability combined with intermediate resistance to the black shank disease and bacterial (Granville) wilt. It is an improvement over existing cultivars in that it is one of the highest yielding entries in the history of the North Carolina Official Variety Test, exhibits medium levels of soil-borne disease resistance, and produces cured leaf with acceptable quality characteristics.

Disease Resistance

• Black shank: polygenic resistance (intermediate)
• Tobacco mosaic virus: susceptible
• Granville wilt: polygenic resistance (intermediate)
• Root-knot nematode: resistant
• Potato virus Y: susceptible

Cultivar Development

NC 987 is a cytoplasmic male sterile (Cms) F1 hybrid produced by pollinating female parental line Cms L13-411-4 with pollen of male parental line L09-1304-2. The pollen parent of NC 987, L09-1304-2, is an inbred line derived from a cross between the historically popular fertile inbred cultivar, K326, and Speight 168. The fertile version of the female parent of NC 987, L13-411-4, is an inbred line derived from a cross between flue-cured NCSU breeding lines L06-1051-2 and OX2047.

How to Get NC 987

Seed for research and breeding purposes are available from the breeder:
Dr. Ramsey Lewis (rslewis@ncsu.edu)

Acquiring seed will require a Materials Transfer Agreement between NC State and the interested party. NC State will consider proposals for non-exclusive seed production and marketing license agreements from tobacco seed companies interested in handling NC 987.