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Author Topic: Cigarettes and Seed Handling?  (Read 4357 times)

happyconcacti

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Cigarettes and Seed Handling?
« on: October 09, 2014, 09:10:00 PM »
A while back, a good friend worked at a nursery. He told me that the nursery had a very strict policy about cigarette smokers handling seeds.

Essentially, smokers were required to wear gloves any time they handled seeds.

Has anyone heard of anything similar?
Or know why this nursery would require such a policy?

Obviously I understand that nicotine isn't good for life, but will it really affect seed viability?

Thanks,
Hcc
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delta9hippie

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Re: Cigarettes and Seed Handling?
« Reply #1 on: October 09, 2014, 09:24:51 PM »
I have never heard of that before. But, I guess if you want to be extra careful, I'm sure all the other chemicals added in a Marlboro, Camel, etc. probably aren't good for seed germination and seedling health.
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hereje

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Re: Cigarettes and Seed Handling?
« Reply #2 on: October 09, 2014, 10:47:23 PM »
Over react much? I used to be a heavy smoker (2pak a day) up untill last year and id smoke while planting and never seen a difference in germination rates between now and then
« Last Edit: October 09, 2014, 10:51:47 PM by hereje »
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happyconcacti

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Re: Cigarettes and Seed Handling?
« Reply #3 on: October 09, 2014, 11:34:33 PM »
yeah, just curious, I'm a smoker but I'm pretty thorough about washing my hands when touching seeds.

Thanks,
Hcc
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hereje

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Re: Cigarettes and Seed Handling?
« Reply #4 on: October 10, 2014, 02:14:26 AM »
Did a bit of research and it looks like a person can cause tobacco mosaic virus to spread to tomatos if you smoke before working with those plants - im assuming that this company was having employees glove up for this reason although i still feel as though they are over reacting
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Ian Morris

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Re: Cigarettes and Seed Handling?
« Reply #5 on: October 10, 2014, 02:36:23 AM »
A friend of mine works at a tobacco research lab and if any of the employees take up smoking they are removed from the active side of the lab and sent to the research/paperwork side.  They try not to hire smokers period but will based on need/skill.

The excuse she was given was toxicity and cross contamination so there may be something there.
-Ian
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Auxin

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Re: Cigarettes and Seed Handling?
« Reply #6 on: October 10, 2014, 05:04:37 AM »
The tobacco research lab probably didnt want to be sued. If a hands on researcher got cancer they could try to sue, and may find a jury that will find in their favor even if they were smokers. But if their job entailed simply typing the word tobacco and making photocopies they wouldnt have much of a case  ;)

In the case of seed handlers, yeah, almost certainly TMV. One in a thousand commercial tobacco plants have TMV and the tobacco is cured together, mixed together, aged together, and then shredded together. It wouldnt be surprising if you could find TMV in every pack.
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