In many gardens, food crops like maize, beans, and vegetables dominate the landscape. But tucked between these familiar rows, or planted quietly along garden boundaries, tobacco plants are making a quiet but powerful impact.
Known primarily for its commercial use in the cigarette industry, tobacco is now gaining unexpected recognition among farmers as a garden ally.
Charles Kiberu, who maintains three tobacco plants around his home, says they help repel common pests naturally and support integrated farming by reducing reliance on chemical pesticides in his garden.
Some farmers are learning that it offers much more than income.
Monica Barigye, a commercial farmer in Mubende, has used tobacco innovatively within her gardens.
“Tobacco is more than just a money crop for us,” she says.
“It helps reduce pests around our tomatoes and cabbages, especially during the dry season when they are at their worst.”
Barigye explains that by planting a few tobacco plants along the edges of her gardens, she noticed a significant drop in pest damage without having to rely heavily on chemical pesticides.
A natural pest fighter
Agronomist Henry Sekyewa agrees with Barigye’s observation.
He explains that tobacco contains nicotine, which acts as a natural insecticide. When farmers soak dried tobacco leaves in water and use the mixture as a spray, it can help eliminate soft-bodied pests like aphids, caterpillars, and whiteflies.
“This method is effective but must be used with care,” Sekyewa cautions.
“Nicotine is a strong compound. In high doses, it can harm not just the pests but also beneficial insects like bees, and even affect the crops if overused.”
He advises using light solutions and spraying early in the morning or late in the evening.
Some farmers have begun incorporating tobacco residues into compost or mulch. Although this practice is not scientifically confirmed across all soils, many believe it helps deter soil-borne pests like nematodes.
Tobacco can serve as a trap crop, a decoy to lure pests away from more vulnerable crops. In this method, pests attack the tobacco first, allowing farmers to isolate and destroy the infected plants before the problem spreads.
“We plant a line of tobacco near the tomatoes,” says Jane Mwebaza, another farmer in Mubende.
“When pests attack the tobacco, we remove and burn the affected leaves before they spread to our main crops.”
Crop rotation and disease risks
Still, Sekyewa warns that tobacco should be used responsibly. It depletes soil nutrients, especially nitrogen, and is susceptible to diseases like tobacco mosaic virus, which can infect crops such as tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants.
“It’s not a crop you rotate lightly with food crops,” he explains. “You must enrich the soil again before planting.”
