Soil Nutrients. Nicotiana tabacum requires many essential elements in order for survival including: carbon, nitrogen, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, iron, manganese, boron, copper, zinc, and chlorine. The main flow of all these nutrients is from the roots, through the stem, and eventually to the leaves. The top of the plant which produces the flowers is the main destination for all of the nutrients. Carbon: Carbon makes up about 40 percent of the dry tobacco leaf right after it has been cured.