The effects of topping burley tobacco

Abstract

Two cultivars (Polish – Bursan and American – Tennessee 90) were topped at beginning of flowering stage. 4 levels of topping were employed: high (inflorescence with 2 leaves removed); mean (topping, leaving 14 leaves on plants); low (leaving 12 leaves); very low (leaving 10 leaves). Control object – plants without topping. Suckers appearing on topped plants were removed successively by hand. The reaction of both cultivars on topping was similar: high and mean toppings resulted in slight increase of leaves yields, while low and very low toppings –decrease (significant in case of Tennessee cv). In all cases, topping modified quality of leaves, the most profound being when low and very low topping was applied. The modification referred to booth: physical features of leaves as well as their chemical composition. As regards physical properties – leaves were bigger, had higher weight of “leaf body” and were characterized by smaller contribution of midrib. In range of chemical composition, leaves of topped plants contained much more nicotine and lesser amount of ash..