EFFECT OF N AND K LEVELS ON PROPORTION OF LAMINA AND MIDRIB IN DIFFERENT LEAF POSITIONS OF FCV TOBACCO

Abstract

Flue-cured tobacco grown in Northern light soils is semi-flavourful and is essentially graded based on plant position, as the chemical and physical quality characters of leaf depend on the position of leaf on the plant. Particularly, lamina percentage is used as one of the several criteria for commercial release of varieties. The lamina or strip yield of cured leaf of flue-cured tobacco is important to the manufacturer of cigarettes as higher the proportion of lamina, the greater will be the economic value. Absolute values for percentage lamina reported in the literature generally range from 70 to 80% when averaged proportionately over whole plant and is generally higher in upper than lower stalk position leaves. Though the average figures are available for the proportion of lamina and midrib of cured leaf in the literature, the information available on the effect of good agricultural practices, weather conditions etc. on these aspects under irrigated Alfisols is very meagre.