The Brazilian tobacco is known around the word for its flavour, especially derived from upper stalk leaves. Currently, there is a market oversupply of lugs of flue-cured Virginia (FCV) and it has become an issue for the industry and farmers worldwide. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of removal or not harvesting the lugs on yield and quality, considering time of topping and topping height. During the 2016 crop, trials were carried out at two locations in southern Brazil in a randomised complete block design. The treatments comprised the removal or no harvesting, time of topping and number of leaves left on the stalk (topping height) and the variables evaluated were yield, grade index and revenue, as well as analysis of the percentage per stalk position. According to the results, not harvesting the bottom six leaves, topping at 65 days after transplant (DAT) with 18 leaves left on the plant decreased by 9.2 % the amount of lugs when compared with the control. Not harvesting the bottom six leaves and topping at the first extended flower decreased lugs by 10.35 % when compared to the control and the removal of the six bottom leaves at 65 DAT and topping at the first extended flower decreased by 8.75 % the amount of lugs when compared to the control. However, these treatments had a negative impact on yield and quality of cured leaves when compared to the control.

From these results, it can be inferred that not harvesting the bottom six leaves and topping at the first extended flower is a promising practice to decrease lug leaves in Southern Brazil. It also brings the benefit of not spending resources on removing the leaves from the plants, but further studies will be carried out aiming to improve yield and quality when the lower leaves are not harvested.