Tob. Sci., 1989, 33-12, p. 47-51, ISSN. 0082-4523
Plant population density effects on the alkaloid, solanesol, and chlorogenic acid content of burley tobacco
Tobacco Quality and Safety Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Athens, GA, USA; Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Coastal Plains Research Center, Florence, SC, USA
Genetically-uniform burley tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) plants were grown in three field population densities (6,400, 22,000, and 111,000 plants/ha) to determine effects on concentrations of nicotine and minor alkaloids in growing tobacco and alkaloids, solanesol, and chlorogenic acid in air-cured tobacco. Alkaloid and solanesol concentrations were lowest in close-spaced and highest in wide-spaced plants; whereas, chlorogenic acid concentrations were highest in close-spaced and lowest in wide-spaced plants. Pyrolysis studies indicated that the ratio of tar to nicotine decreased with wider plant spacing.
(Full article published with kind permission from "Tobacco International")