EFFECTS OF HEIGHT OF TOPPING ON THE YIELD AND QUALITY OF K-110 TOBACCO VARIETY

Field experiment was conducted using tobacco cultivar K-110 in June, 2014 and October, 2014 cropping season at Bilatte leaf development farm, southern Ethiopia. The aim of study was to identify the optimum number of leaves per plant, higher leaves yield and quality that promote green leaves production in tobacco. The treatments consisted of six toping height levels; topping at 14, 16, 18, 20, 22 leaves and control (no plants without topping).The results revealed that the tobacco yield and plant height more than topped at 20, 22, 24 and untopped tobacco. Leaf length and width tended to increase with lower topping 14- 20 leaves. Increased nicotine content in leaves topping at 24 leaves and untopped than any topped tobacco. The reducing sugar and nitrogen for the combined samples tended to give the highest for lower and mid topped tobacco 14- 18 leaves. Nitrogen/nicotine ratio tended to increase with lower and mid topped at 16- 18 leaves. Lower and mid topped (14- 20) leaves topped resulted in desirable chemical characteristic an acceptable range.