The Effect Of Remained Leaf Number And Maturity On Cigar’s Growth And Quality

With the long history of being the production base of sun-cured tobacco and cigar, Shifang, Sichuan ranks first in China in the production, sales, and exports of sun-cured tobacco and cigar. However, the study on cigar’s remained leaf number and maturity has not been reported yet. With the raw cigar variety "Greatwall-1"(GH1) as the experimental material provided by Great wall Cigar Factory of Great Sichuan and Chongqing Tobacco Industrial Corporation in2011, this experiment studies the remained leaf number’s effect on its agronomic indicators and its photosynthetic trait indicators, as well as the effects of the remained leaf number, maturity, and their interactions on the regular chemical composition and smoking quality indicators. The results are as follows:1. Comparison of agronomic trait among different remained leaf numbers. On the40th day of transplanting, the cigar leaves of12,14, and16are longer and wider than18. The remained leaf’s stem girth of16is the largest which is clearly greater than14,18, and12. The stem girth difference is not significant between14and18, and the comparison is as follows:16>14>18>12. The pitch of16leaves is the biggest and significantly greater than14and18. The pitch difference between16and12is not so remarkable, and the pitch of18leaves is the smallest. On the50th day of transplanting, the differences of length and width of the measured leaves of12,14,16, and18are significantly less than the measured data of the40th day. The stem girths of12,14, and16are not clearly different from each other, but larger than18. The pitch of18leaves is the biggest and14takes the second place. The pitches of the two are significantly greater than that of12, which is the smallest.2. Photosynthesis indicator analysis. According to comparison of the SPAD values measured on the40th day and50th day after the transplanting, as well as the net photosynthetic values measured on the50th day and57th day after the transplanting, the results are as follows. On the40th day of translanting, the SPAD value of14is maximum, which is significantly greater than the SPAD value of12,16, and18. The SPAD value differences of14,16,18are not significant. On the50th day of translanting, the SPAD value differences of14,16,18are not significant, and the first two SPAD values are significantly greater than that of12. In terms of the measured results on the50th and57th days after transplanting, the net photosynthetic value of14leaves is the maximum. On the50th day after transplanting, the order of net photosynthetic values is as follow:14>16>12>18; On the57th day after transplanting, the net photosynthetic value differences of14,16,18are not significant, the order of net photosynthetic values is as follow:14>12>18>16.3. Effects of different treatments on conventional chemical composition of the samples. For nicotine, the remained leaf number, maturity and their interactions affect the nicotine content of all samples remarkably. For the petroleum ether extract, the remained leaf number’s effect on the petroleum ether extract content of the upper leaves and middle leaves is significant but not notable on the content of the lower leaves. The effect of maturity on the petroleum ether extract content of the middle leaves is significant but not notable on the content of the upper and the lower leaves. The effect of the two factors’ interaction on the petroleum ether extract content of the middle and lower leaves is significant but not so notable on the content of the upper leaves. For total nitrogen, the remained leaf number has great effect on the total nitrogen content of the lower leaves but not so notable on the content of the upper and middle leaves. The effect of maturity on total nitrogen content of all the samples is not notable. The effect of the two factors’ interaction on total nitrogen content of the upper and lower leaves is significant but not notable on the content of the middle leaves. For ash, the remained leaf number, maturity and their interaction greatly affect the ash content of the middle leaves but not greatly affect the ash content of the upper and lower leaves. For total potassium, the remained leaf number, maturity and their interaction greatly affect the total potassium content of the middle and lower leaves but not greatly affect the total potassium content of the upper leaves. For total phenols, the effect of the remained leaf number is significant on the total phenols content of the middle leaves but not notable on the content of the upper and lower leaves. The effect of maturity on total phenols content of the middle leaves are remarkable but not notable on the content of the upper and lower leaves. The effect of the two factors’ interaction on total phenols content of all the samples are not significant.4. Smoke sensory quality evaluation. The evaluation is based on24samples by10experts of the cigar factory. For upper leaves, they get the highest score when they meet the harvest standard of local famers and the remained leaf number is16. When the upper leaves meet the harvest standard of local famers and the remained leaf number is14, they take the second place in the evaluation. When the remained leaf number is12, and the evaluation is conducted3days after the upper leaves meet the harvest standard, they get the lowest score in the evaluation. For lower leaves, when the remained leaf number is16, and evaluation delays3days according to farmer’s harvest standard, they rank highest. When the remained leaf number is12, and the evaluation delays3days according to farmer’s harvest standard, they rank second. When the remained leaf number is14, and the evaluation is carried out3days before meeting farmer’s harvest standard, they score lowest in the evaluation.