PERFORMANCE AND CORRELATIONS FOR AGRONOMIC AND MORPHOLOGICAL TRAITS OF FLUE-CURED TOBACCO (N. TABACCUM L.) UNDER CONTRASTING NITROGEN FERTILIZATION REGIMES

R. S. Lewis, A. Budimir, M. Bukan, V. Kozumplik, M. Boic, H. Sarcevic

Abstract: In order to investigate the effect of nitrogen fertilization on agronomic and morphological traits of flue-cured tobacco, four flue-cured tobacco cultivars were grown at two contrasting nitrogen (N) rates (30 and 60 kg N ha-1), at two Croatian locations (Kutjevo and Virovitica) with different soil types, for two years (2010 and 2011). The higher N fertilization rate resulted in significantly higher yields, value ha-1, and area of the ninth leaf in 2010 while in 2011 between the two N rates differences were no significant. A significant cultivar x N fertilization rate interaction was not observed, and the traits evaluated were more influenced by year and location then by fertilization rate. Correlation analysis indicated that under different environmental conditions the pattern of correlations among important traits could be changed. The results suggest that 60 kg N ha-1 provided high yield of cured tobacco leaf without negative impact on its quality. The same N fertilization rate can also compensate the loss of nitrogen caused by leaching during the wet seasons.

Keywords: flue-cured tobacco; nitrogen fertilization

Date published: 2019-01-28