Lesson 5 Agronomic Management Practices
Affecting Tobacco Quality
New Words & Expressions
Buyout n. a situation in which a person or group gains control of a company by
buying all of its shares 全部买下、买断
Post-buyout 买断后
MH maleic hydrazide 顺丁烯二酸酰肼，马来酰肼
Alkaloids n. any of numerous organic bases (as morphine) containing nitrogen and
usually oxygen that occur especially in seed plants 生物碱
Top v. to remove or cut the top of 给……打顶
Sucker n. a shoot from the lower part of the stem of a plant 腋芽
Stalk n. a long narrow part of a plant supporting one or more leaves,flowers or fruits
柄、梗
Nicotine n. a poisonous alkaloid （C10H14N2） that is the chief active material of
tobacco and is used as an insecticide 尼古丁
Cure v. to preserve by drying it 晒、烘烤
Mature a. fully grown and developed 成熟的
Hornworm n. a kind of insects 天蛾幼虫
Mo(u)ld n. a superficial growth produced especially on damp or decaying organic
matter or on living organisms 霉菌
Blue mo(u)ld 青霉病
Lay-by n. the final operation in the growing of a field crop 最后的田间作业
Variegated v. marked in different colored spots,lines,areas etc 杂色的、斑驳的
Sidedress v. to apply nutrients on one side of the plant roots 侧施肥
Nondescript a. belonging to no particular class or kind 无归类的; not easily
described 难以形容的
Suckercide n. chemical product that prevents sucker from growing 腋芽抑制剂
Contacts n. chemicals that kill insects by contacting them directly触杀剂
Systemics n. a pesticide that as used is harmless to the plant, but when absorbed into
its sap makes the entire organism toxic to pests 内吸剂
Versus prep. Against; in contrast to 对、和……相比
Priming n. picking up 采收，采摘
Burley n. a thin-bodied air-cured tobacco grown mainly in Kentucky白肋烟
Text
In 2005, tobacco will be produced and marketed without price support for the first time since 1939.
Price schedules will reflect an emphasis on quality, with deep discounts for unripe and immature
grades. In the post-buyout environment, profitability will be directly related to the marketing of
quality tobacco produced at the lowest cost. A number of management practices affect tobacco quality.
Some of the most important are as follows:
在2005年，烟草将自1939年以来第一次在没有价格支持下生产和销售。价格表将反映对烟
叶质量的重视，未熟等级将大幅降价。在后烟草配额买断的环境下，利润将直接与以最低成本
生产的优质烟草的销售相关。
很多农艺措施影响烟草的质量，最重要的一些措施有：
• Nitrogen rate and time of application
• Topping and sucker control with minimal MH residues
• Harvest rate and ripeness
• Leaf separation by stalk position
●氮肥的施用量和施用时间
●打顶和最少马来酰肼残留的腋芽控制
●采收速率和成熟度
●叶片分部位采收
Nitrogen Rate and Time of Application
Nitrogen is the most important nutrient affecting tobacco yield and quality. As nitrogen rate
increases, the following occur:
• Yield increases to a point then decreases.
• Leaf size increases, but leaf thickness decreases.
• Total alkaloids, including nicotine, increase and sugars decrease in the cured leaf.
• Maturity and ripening are delayed. • Cured leaf darkens.
• Sucker growth increases and sucker control decreases.
• Leaf drop and leaf break increase. • Blue mold is more severe.
• Hornworm and aphid populations increase.
氮肥的施用量和施用时间
氮素是影响烟草产量和质量的最重要的营养元素。随着氮用量的增加，将会出现以下情况：
●产量增加到一定值，然后下降。 ●叶面积增大，但叶厚度减小。
●在调制后叶片中，总生物碱、烟碱增加，糖减少。
●成熟延迟。 ●调制后叶片变黑。 ●腋芽数增加，腋芽控制效果降低。
●残伤增加。 ●霜霉病更加严重。 ●天蛾幼虫和蚜虫的虫口增加。
Many growers spend considerable time choosing among sidedressers such as calcium nitrate,
sodium nitrate, 30 percent UAN liquid, and 24S UAN liquid. However, the data indicate that in the
southeastern United States the rate and time of application are more important than the sidedresser.
Unless leaching occurs, nitrogen should not be applied after lay-by. Late season application delays
ripening and results in variegated-unripe grades.
许多种植者花费了相当多的时间选择侧施肥料，比如硝酸钙、硝酸钠、30％的UAN(尿素硝
铵)液体肥料和24S的UAN液体肥料。然而，数据表明：在美国东南部，氮肥的施用量和施用时
间比侧施肥料更重要。除非发生淋洗，氮肥不应在烟草侧施肥后施用。后期施用延迟烟叶成熟，
导致杂色-未熟等级的产生。
Topping and Sucker Control
Topping tobacco in the button stage (soon after the flower begins to appear) rather than
later increases yield and body if suckers are controlled. When tobacco plants are not topped for
three weeks after reaching the button stage, yields are reduced by 20 to 25 pounds per acre per
day, or about 1 percent per acre per day when normal yields are in the 2,000- to
2,500-pounds-per-acre range.
打顶和腋芽控制
如果控制腋芽，烟草在现蕾期打顶比现蕾期之后打顶能够提高产量、增加身份。如果烟株
在现蕾期后三周不打顶，则每天每英亩减少产量20～25磅，或者在正常产量在每英亩2000～2500
磅的范围内时每天减少l％的产量。
Higher yields reduce per-pound production costs for acreage-related inputs such as chemicals,
fertilizers, and some labor expenses. Topping early also improves chemical and physical qualities of
the leaf by stimulating root development and alkaloid production and by reducing buildup of insects.
高产减少了与面积相关的生产成本，如农药、肥料和一些劳动力支出。早打顶还通过刺激
根系的发育、生物碱的生成以及减少害虫的危害而提高烟叶的化学和物理品质。
Control of sucker growth is critical to maximizing yield because it allows the plant to concentrate
resources on the production of leaves instead of suckers. Suckers can also interfere with mechanical
harvesting and become a significant source of foreign matter in cured leaves. The key to successful
sucker control is proper timing of suckercide application and use of proper rates of contacts and
systemics.
抑制腋芽生长对最大限度地增产是很关键的，因为它使植株把资源集中到叶片而非腋芽的生
产。腋芽也会妨碍机械采收并成为调制后烟叶中杂质的一个重要来源。成功控制腋芽生长的关
键是适时施用腋芽抑制剂以及适量施用接触性和内吸性抑制剂。
Harvest Rate and Ripeness
When it comes to quality, there is no substitute for harvesting ripe tobacco. The ripening
rate is determined by nitrogen uptake, rainfall, temperature, root health, and variety. Thus,
ripening is greatly affected by weather conditions and varies considerably from one season to
another. The 2002 versus 2003 and 2004 growing seasons were at opposite extremes. The 2002
season was one of the driest seasons on record, with 2003 and 2004 among the wettest.
采收速率和成熟度
从烟叶品质方面考虑，没有比采收成熟烟叶更重要的了。成熟速率是由氮吸收、降雨量、温
度、根系健康状况和品种所决定的。因此，成熟受气候条件影响很大，季节之间差异很大。2002
生长季节与2003和2004生长季节是两个相反的极端。2002季节是历史上最干旱的季节之一，2003
和2004则是降雨量最大的两个季节。
In 2002, tobacco matured quickly in our tests and held for 10 to 20 days before quality declined
due to excessive heat. In 2003 and 2004, tobacco ripened slowly, followed by a rapid decline in
quality due to excessive rainfall. As a result, there was only a 10 day window to harvest tobacco at the
optimum value per acre.
2002年，在我们的试验中，烟叶成熟很快，但由 于过多的热量烟叶在质量下降
之前保持了10～20天。在2003～2004年，烟叶成熟很慢，但由于过多的降雨，烟叶
质量很快下降。结果为了获得最佳亩产值只有1 0天的时间采收烟叶。
The variety data collected in the 2002 through 2004 holding ability tests are shown in Figures
8-1, 8-2, and 8-3. The study was designed to measure the ripening rate and holding ability by
completing the final harvest at various stages of ripeness. The first and second primings were
completed at normal times. However, the third (final) priming was made at the following times:
在2002-2004年耐熟能力试验中收集的品种数据见图8-l、8-2和8—3。这项研究是设计通过在
不同成熟时期完成最后采收来测定成熟速率和耐熟能力。第一次和第二次采摘是在正常时间完
成。然而第三次采摘是按照在以下时间完成进行处理：
treatment 1, 7 days earlier than ideal ripeness; treatment 2, 10 days later than treatment 1
(ripe tobacco); treatment 3, 20 days later than treatment 1; treatment 4, 30 days later than
treatment 1; and treatment 5, 40 days later than treatment 1. Thus, tobacco was harvested from
slightly unripe (treatment 1) to 30 days past the earliest stage of ripeness (treatment 5).
处理1，比理想的成熟早7天；处理2，比处理1(成熟烟叶)晚10天；处理3，比处理1晚20天；
处理4，比处理1晚30天；处理5，比处理1晚40天。这样，烟叶在轻微未熟(处理1)到比成熟的最
早时期晚30天的时间内进行采收(处理5)。
Treatment 5 is probably unrealistic since there would seldom be a need to delay harvest by
30 days after the tobacco is ripe. But it is a good indicator of how well varieties will hold in the
field. All varieties tested lost yield and value in treatment 5. However, there were significant
differences among varieties in the magnitude of the loss.
处理5可能是不切实际的，因为很少需要在烟叶成熟后推迟30天采收。但是它能很好地表明
各个品种在大田里耐熟的程度。处理5所有参试品种的产量和产值均有损失。然而，品种间在损
失的量上差异显著。
From a quality perspective it is important to note that the price per pound almost always
increased as harvest was delayed from 7 days early (unripe) to 10 or 20 days later. For the five
varieties that were in the 2002 and 2003 tests, the range of increase was from $ to $ per
pound in 2002; and from $ to $ in 2003. Even though weather conditions in 2002 and
2003 were quite different, the trends in quality were the same. Therefore, when it comes to
quality, there is no substitute for harvesting ripe tobacco.
从质量上看，有一点值得重视，即：随着采摘从提前7天(未熟)—推迟到成熟后10或20天，
每磅的价格几乎总是上涨。2002和2003年试验中的5个品种，每磅的增值范围在2002年是0．10～
0．25美元、在2003年是0．09～0．33美元。虽然2002年和2003年的天气情况差别很大，但是质
量的变化趋势是一样的。所以，从烟叶品质方面考虑，没有比采收成熟烟叶更重要的了。
Leaf Separation by Stalk Position
The American blend cigarette is composed of several types of tobacco including flue-cured,
burley, and Oriental tobacco. Cigarettes are not only a blend of different types of tobacco, but
are also a blend of stalk positions within the different types of tobacco. Each stalk position
contributes different characteristics to the cigarette, and proper blending of tobacco types and
stalk positions within types is key to producing quality cigarettes and ensuring uniformity of the
final product.
叶片分部位采收
美国的混合型卷烟是由几种类型的烟草组成的，包括烤烟、白肋烟和香料烟。卷烟不仅仅是
几种类型烟草的混合，而且是几种类型烟草的不同部位烟叶的混合。每一个部位的烟草对卷烟
特征的贡献是不同的，正确地混合不同类型烟草及其不同部位烟叶是生产优质卷烟和确保最终
产品一致性的关键。
Therefore, separation of tobacco into distinct stalk positions during harvest is extremely
important to producing a quality, high-demand product regardless of the buying company (See
Figure 1). Cigarette manufacturers and leaf dealers have different preferences for the styles of
tobacco they desire to meet customer needs. For example, some cigarette manufacturers would
like to see greater production of tip grades for use in blending while others would like to buy less
lower-stalk tobacco.
因此，在收获期间将烟叶按不同部位进行划分对生产高质量、高需求的产品是极其重要的。
卷烟制造商和烟叶经销商在希望满足顾客需要的烟草风格上有不同的偏好。例如，一些卷烟制
造商可能喜欢在卷烟中用较多的顶部烟叶，而另一些则可能喜欢买少量的下部叶。
A tip grade describes certain styles of tobacco from the uppermost stalk positions (see Figure 1).
Tip grades have specific characteristics that set them apart from the leaf and smoking leaf stalk grades.
In recent years, many growers have combined smoking leaf, leaf, and tips into one harvest, which
decreases the chance of that tobacco receiving a tip grade and also decreases the blending capabilities
of the company.
顶叶等级有烟株最上部烟叶的风格，具有能使之与上二棚叶和上部过熟叶的等级区分开的特
别特征。近几年，许多种植者把上部过熟叶、上二棚叶和顶叶混在一起一次采收，这样就减少
了产生顶叶等级的机会，也降低了烟草公司在烟叶配方方面能力的发挥。
Therefore, the production of tip grades likely begins with better separation of upper-stalk tobacco,
., separation of the top four to six leaves into one grade. However, separation of the uppermost
leaves during harvest may not be enough to produce cured tobacco with the desired chemical and
physical characteristics attributed to a tip grade.
因此，生产顶叶等级可能是从上部叶的较好的分次采收开始的，即把最上部的4-6片叶分在
一个等级。但是仅靠将最上部叶片分开采收，还不足以生产出具有顶叶等级的理想的化学和物
理特性的烟叶。
Research was conducted from 2002 through 2004 to evaluate the effects of variety, nitrogen
rate, topping height, and separation of the upper-stalk tobacco at harvest on production of tip
grades. The study included K 326, NC 71, and Speight 168 varieties and compared
recommended nitrogen rates to the recommended rate plus 20 pounds of N and high-topping to
normal-topping heights.
为了评估品种、氮用量、打顶高度和上部叶分次采收对生产顶叶等级的影响，从2002-2004
年进行了研究。研究包括K326、NC71和speight 168品种，对推荐氮用量和在推荐氮用量基础上
加20磅N以及高打顶和正常高度打顶进行了比较。
In addition, the uppermost 10 to 12 leaves were harvested together or divided equally into
two harvests. Based on tobacco company evaluations of upper-stalk tobacco from these trials,
ripeness and separation of the uppermost leaves had the greatest effect on tip grade production.
此外，还对最上部10-12片叶一起采收和均分进行两次采收进行了比较。根据烟草公司对来
自从这些试验的上部烟叶的评估，成熟度和最上部叶的分次采收对顶叶等级的牛产影响最大。
When the top five to six leaves were kept separate from the rest of the plant and when they
were ripe to overripe, they consistently received a tip grade. The nitrogen rate reduced tip grade
production only when the high nitrogen rate resulted in greenish or green color grades. Variety
had no influence on tip production at any location.
当最上部5-6片口十与烟株上的其它叶片分开采收而且达到成熟或过熟时，它们总是进入顶
叶等级。只有在高氮用量导致带青烟或青烟等级时，氮用量才减少顶叶等级的生产。品种在每
个试验地点都对顶叶等级的生产没有影响。
Additional research was conducted to evaluate removing either the bottom four or eight
leaves as a way to reduce production of priming grades (Table 8-3). Preliminary data from this
study indicates that removal of the bottom four leaves eliminates priming grades and the
removal of the bottom eight leaves eliminates priming and lug grades.
为了评估除去底部4或8片叶以减少脚叶等级的方法，进行了另外的研究(表8-3)。该研究的初
步数据表明，去除底部4片叶消除脚叶等级，去除底部8片叶消除脚叶和下部叶等级。
Removal of four leaves resulted in a 6 percent average reduction in yield and gross value per
acre. Removing eight leaves resulted in a 20 percent average reduction in yield and gross value
per acre. However, reduced curing and labor costs due to leaf removal would make the
reduction in net value per acre less than the reduction in gross value.
去除4片叶导致每英亩产量和毛产值下降6％，去除8片肾卜导致每英亩产量和毛产值下降20
％。然而，由于去除叶片导致的调制和劳动力成本的降低，将使每英亩净产值的减少小于毛产
值的减少。
