Improving the production and quality of virginia tobacco through topping and suckering : A Review

Abstract

Tobacco production in Indonesia continues to increase along with the number of requests tobacco industry due to the shift in consumer tastes from smoking kretek cigarettes to white. Virginia's domestic tobacco has not been able to cover the needs of the tobacco industry, so part of this is fulfilled from imported tobacco. In terms of cultivation, the emergence of flowers resulted in stunted growth and decreased quality of tobacco. Increasing tobacco production and quality can be done by applying Good Agriculture Practices (GAP) by cutting the top (topping) and removing side shoots (suckering). The timely application of topping and suckering can increase the production of tobacco leaf accompanied by an increase in the quality of the tobacco leaves produced. Based on the research results, it is known that topping and suckering treatment can increase production by 60-80% and nicotine levels by 40-60%. The application of suckericide can reduce labour costs without reducing the yield, quality, and chemical content of tobacco. The impact of increasing production and quality of Virginia tobacco will increase farmers' bargaining power and economy.