INFLUENCE OF NITROGEN AND TOPPING LEVELS ON YIELD AND QUALITY OF BIDI TOBACCO HYBRID VARIETIESK.M. Gediya, Jalpa Panchal and J. N. PatelAbstract A field experiment was undertaken at Bidi Tobacco Research Station, Anand Agricultural University, Anand for three consecutive years viz., 2017-18 to 2019-20 to study influence of nitrogen and topping levels on yield and quality of bidi tobacco hybrid varieties. The experiment was laid out in factorial randomized block design assigning two hybrid varieties, i.e. MRGTH 1 and GABTH 2, three nitrogen levels i.e. 140, 180 and 220 kg/ha and three topping levels, i.e. 18, 21 and 24 leaf stages with three replications. The data pooled over three years revealed that tobacco variety GABTH 2 recorded significantly the highest tobacco cured leaf yield (3700 kg/ha) with maximum net realization of `117433/ha and BCR value 3.06. Both the upper levels of 180 and 220 kg nitrogen/ha, being at par with each other produced significantly higher cured leaf yield of 3388 and 3407 kg/ha, respectively as compared to lower level of 140 kg nitrogen/ha. Topping levels were failed to exert their significant effect on tobacco cured leaf yield. Application of nitrogen @ 180 kg/ha gave maximum net realization of `102741/ha and BCR value of 2.81 as compared to lower level of 140 kg/ha whereas, tobacco crop topped at 21 leaves gave maximum net income of `105898/ha with 2.86 BCR. Tobacco varieties and nitrogen as well as topping levels had non-significant effect on leaf chemical constituents i.e. nicotine, reducing sugar and chloride contents. Wherein, only nicotine content was significantly changed due to tobacco varieties and different topping levels. Tobacco variety MRGTH 1 and topping level at 18 leaves gave significantly the highest nicotine content compared to others. |