Assessment of the Quality Profile of Oriental Tobacco from the Commodity Segment of Basma Variety Group (Ecotype Krumovgrad)

Abstract

The production of Oriental tobacco has a significant role for the social status of Bulgarian farmers and the economic priorities of the regions. The demand for tobaccos that are truly competitive on the international market has forced the dominant production of Krumovgrad ecotype varieties in the country. The aim of the present research was to evaluate the quality profile of Oriental tobacco of Krumovgrad ecotype (variety Krumovgrad 90), as a significant part of the commodity segment of the Basma variety group. The study was carried out with tobaccos, produced in 10 micro regions of the Nevrokop region, 2019 crop year. Cured leaves were assessed in terms of chemical, visual and sensory quality, and the tobaccos were finally rated according to their complex quality manifestation (based on the achieved “quality index” value). The technological assessment of the quality profile of the studied Oriental tobacco of ecotype Krumovgrad proved that there were significant differences in cured leaf quality between the tobacco samples representing the same variety and crop year but grown in different areas. As a result from the complex quality evaluation procedure, the best rated was the tobacco produced in Godeshevo micro region, followed by those from Kornitsa, Furgovo and Ablanitsa. The data obtained by the study could be useful from the point of view of the technological processing of cured tobacco leaves and the objective of obtaining uniform batches of Krumovgrad ecotype tobacco within the commodity segment.