THE IMPORTANCE OF MOISTURE TIMELINESS FOR OPTIMAL CROP YIELD AND LEAF QUALITY IN BURLEY TOBACCO1

Abstract

Abstract Time periods during the burley growing season were identified when increases or decreases in available moisture had significant influences on burley crop yield and crop quality. This was accomplished with the use of 42 years of daily precipitation and evapotranspiration data (1959–2000) along with the yearly crop yield data for the Kentucky locations of Louisville, Lexington, and Paducah. Crop quality was defined with the use of 3 leaf color groups—tan, red, and green—and a yearly grade index, and these were determined from Kentucky statewide sales percentages for the period of record. Available moisture was defined as the difference in daily precipitation and evapotranspiration, and this difference was used to define a growing-season available moisture index (AMI) for each year in the period of record. Correlation procedures were used to search the growing season for time periods when increases or decreases in the AMI resulted in significant increases or decreases in the various color groups and...