Treating incomplete color curing with sugar....

[johnny108]

Metabolomic analysis reveals key metabolites alleviating green spots under exogenous sucrose spraying in air-curing cigar tobacco leaves​

Metabolomic analysis reveals key metabolites alleviating green spots under exogenous sucrose spraying in air-curing cigar tobacco leaves - Scientific Reports

Cigar variety CX-010 tobacco leaves produce localized green spots during the air-curing period, and spraying exogenous sucrose effectively alleviates the occurrence of the green spots. To investigate the alleviation effect of exogenous sucrose spraying, the total water content and the number and...

www.nature.com

 

[deluxestogie]

"...exogenous sucrose can be applied to manage the occurrence of green spots in tobacco leaves during air-curing."

The green spots that they were "treating" with sucrose appear to be the result of a genetically predisposed metabolic defect in the specific variety they were testing (CX-010). There is a suggestion that thinner than normal leaf may be more likely to dry with green areas. We do know that leaf that is primed too early (prior to maturation) is at an increased risk of drying green, before it color-cures. Whether or not a sucrose spray might improve the chances of immature leaf of other varieties properly color-curing is not addressed. This study is not about leaf that has already dried green.

Bob

The study compare 0.1M, 0.2M and 0.4M solutions of sucrose (i.e. 0.1 Molar, etc.). The molecular weight of sucrose is about 342 grams. So a 0.1M solution would be prepared by dissolving ~34.2 grams of sucrose into 1 liter of water.

 

[johnny108]

If the enzymic pathways are still available in dried leaf, shouldn't the same treatment be possible?

 

[deluxestogie]

The enzymes in my body tissues will still be there (for a while) when I drop dead. But my metabolic processes will no longer function. Sugar on the living leaf appears to be affecting a metabolic process.

Bob

 

[johnny108]

Might be useful for non-ideal color curing environments, then.
I figure I’m going to have trouble with my first crop in northern Germany.

 

[deluxestogie]

Give it a try—with untreated controls, for comparison, and let us all know how it works out.

Bob