Curing techniques for Basma 16 Oriental tobacco in Dak Lak

This study develops an appropriate curing technique for Basma 16 Oriental tobacco under production conditions in Dak Lak by evaluating leaf density under two methods: skewered-string curing and tray curing during the 2025 - 2026 crop season. Three leaf-density levels were tested for each method. Leaf density affected moisture loss, drying time, and the proportion of marketable leaves. Temperatures of 30.2 - 31.5°C with relative humidity of 68.0 - 69.2% during yellowing, and 30.7°C with relative humidity of 65.2 - 65.8% during drying, favored biochemical transformations in the leaves. Tray curing produced a higher proportion of Grade 1+2 leaves than skewered-string curing while reducing curing time and labor costs. The results support tray curing as a suitable method for producing Basma 16 Oriental tobacco in Dak Lak.