Nicotine is widely considered to be addictive, reducing consumer dependency on the constituent has been a focus of CORESTA regulatory groups in recent years. This study aimed to investigate the impact of NPK fertilizers, incorporating different potassium (K) sources, on nicotine content in K326 tobacco leaves. The research was conducted using a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) at three sites (Chunya, Kahama, and Tabora) during the 2023–24 cropping season. Five fertilizer treatments were tested: control (T1), basal standard (T2: 30g N10P18K24 with K sources from KCl and K2SO4, top-dressed with 8g CAN 27%), T3 (30g N11P22K21 from KCl, top-dressed with 8g CAN 27%), T4 (two splits of 15g N11P22K21 from KCl, top-dressed with 8g CAN 27%), and T5 (two splits of N11P22K21 at 10g and 12.5g bi-weekly, without CAN 27%). Seedlings were transplanted into trial plots with 1.2m ridge spacing and 50cm intra-spacing. Basal applications were administered 14 days post-transplant for T2 and T3, and every two weeks for T4, with T5 receiving no CAN 27%. Results indicated that incorporating KCl and K2SO4 with CAN 27% significantly increased nicotine levels (2.66%). In contrast, using KCl alone in NPK fertilizer reduced nicotine levels to 2.02%, but not tobacco leaf yields.
nicotine; sulphate; muriet; potash; fertilizer
Lisuma, J.B., Kisoka, R.P., Ntatilwa, M.R. (2025): The Role of Muriate of Potash in Reducing Leaf Nicotine Levels. Scientia Agriculturae Bohemica, 56, 2, 5, DOI: 10.7160/sab.2025.560205