Annual Research & Review in Biology

With the results of selecting Oriental tobacco varieties suitable for natural conditions in Vietnam, with potential for raw material quality and raw material production capacity in Vietnam, from 6 oriental tobacco varieties originating from Bulgaria, the Tobacco Institute has been testing in Ninh Thuan province from 2019 to 2021, and Dak Lak from 2021 to 2022. The results of the trial planting show that oriental tobacco varieties are good growth, and are quite suitable for the soil and climate conditions in Ninh Thuan and Dak Lak provinces, and have selected 2 the best oriental tobacco varieties as Basma 16 and Hanski 227. In which, Hanski 227 variety is evaluated to have outstanding prospects due to its good growth ability, high yield, characteristic aroma and good smoking properties. The Hanski 227 variety has less harvested leaves, larger leaf size and mass than Basma 16 variety, so the labor costs for cultivation, harvesting and preliminary processing are lower. To evaluate the ability to expand the oriental area in Vietnam, we continue to trial planting the Hanski 227 oriental variety in Dak Lak in 2023 - 2024, with a fertilizer level and a planting density corresponding to 50N + 30P₂O₅ + 80K₂O (N: NH₄NO₃, P: (Ca(H₂PO₄)₂ and K: K₂SO₄) and 110,000 plants/ha. The experimental trial results show the Hanski 227 variety has good growth, high yield, and good quality, with yield fluctuating 1.52 - 1.66 tons/ha, nicotine content: 0.81 - 1.38%, and reducing sugar content: 8.9 - 12.1%, and the oriental material has a characteristic aroma and good smoking properties. Based on the trial results shows that the quality of Hanski 227 grown in Dak Lak are the same the oriental tobacco importing from Bulgaria, Türkiye and Greece. Therefore, the Dak Lak province is the most suitbale region for producing good quality oriental tobacco in Vietnam compared to Ninh Thuan region. Because materials in Ninh Thuan has the high clorua content reducing material quality. In 2025, we continue to grow the Hanski 227 oriental tobacco variety in Dak Lak region on a large area and complete the preliminary processing process, with the goal of producing Oriental tobacco raw materials domestically, with appropriate production costs.