Optimization of drying of tobacco leaf with a slit of the middle vein according to the quality indicators of tobacco raw materials
In the production of tobacco raw materials, reducing the drying time of tobacco leaves plays an important role. One of the ways to intensify the drying of freshly harvested tobacco leaves is the method of cutting the middle vein (CMV) of the leaves along the fibers. Based on the results of research in 2019-2020, a database of tobacco raw materials obtained by a natural drying method using CMV reception was created, which can serve as information material for tobacco producers. The optimization of the process of drying the CMV tobacco leaf according to the quality indicators of tobacco raw materials for an expanded range of tobacco variety types was carried out. The object of research was the varieties of domestic selection included in the State Register of Breeding Achievements, approved for use: Samsun 85, Virginia 202, Yubileyny novy 142, Trapezond 92, Trapezond 204, Dubek 33, American 287 and Krupnolistnyy Ilskiy (under state testing). The criterion for evaluating the effectiveness of the use of CMV intake on the studied tobacco varieties was a cumulative comparative analysis of the following indicators of control (without CMV sheet) and experimental samples: the level of drying intensification, indicators of commercial quality, technological properties and chemical composition of the obtained raw materials. It is established that CMV allows to intensify the drying process by 1,3-2,46 times, depending on the tobacco variety and has a positive effect on the technological properties of raw materials, most varieties increase the yield of fiber and retain volume-elastic properties. The dynamics of drying affects the change in the chemical composition of raw materials. During the drying process, due to the hydrolysis of nicotine salts and its release by oxidation with air oxygen, the nicotine level in a number of samples decreases within 10-30%. The higher the nicotine content, the higher the strength of tobacco, it is coarser in taste. Changes in the carbohydrate-protein ratio in the direction of increasing carbohydrates improve the taste characteristics of raw materials. For each studied variety, it was not possible to identify a regular dependence of its structure and the nature of the drying process at CMV with transformations of the chemical composition of raw materials. Based on the analysis of technological and qualitative indicators of tobacco raw materials presented in the developed database on the intensification of drying of various varieties of tobacco using the use of CMV of tobacco leaves, it is possible to plan the choice of the optimal drying method for each variety of tobacco, which allows to increase the efficiency of using raw materials and improve its quality characteristics.