Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/1543154
Tobacco Asia 55 ture and humidity control parameters address is‑ sues commonly found in traditionally cured upper leaves, such as dull color, rigid structure, and ex‑ cessive harshness. This results in more harmoni‑ ous internal chemical components and significant‑ ly improved aroma quality and volume. The direct outcome of this technological innovation was the successful breakthrough of a Chinese‑style cigarette brand. In 2009, the premi‑ um cigarette Golden Leaf (Tianye), primarily formu‑ lated with Xuchang's Shang Liu Pian leaves, was launched. With its unique aroma style and stable quality, it quickly gained market recognition and became a core strategic product for China Tobac‑ co (Henan) Industrial Corporation. More notably, the Xuchang Shang Liu Pian leaf development case was selected in 2024 as a typical case for enhancing core corporate com‑ petitiveness within the Chinese tobacco industry, becoming the only case from China Tobacco (Henan) Commercial Corporation to receive this honor. It provides valuable experience for upper leaf development in the Chinese tobacco industry. The "medium-sized plant + high oil content" model If Xuchang's Shang Liu Pian focuses on a single‑ point technological breakthrough, the medium‑ sized plant with high oil content tobacco leaf devel‑ opment led by China Tobacco (Hubei) Industrial Corporation represents a systematic, full‑chain ap‑ proach to improving leaf quality. The "medium‑ sized plant" refers to regulating the individual de‑ velopment of the tobacco plant so that indicators like plant height, number of leaves, and leaf area reach a medium level, avoiding excessive growth caused by heavy water and fertilizer or poor devel‑ opment due to weak and early senescence. On this basis, the focus is on increasing the oil content of the leaves. Oil content is a key indicator measuring the intrinsic quality and aroma potential of tobacco leaves, directly affecting the aroma quality, fullness, and smoothness of cigarettes. Medium-sized tobacco plants with high oil content produce upper leaves that are a core raw material for premium cigarettes.