Evaluation of the Efficacy of HP 400 in Reducing TSNAs - 2016 Field Season

The Council for Burley Tobacco funded this project in 2015; we are applying for a second year of funding because we would like to repeat it in 2016 so that we have two years of data. The 2015 crop is currently curing, so we do not yet have any data. An interim report was submitted in October. HP400 is claimed by the manufacturer to be a natural product tested in Italy and reported to reduce TSNAs. According to the label, it is "based on attenuated proteins from microbial fermentation", and "triggers endogenous antioxidant activity". The label further states that "only one application on tobacco may substantially reduce the nitrosamine concentration in the finished product". To date we have been unable to locate any data which substantiates this claim. We have tested several products claiming to reduce TSNAs and have not found any of them to be efficacious under field conditions. Every year, growers waste money on products which do not live up to the claims of the manufacturers. Supporting data is needed to advise farmers whether such products are effective and economically viable. An effective chemical that would consistently reduce TSNA accumulation would be of enormous benefit to growers of air-cured tobacco and the tobacco industry. The objective of the study is to test HP400 in the field and evaluate its efficacy in reducing TSNAs in burley tobacco.