Abstract
Field experiment was conducted to get the basic information about the difference in color and plastid pigments at the different stage of harvest of flue-cured tobacco cultivated in paddy field, and compared to upland ones. All tested crops were primed in lots of 3 to 4 at each priming, beginning at the bottom of the plant. Leaf pigments and chromatic values of tobacco leaves were determined in samples collected at weekly intervals, and according to analyses obtained from 4 stalk positions. By the degree of maturity, leaves harvested were separated with visual characters into four classes of immature, mature, ripe and mellow. regardless of stalk position, chlorophyll contents was higher in the order of immature > mature > ripe > mellow, respectively. In fresh leaves, chlorophyll levels was higher with ascending stalk position. chlorophyll a and b in cured leaves were less than 10% of the amount present at harvest, and it was estimated that maturity condition also influenced the rates of degradation of plastid pigments. Fully mature leaves of upland diverted from paddy field showed slightly higher in chlorophyll contents than in those of upland tobacco ones but somewhat lowered in $L^*$ and $b^*$ values, and there was no difference in $a^*$ value.