Relationship between Precipitation and Sensory Quality of Flue-cured Tobacco Leaves in Shandong

Correlation and stepwise selection regression analysis were used to investigate the relationships between sensory quality and precipitation in tobacco growing areas of Shandong Province. The two approaches produced very similar result. The difference of stepwise selection regression equations for aroma quality, after taste, offensive taste, irritancy, combustibility and total score with precipitation were significant at 1% level. There was significance difference in stepwise selection regression equations for impact and ash with precipitation. No variable met the 0.05 significance level for entry into the stepwise selection regression equations for taste concentration and volume of aroma with precipitation. The total score of sensory quality were positively related to precipitation of May and August, whereas the type of aroma and combustibility were negatively related. There were positive correlations between impact of tobacco leaves and precipitation of June. The quality of aroma were negatively related to precipitation of May, yet positively related to June. The after taste and score of offensive taste were positively related to precipitation of May and total precipitation from May to August. There were positive correlations between the score of irritancy and total precipitation from May to August.