Identification of Nicotine Converter Plants in Burley Tobacco KB9118 (KB108)

The nicotine converter genotypes of burley tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.), which convert nicotine to nornicotine, contain a high amount of nornicotine that degrades tobacco quality and smoking taste. Elimination of nicotine converter plants before seed harvesting is required for breeding nicotine low-converter lines and for increasing their seed production. This study aims to develop a rapid and convenient method of identifying nicotine converter plants of burley breeding lines of KB9118(KB108) using thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and isatin coloration method. Out of 223 plants in 10 lines harvested at maturity in 2002, 102 plants ($45\%$) were identified as nicotine converters by TLC of tobacco leaves air-cured. For 16 lines selected as low-converters in 2002, 148 plants grown in the field in 2003 were tested by the isatin coloration method using two detached leaves at the flowering stage thoroughly sprayed with $1\%\;NaHCO_3$ solution and cured in conditioned chambers for the early identification of nicotine to nornicotine conversion. From these samples, 46 plants ($31\%$) in 4 lines were identified as nicotine converters, indicating that the ratio of converters significantly decreased by one time selection. Mean percent conversion of non-screened lines was $14\%$ higher than that of following generation. Therefore in the burley tobacco, a rapid and convenient means of identifying and removing nornicotine converter plants by the isatin coloration method during growth in the greenhouse or field were effective in reducing the converter plants in the following generation.