Sesame cake fertilizer improves tobacco aroma quality by boosting root growth and leaf aroma precursor formation.

ABSTRACT: Weak flavor in flue-cured tobacco compromises quality, making aroma enhancement crucial. Sesame cake fertilizer (SF) has the potential for improving tobacco aroma, but its effects on aroma components and mechanism remain unclear. Here, a four-year field experiment was conducted in Southern tobacco region of China to compare SF with conventional fertilization (CK). We investigated how SF influences soil quality, root and leaf development, aroma precursor accumulation, and volatile aroma composition to enhance tobacco aroma quality. Our results indicated that SF improved soil structure, pH, organic matter, and cation exchange capacity (CEC). It promoted root growth, dry matter accumulation, and root activity and CEC. Leaf photosynthesis and plastid pigment content increased due to enhanced c

SUBMITTER: Qi C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12406223 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature