Between 2015 and 2017 Mitchell Richmond, a graduate research associate under the direction of Dr. Andy Bailey and Dr. Bob Pearce, studied the impact of chemical topping on the yield and quality of burley tobacco.Chemical topping refers to the practice of using growth regulators, already used in tobacco production, to halt the development of the terminal inflorescence and replace the need for manual removal of the flowers.  Studies were conducted to determine the optimum time of application as well as the rate and type of chemicals applied.  These trials demonstrated that the growth regulator maleic hydrazide when applied to late maturing varieties at the early bud stages resulted in effective topping without reducing the yield or quality of the leaf.  This work has resulted in new recommendations for burley tobacco growers that were incorporated into the 2019-2020 revision of the Burley and Dark Tobacco Production Guide (ID 160). In addition, these practices were introduced to growers during the winter 2019 US Tobacco GAP meetings.  Chemical topping has the potential to reduce labor needs and costs for burley tobacco growers making them more efficient. Estimated labor savings for chemical topping are 4 to 5 person hours per acre saving growers $48 to $60 per acre.