Abstract: A method for the treatment of tobacco, including curing and drying thereof, comprises applying a leaf-wilt accelerating chemical agent to parts of growing mature tobacco plants, allowing the leaves to wilt over a period of 2 to 50 days to effect a reduction of the water content of the leaves of at least one quarter by weight without killing the whole plant, harvesting the leaves and processing the harvested leaves for use as tobacco-smoking, chewing or snuff products. The agent may be applied by spraying the leaves or by way of the roots or stalks of the plants.