Field experiments were conducted in 2016 and 2017 in Springfield, TN, and Princeton, KY, to evaluate the effects of agronomic practices on alkaloid levels of dark fire-cured tobacco. A conventional dark tobacco variety (KT D14LC) and an intermediate alkaloid dark tobacco variety (KT D18LC) were treated with either 84 or 196 kg ha^-1 N and topped at either bud stage, late flowering, or immediately prior to harvest. Tobacco was harvested at six weeks after the bud stage topping treatment. After firing was completed, cured leaf weights by stalk position were recorded and USDA grades were assigned for each treatment combination x stalk position. USDA leaf grades were averaged according to treatments. Grades ranged from 24 to 50 according to official USDA standards. A sample from each treatment combination x stalk position was taken, dried, and ground to a 1-mm particle size for alkaloid and TSNA analysis. Overall yield data was collected and averaged across all treatments. Yields varied from 1984 to 2658 kg ha^-1. (Reprinted with permission)