Field experiments were conducted in two locations to evaluate the effects on yield and leaf characteristics of three harvest methods (priming, stalk cutting, 1/3 priming followed by stalk cutting), three nitrogen levels (0, 150, 300 kg/ha), three plant populations (18000, 25000, 32000 p/ha), and five cultivars of Burley tobacco. Cultivars showed significant differences for almost all characters studied, representing a fair range of burley germplasm. Cured yield per hectare increased with N level, plant population, and from stalk cutting to priming. The response was linear for plant population, but showed some curvature for N. Price index was highest with stalk cutting and lowest with priming, increasing with N more for stalk cut than for primed tobacco, but was not affected by density. Crop index showed a positive nonlinear response with N. At plant level, density decreased and N increased linearly the size and weight of leaves, stalk, inflorescence and suckers, and the ratio of leaf weight to total plant weight. Density x N interactions were significant for plant height, leaf number, stalk and leaf proportions. (Nitrogen )