Maleic hydrazide (MH) is widely used for sucker control in US Burley tobacco production. Tobacco manufacturers have expressed concern about MH residues in Burley and requested that producers reduce MM rates. Generally, it is assumed that reduced application rates should result in lower residue in cured leaf, but few studies have actually investigated this relationship in Burley. Universities in the US Burley growing region annually conduct a regional sucker control test at five locations. In recent years (2009-2012) these studies have examined the efficacy of varying rates of MH and cured leaf samples analyzed for MH residue. Rates evaluated were 1.68, 2.52 and 3.36 kilograms/hectare active ingredient of MH. Samples were taken from three stalk positions - cutter, leaf and tips. MH residues in 2009 were generally low, less than 25 ppm in all cases except one, and generally below the detection limit of 10 ppm at the lowest rate. In 2010, MH residues were much higher. There was a very clear trend of reduced MH residues from reduced MH rates. At one location with dry conditions after topping, residues from the standard recommended rate of MH (2.52 kg/ha a.i.), exceeded 100 ppm. MH residues were below 80 ppm at the two lowest rates at all stalk positions. At the highest rate, residues exceeded 80 ppm in at least one stalk position at four of five locations. In 2011, MH applied a rate of 2.52 kg/ha a.i. resulted in residues of 80 ppm or more at one location. However, when MH was applied at the higher rate (3.36 kg/ha a.i.) residues exceeded 80 ppm at three locations and exceeded 200 ppm at one location. Across all locations and years, sucker control was not different between MH rates of 1.68 and 2.52 kg/ha a.i. when MH was combined with a local systemic material.