The objective of this study was to test our recommendation to growers not to cut or house wet tobacco. The design was a split-split plot, with two cutting treatments, (1) cut wet (2) cut dry; four housing treatments, (1) protected indoors on a railwagon, housed dry (2) exposed outdoors but kept dry, housed dry (3) sticked out in the field; exposed to wetting, housed wet (4) sticked out in the field; exposed to wetting, housed dry; and two varieties, high and low converter selections of TN 90.The study was grown in two years; 2011 and 2012. In 2011, the tobacco was set late and consequently, curing conditions were unfavorable and tobacco specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) were low, with no significant differences between any of the treatments. In 2012, the tobacco was set early, curing conditions were more favorable, and TSNAs were higher (10-11 ppm for the high converter TN 90 vs. 3-4 ppm in 2011). There were no significant differences between cutting treatments for any of the variables, either for 2012 or for the years combined. Housing treatments had no significant effect on total TSNAs, and small but inconsistent effects on the individual TSNAs. Where there were differences, there were generally higher TSNAs in the sticked out treatments, and the sticked out, housed wet treatments were the highest of all. Total alkaloids were lower in the sticked out treatments, in both varieties. We speculate that this is because some of the alkaloids on the leaf surface were dissolved off by rain or fog. There were small but inconsistent differences in nitrate and nitrite, with a general trend towards lower nitrate and higher nitrite in the sticked out treatments. Cutting and housing wet tobacco appears to have less effect on TSNAs than anticipated, but more data are needed to determine the trend. (Reprinted with permission)