A high-capacity market preparation method for whole-plant, air-cured burley tobacco was investigated. Cured plants were cut into axial segments and leaf and stalk material were separated via mechanical/pneumatic processing. Fifty cured plants were cut into 4-in. and 6-in. segments using a vertical band saw, with initial registering at the base of each stalk. Loose leaf material and leaf material remaining attached to stalk segments was collected for each segment. Additional ten-plant samples were segmented into both 4-in. and 6 in. segments, and leaf material attached to segments was removed and separated into lamina and midrib components. All samples were oven-dried for 24 hr at 105 °C to determine dry matter present. Average percent leaf dry matter remaining attached to stalk segments (assumed to be discarded or lost) was 13.1 and 9.6 % for the 6-in. and 4-in. segments, respectively. The highest percentage of leaf matter remaining attached to stalk segments was in the lower portion of plants. Leaf material dry matter remaining attached to stalk segments was 73.0% midrib and 27.0% lamina for 6-in. segments and 72.3% midrib and 27.7% lamina for 4-in. segments. This suggested a potential benefit to manufacturers by removing midrib material destined for disposal in processing. To investigate the feasibility of baling segmented leaf material, whole cured plants were passed through a modified forage chopper and cut into segments ~ 2.5 in. long, the longest segment possible with this machine. Most stalk material was manually removed. Approximately 600 lb of mostly leaf material was baled in a large tobacco baler (40 in. x 40 in. x 42 in.) using 5 tie wires. Leaf material sloughed from the bale with minimal handling. Two additional tie wires were added (seven total) and the material was re-baled. Very little material sloughed from simulated handling of the seven-wire bale. (Reprinted with permission)