A new bulk-curing system for burley tobacco, adapted by O. Olivieri, Verona, Italy, had been installed in 1981 in Austria. Experiments in curing were carried out during the 1981 and 1982 harvest seasons. Economic reasons are paramount to achieve the following aims : Reduction of investment costs for barn construction, sewing machine and threads, possibility of governing the curing process and, mainly, to reduce labor hours, the most critical and expensive item in tobacco production in industrialized countries. The installation consists of a metallic tent with an effective volume = 40.8 cbm; a roof zone of 6.2 cbm (sufficient for the curing of leaves from 0.5 ha) covered by a plastic transparent film which acts as a sun energy collector. Two floors, divided into 2 horizontal parts, served to accommodate 76 spiked racks, each capable of containing 24 kg of green leaf. A fan produces a continuous air flow. The temperature and humidity of the air are controlled electronically by a dry and wet bulb thermometer, causing a vent to open and admit the necessary humidity. The curing process is varied as in the normal course of air curing, by changing temperature and humidity within narrow limits. When the outside temperature is too low (during nights, on rainy days, in late September) a heat-exchanger governed by a thermostat maintains the desired temperature. Curing of leaves from each stalk position requires at least 16 days; so, to fill and empty the tent requires at least 64 + 4 days. To remoisten dry leaves, it is sufficient to open the doors the night before to expose the leaves to the ambient air humidity. Immediately after curing, the tobacco is graded and packed. The results of chemical analyses of normally and bulk-cured burley were very favorable : No sugar; nicotine, nitrate, total nitrogen, and proteins of the bulk-cured leaves were lower than those of air-cured tobacco. The smoking taste was not negatively influenced by forced air curing. Additional economic data and results of chemical analyses will be presented.