Fecha de publicación: -- Fuente: PubMed "Tobacco production" Front Plant Sci. 2026 Oct 2;17:1930629. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2026.1930629. eCollection 2026.ABSTRACTINTRODUCTION: Traditional bulk curing barns built with brick and concrete have poor insulation and high energy use during the tobacco curing season-a problem especially pronounced in cooler regions. This study systematically examined how adding new insulation materials to conventional bulk curing barns affects heating performance.METHODS: Two heating systems for bulk curing barns were evaluated: an air-source heat pump (treatments CK1 and T1) and a biomass burner (treatments CK2 and T2).RESULTS: Barns with added insulation (T1 and T2) significantly improved temperature distribution in the barns' loading chambers, reducing horizontal and vertical temperature gradients and enhancing overall temperature uniformity. Regarding pigment degradation, adding insulation markedly accelerated chlorophyll loss: total chlorophyll degradation rates for T1 and T2 were 87.30% and 83.63% at 42 °C, respectively-significantly higher than in CK1 and CK2. For biochemical stress markers, malondialdehyde accumulation in T1 and T2 was lower than in the control groups, while polyphenol oxidase activity decreased. Conversely, peroxidase and lipoxygenase activities increased, effectively inhibiting lipid peroxidation. Energy consumption also decreased: T1 and T2 achieved savings of 32.54% and 25.36% in heat consumption, respectively. The payback periods for the retrofit investment in the T1 and T2 curing barns are approximately 2.6 and 1.6 years, respectively.DISCUSSIO: This study demonstrates that adding insulation to bulk curing barns can simultaneously improve the curing environment and increase energy efficiency, particularly in tobacco-growing regions at medium to high altitudes or in barns in poor condition.PMID:42890645 | PMC:PMC13672033 | DOI:10.3389/fpls.2026.1930629