Compositions and methods for producing tobacco plants and products having altered alkaloid levels

A tobacco plant, or part thereof, comprising a non-transgenic and non-natural mutation in an ethylene responsive factor (ERF) gene, wherein said non-transgenic and non-natural mutation down-regulates the expression or function of said ERF gene, wherein said non-transgenic and non-natural mutation is located within an ERF gene that comprises an endogenous sequence having 100% identity to a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs:

• 3, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 38, 48, 49, 52, 53, 54, and 202 to 204, and wherein said non-transgenic and non-natural mutation reduces the nicotine level of said tobacco plant to below 60% of the nicotine level of a control plant when grown in similar growth conditions, wherein said tobacco plant is capable of producing a leaf, when cured, having a USDA grade index value comparable to the USDA grade index value of said control plant, wherein said control plant shares an essentially identical genetic background with said tobacco plant except said non-transgenic and non-natural mutation, and wherein said tobacco plant is a Nicotiana tabacum plant.

A tobacco plant, or part thereof, comprising a non-natural mutation in an ethylene responsive factor (ERF) gene, wherein said non-natural mutation is located within an ERF gene that comprises an endogenous sequence having 100% identity to a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs:

• 3, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 38, 48, 49, 52, 53, 54, and 202 to 204, wherein said non-natural mutation down-regulates the expression or function of said ERF gene, wherein said non-natural mutation is absent from the tobacco lines LA Burley 21, LAFC53, and LN KY171;
• and wherein said tobacco plant is from a variety selected from the group consisting of flue-cured tobacco, dark fire-cured tobacco, Galpão tobacco, and Oriental tobacco.