The effect of different preceding crops on main chemical composition and sensory quality of flue-cured tobacco were studied with two different soil types (red soil and paddy soil with preceding crops as wheat, horse bean, green manure and rape) in Luliang, Yunnan. The results showed that under paddy soil condition, when the preceding crop was wheat or horsebean, the content of total sugar and reducing sugar of flue-cured tobacco was moderate and the content of total nitrogen and nicotine was significantly lowered compared to the idle land; with wheat as preceding crop, the content of total nitrogen was only 1.5%, and the nicotine content is lower than 2%; sensory quality evaluation of flue-cured tobacco with wheat and rape as preceding crop was the best, the fragrance was good with little other smell, the aroma style was significant which scored 5. Under red soil condition, when the preceding crop was green manure, chemical composition of flue-cured tobacco was the best; the content of potassium was above 2%, which is high compared to other treatments, nicotine content was only 1.81%, which is low compared to the treatment with wheat, beans and rape as preceding crop; sensory quality of flue-cured tobacco with green manure as preceding crop was also the best, the fragrance of flue-cured tobacco leaves was sufficient with good combustibility and significant aroma style. In conclusion, paddy soil with wheat as preceding crop and red soil with green manure as the preceding crop were beneficial to the improvement of the quality of flue-cured tobacco.