Tobacco can be used as a raw material to make green pesticides
(1) Derris extract is a botanical insecticide extracted from the roots of derris, with contact and stomach poisoning effects, and is quite effective against aphids and lepidopteran larvae. It is extremely safe for humans, livestock and crops, and is especially suitable for use on fruit, vegetables, tea and mulberry; the commonly used formulation is a 2.5% derris extract emulsifiable concentrate sprayed as a 500-800 times dilution. (2) Bacillus thuringiensis belongs to Bacillus thuringiensis...
Using tobacco as a natural insecticide has a history of several hundred years, but its range of applications has always been limited and its methods of use very primitive. According to a recent report on the American website ScienceDaily, a new study says that against the dual background of widespread criticism of chemical pesticides and growing public awareness of the harms of smoking, the commercial production of insecticides made from tobacco may become a new investment hotspot in the future, and tobacco cultivation and the pesticide manufacturing industry are also very likely to benefit from it. The related research was published in the American journal Industrial & Engineering Chemistry.Cedric Briens and colleagues, who led the study, point out that concerns about the health problems caused by smoking and increasingly strict anti-smoking rules in various countries will objectively cause losses to many tobacco farmers. Therefore, scientists are looking for other uses for tobacco. Making natural pesticides from tobacco is undoubtedly the most promising of the existing options, because as early as a century ago, gardeners mixed crushed tobacco leaves with water to kill insects. This "green" insecticide uses tobacco leaves as its production raw material; besides bringing tobacco farmers extra economic income, it is also very environmentally friendly.
The researchers say it is currently highly possible to produce tobacco insecticide through high-temperature pyrolysis. In high-temperature vacuum equipment, tobacco leaves are heated to 482 degrees Celsius, producing a substance called "bio-oil".
Experiments show that the bio-oil produced from tobacco leaves can kill a very wide range of pests, including 11 kinds of fungi, the Colorado potato beetle, and common pests that are currently resistant to chemical insecticides. In the experiments, this bio-oil killed all the beetles and inhibited the reproduction of two kinds of bacteria and one kind of fungus. Even after removing the nicotine component from it, the bio-oil can still effectively kill pests. The researchers believe that this insecticide's ability to inhibit some but not all microorganisms makes it a new type of selective insecticide.