Experimental Investigations into the Insecticidal, Fungicidal, and Bactericidal Properties of Pyrolysis Bio-oil from Tobacco Leaves Using a Fluidized Bed Pilot Plant

Tobacco bio-oil, gases, and char were produced through pyrolysis of tobacco leaves using a fluidized bed pilot plant under varying temperature (350, 400, 450, 500, 550, and 600 °C) and residence time (5, 10, and 17 s) conditions. The optimized condition for the production of bio-oil was found to be at 500 °C at a vapor residence time of 5 s, giving a bio-oil yield of 43.4%. The Colorado Potato Beetle (CPB) Leptinotarsa decemlineata L. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), a destructive pest toward potato crops, and three microorganisms (Streptomyces scabies, Clavibacter michiganensis, and Pythium ultimum), all problematic in Canadian agriculture, were strongly affected by tobacco bio-oil generated at all pyrolysis temperatures. Nicotine-free fractions of the tobacco bio-oil were prepared through liquid−liquid extraction, and high mortality rates for the CPB and inhibited growth for the microorganisms were still observed. A potential pesticide from tobacco bio-oil adds value to the biomass as well as the pyrolysis ...