Preparation and bud-inhibiting efficacy evaluation of three bio-alcohol-based tobacco bud inhibitor emulsifiable concentrates

Three types of bio-alcohol-based emulsifiable concentrates for tobacco bud inhibition were prepared, and their properties, dilution characteristics, and field bud inhibition effects were systematically evaluated. Specificlly, lauryl alcohol, myristyl alcohol, and C₁₂~C₁₄ mixed alcohol served as raw materials, which were proportionally blended with solvents, and additives to formulate the emulsifiable concentrates. The results indicated that all three bio-alcohol-based tobacco bud inhibitors exhibited good storage stability, forming uniform emulsions upon dilution with surface tensions consistently below 30 mN/m. They demonstrated strong wettability, with contact angles of droplets on tobacco axillary buds remaining below 35°, alongside superior adhesion properties, achieving retention amounts exceeding 0.02 g/cm². Post-topping inhibition tests indicated that the C₁₂~C₁₄ mixed alcohol and myristyl alcohol inhibitors, applied at dilutions of 25-fold and 50-fold, respectively, provided sustained and effective bud inhibition at both 20 and 40 days after treatment. Notably, the C₁₂~C₁₄ mixed alcohol inhibitor at a 25-fold dilution achieved a bud inhibition rate of 91.06% and a bud inhibition efficacy of 97.61% at 40 days after application, significantly outperforming the chemical control, 25% flumetralin emulsifiable concentrate. While the lauryl alcohol-based inhibitor showed good initial efficacy but limited persistence. This study suggests that bio-alcohol-based tobacco bud inhibitors offer significant advantages in both bud-inhibiting efficiency and application safety, highlighting their potential as eco-friendly alternatives to traditional chemical agents for sustainable tobacco production.