What will be the direction of green pesticide development over the next five years? Which categories of pesticides are likely to qualify for a “green channel” in the registration and review process?...

On November 19, at the summit forum and information release event of the 37th China Plant Protection Information Exchange and Pesticide & Agricultural Machinery Fair (hereinafter referred to as the “Plant Protection Double Fair”), the following key announcements drew significant attention:

• What will be the development direction of green pesticides over the next five years?

• In the context of pesticide registration and review, which product categories could potentially qualify for a “green channel”?

• Which pests and diseases are likely to experience a resurgence next year?

• Which technologies require particular attention?

Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and President of Guizhou University, Song Bao’an:

Two research priorities should not be overlooked.

“Over the past five years, China’s pesticide science has advanced rapidly, achieving a series of breakthroughs in innovative research outcomes, the development of new green pesticide varieties, and the establishment of scientific and technological platforms. Compared with international peers, China’s level of innovation in green pesticides is now on par with the global standard,” noted Song Bao’an, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and president of Guizhou University, in his keynote address. He further pointed out that, despite the large number of patents filed in China, there remain certain gaps when compared with foreign patents:

First, domestic patents are predominantly for combination formulations; second, the structural diversity of domestically developed compounds is relatively limited, with few truly original structures; third, the scope of protection afforded by domestic patents is narrow, and their commercialization rate remains comparatively low.

Song Bao’an believes that, in the face of technological bottlenecks and shortcomings—such as the development of green pesticides, the precision application of agrochemicals, and synthetic biology-based technologies for biopesticides—further efforts must focus on overcoming theoretical and industrial‑technological barriers in the creation of green pesticides.

At the forum, Song Bao’an consistently emphasized that pesticides are an indispensable strategic resource for ensuring food security and a critical “weapon” for controlling diseases, pests, and weeds. However, conventional pesticides can no longer meet the demands of agricultural modernization; thus, innovation and application of green pesticides represent a strategic imperative for building a strong agricultural science and technology nation and safeguarding food security. Song Bao’an noted that China’s pesticide R&D has evolved through stages—“low‑efficiency, high‑toxicity; high‑efficiency, high‑toxicity; high‑efficiency, low‑toxicity; and green pesticides.” He further argued that highly effective, low‑risk chemical regulators, bio‑based pesticides, and immune‑inducing elicitors will be the primary directions for future development. Moreover, green pesticides must exhibit high activity, excellent selectivity, no phytotoxicity or residue on crops, and environmentally friendly manufacturing processes. Looking ahead, the development of green pesticides cannot be accomplished by a single discipline alone; it will require interdisciplinary collaboration.

“China’s pesticide management standards are aligning with those of developed countries and will continue to do so in the future. In recent years, the application of cutting-edge biological technologies in China’s green‑pesticide innovation has garnered significant attention, with particular strengths in the discovery of original, novel targets becoming increasingly evident.” Looking ahead to the next five to ten years, Song Bao’an identified two key research priorities for the development of green pesticides.

First, the development of next-generation, high‑efficiency biopesticides and their industrialization technologies. By leveraging live microorganisms and bioactive metabolites as active ingredients, we will create new, safe, and highly effective biopesticide formulations; establish green, efficient, low‑cost, and low‑pollution manufacturing processes; and develop biopesticides that are both safe and effective, environmentally resilient, and long‑lasting in efficacy.

Second, the development of green chemical pesticides and their industrialization technologies represent another key area. By leveraging databases of natural products and small chemical molecules, we will advance AI‑driven and computer‑assisted approaches to design novel pesticide molecular scaffolds. We will also develop innovative, target‑based drug‑design methodologies that incorporate resistance‑prediction models, thereby mitigating the risks of resistance and cross‑resistance in pesticide discovery and enabling the creation of new, highly effective, environmentally safe, and green chemical pesticide products.

Huang Xiuzhu, Director of the Pesticide Inspection Institute of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs:

Establish a green channel for the registration of biopesticides, specialized crop‑specific pesticides, and pesticides for expanded rapeseed cultivation.

“In strengthening pesticide registration review, we are building a coordinated and comprehensive pesticide registration management system and continuously bolstering the technical support for pesticide regulation. We will further standardize the procedures for reviewing and evaluating registration dossiers, and establish green‑channel pathways for registering biopesticides, products for specialty minor crops, and formulations used to expand rapeseed cultivation. We will also place particular emphasis on emerging pesticides and technologies—such as nano‑pesticides, RNAi‑based pesticides, food attractants, crop‑specific formulations for genetically modified crops, and aerial‑application technologies—and implement specialized management for microbial, plant‑derived, and biochemical pesticides,” said Huang Xiuzhu, Director of the Pesticide Inspection Institute of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, during his keynote address titled “Pesticide Registration Supporting High‑Quality Development of the Pesticide Industry.” He added that China’s pesticide regulatory framework is now aligned with that of developed countries and will continue to converge in the future. Over the past two years, in response to industry needs, the Pesticide Inspection Institute has introduced numerous measures under the “delegation, regulation, and service” reform, steadily enhancing both its regulatory capabilities and the quality of its services.

First, optimize the review process by shifting from a “serial” to a “parallel” workflow, thereby enhancing review efficiency and streamlining logical relationships to ensure seamless integration across all stages. Second, standardize review practices by establishing management measures for review positions, centralized review venues, system operations and maintenance, and document handling; and by instituting a “three-tier consultation” mechanism to safeguard review quality. Third, elevate service standards by introducing a supplementary‑document procedure to provide a channel for submitting additional information during technical review, setting up an expedited re‑review pathway for products that have been rejected to facilitate rapid resubmission, and establishing a dedicated technical advisory email address for pesticide registration. According to Huang Xiuzhu, since its implementation in March of this year, they have responded to 415 inquiries, earning widespread recognition from industry stakeholders. Fourth, strengthen oversight and management by formulating detailed regulations for the supervision and implementation of technical reviews, enforcing the “dual responsibility” framework, and rigorously monitoring and ensuring the effective execution of all relevant policies and procedures.

“Going forward, we will strengthen pesticide registration reviews, continuously improve the pesticide distribution system, upgrade pesticide‑registration testing facilities, and promote the scientific and efficient use of pesticides. With respect to further refining the pesticide distribution system, we will optimize the layout of distribution outlets; establish standardized retail stores, aiming to have 10,000 standardized pesticide‑distribution service outlets by 2025; innovate business‑service models by encouraging pesticide manufacturers to offer direct‑sales services; and regulate online trading practices by improving the licensing regime for online pesticide sales, establishing a negative list of prohibited online activities, and implementing real‑name purchasing and traceability management.”

Liu Wancai, Director of the Pest and Disease Control Division at the National Agricultural Technology Extension Center:

The ten major promoted technologies for pest and disease control in 2024 are worth noting.

“Wheat” one-spray‑three‑protection technology; insect pheromone–based pest management (sex and food attractants); autumn grain “one-spray‑multiple‑promotions” technology; light‑and‑color‑trap pest control; cowpea pest management combining insect-proof netting with other measures; biological control techniques (utilization and release of natural enemies); ecological regulation methods (for rice, fruit, vegetables, and tea); application of biopesticides; immune‑induced resistance technologies (enhancing stress tolerance and boosting yields); and the use of highly effective, low‑residue, green pesticides. These are the ten key technologies for disease and pest management to be promoted in 2024—please give them due attention.

According to Liu Wancai, Director of the Pest and Disease Control Division at the National Agricultural Technology Extension Center, in line with relevant planning documents calling for the establishment of “green pest‑control demonstration counties,” “county‑wide green pest‑control promotion initiatives,” and “green pest‑control demonstration bases,” the Center launched, starting in 2019, the “Double Hundred” initiatives for green pest control—namely, the creation of 100 demonstration counties and the selection of 100 exemplary practices. By 2023, a total of 320 green pest‑control demonstration counties and 200 green pest‑control demonstration and promotion bases had been established nationwide, and more than 200 green pest‑control technology models had been selected and promoted, thereby advancing the research, development, and application of green pest‑control technologies.

“According to statistics, in 2022, the country invested a total of 3.971 billion yuan, established 33,000 demonstration zones for various green pest‑control measures, with a core demonstration area of 375 million mu annually, and spurred the adoption of green pest‑control practices across 1.236 billion mu. The national coverage rate of green pest‑control for major crops reached 52.0%, an increase of 28.9 percentage points compared with 2015; moreover, green pest‑control measures reduced chemical pesticide use by 20,000 tons per year,” said Liu Wancai.

Liu Wancai further explained that the area covered by aerial chemical application is showing a clear upward trend—200,000 flights in 2023, corresponding to approximately 2.13 billion mu‑times—and its share in controlling rice and wheat pests and diseases is steadily increasing, creating substantial room for growth in the range of compatible pesticides and adjuvants. The operational area served by boom sprayers has also expanded markedly, with widespread adoption particularly in regions cultivating corn, potatoes, soybeans, sunflowers, and other crops. Plant protection agencies should strengthen training in application techniques, ensure full and effective utilization of existing high‑efficiency spraying equipment, and thereby advance agricultural modernization. Moreover, specialized pest‑control organizations and plant‑protection cooperatives are expanding rapidly, with service models evolving from narrowly focused, targeted pest‑and‑disease management to comprehensive, end‑to‑end services encompassing tillage, sowing, protection, and harvesting.

“According to monitoring by the National Crop Disease and Pest Forecasting Network and expert consultations, major diseases and pests affecting grain crops such as wheat, rice, corn, and potatoes are expected to re-emerge on a large scale in 2024, with an estimated total affected area of 2.04 billion mu—up 15% compared with 2023 and 11% above the average of 2018–2022—and posing a threat to more than 70% of China’s grain-producing regions,” emphasized Liu Wancai. He added that in 2024, particular attention should be paid to the following: for wheat, the “four diseases and one pest”—scab, stripe rust, sheath blight, stem base rot, and aphids; for rice, the “three pests and two diseases”—stem borer, brown planthopper, leaf folder, sheath blight, and blast; for corn, the “four pests and two diseases”—fall armyworm, cutworm, cotton bollworm, corn borer, southern rust, and northern leaf blight; as well as late blight of potatoes, grass webworm, thrips on vegetables, and soybean root rot, among other pests and diseases.

Source: Agricultural Inputs and the Market