A wide range of agrochemicals, including thiamethoxam and fludioxonil, have been recommended for the control of major pests and diseases in oilseed crops such as soybean and peanut.

Recently, the National Agricultural Technology Extension Center has organized the development of technical guidelines for the prevention and control of major pests and diseases affecting soybeans, cotton, peanuts, sunflowers, and other crops, as well as for strip intercropping of soybeans and corn, to be implemented by 2025.

Which major pests and diseases of oilseed crops are expected to occur at moderate to severe levels in 2025, and what pesticide products are recommended for their control at different developmental stages?

1. Soybean

In 2025, the major pests and diseases expected to occur in soybean cultivation include soybean root rot (Northeast spring soybean region), soybean pod borer (Northeast spring soybean region), beet armyworm (Yellow–Huai–Hai soybean–corn intercropping region), and tobacco whitefly (southern Yellow–Huai–Hai region), among others.

Pesticide products recommended for pest control:

• Sowing period: Seed treatments such as fludioxonil‑metalaxyl, pyraclostrobin, and thiamethoxam are used to control root rot, cyst nematodes, and underground pests.

• From the seedling stage to the branching stage: chlorantraniliprole (for controlling leaf‑feeding pests), clothianidin–chlorpyrifos, thiamethoxam–chlorpyrifos‑methyl, and others (for controlling sap‑sucking pests), as well as biopesticides such as matrine and abamectin.

• From flowering to pod-filling: Fungicides include azoxystrobin‑tetraconazole, benzo‑thiazole‑pyraclostrobin (for controlling rust, anthracnose, and other diseases), and azoxystrobin‑cymoxanil (for managing downy mildew), among others. Insecticides comprise thiamethoxam, chlorantraniliprole, and Bacillus thuringiensis (for managing stink bugs, soybean pod borers, bean pod moths, and other pests), among others.

2. Peanut

In 2025, the peanut diseases and pests expected to occur with moderate to severe incidence include peanut leaf spot (in localized areas), cotton bollworm (in localized areas), and underground pests such as grubs, wireworms, and cutworms.

Pesticide products recommended for pest control:

• Sowing period: Seed treatments such as fludioxonil, cyproconazole–fludioxonil–azoxystrobin, imidacloprid, and thiamethoxam are recommended for controlling soil-borne diseases and underground pests. Additionally, Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae can be applied via furrow application to manage underground pests.

• Seedling stage: Fungicides—tetramycin, thifluzamide–tebuconazole (for controlling stem rot and root rot). Insecticide—deltamethrin (for controlling aphids, thrips, and other piercing‑sucking pests).

• From flowering and pod set to full fruit maturity: Fungicides—Bacillus subtilis, polyoxin (biopesticides), azoxystrobin–flutriafol (for controlling foliar diseases). Insecticides—deltamethrin, fenvalerate–malathion (for controlling cotton bollworm, beet armyworm, etc.). Phoxim granules and thiamethoxam granules (for controlling soil-dwelling pests).

3. Sunflower

In 2025, sunflowers will require close attention to sclerotinia rot, sunflower stem borer, cotton bollworm, and flower thrips, among others.

Pesticide products recommended for pest control:

• Sowing period: Seed treatments such as fludioxonil and thiamethoxam can be used to prevent sclerotinia rot and soil-borne pests.

• From bud formation to flowering: biological pesticides such as Bacillus thuringiensis (for controlling sunflower moths and cotton bollworm larvae) and the East Asian flower bug (for thrips control) may be used. Additionally, procymidone and fludioxonil can be applied to manage sclerotinia rot, while pyraclostrobin is effective against rust.

• From flowering to maturity: Use insecticides such as deltamethrin and lambda‑cyhalothrin to control sunflower moths and cotton bollworms. Apply fungicides like mancozeb and carbendazim to manage black spot and brown spot diseases.

4 . Cotton

In 2025, the major cotton pests and diseases expected to occur with moderate to severe incidence include cotton aphids, cotton leaf mites, thrips, cotton mirids, cotton bollworms, Verticillium wilt, seedling diseases (such as damping-off and seedling blight), and boll diseases (such as gummy stem blight and anthracnose).

Recommended pesticides and application stages:

• Sowing period: Use seed treatments such as thiamethoxam and imidacloprid to control aphids during the seedling stage, and benomyl or fludioxonil (to prevent seedling diseases).

• From the seedling stage to the bud stage: insecticides such as buprofezin and flonicamid may be used to control cotton aphids; fungicides like Bacillus subtilis and polyoxin can be applied to manage seedling diseases.

• Boll‑setting stage: Biological pesticides such as Bacillus thuringiensis and cotton bollworm nucleopolyhedrovirus can be used to control the cotton bollworm, while chemical agents like chlorantraniliprole and indoxacarb are effective against the cotton bollworm and the cotton mirid bug.

• Flower‑boll stage: aluminum tris(ethyl phosphonate) and polyoxin (for the control of boll disease).

The original text is as follows:

2025 Soybean Pest and Disease Control Technical Plan

According to forecasts from the National Agricultural Technology Center, in 2025, soybean diseases and pests are expected to occur at a moderate level nationwide, affecting an area of 135 million mu‑times, with severity higher than last year. Specifically, soybean root rot and soybean pod borer will be prevalent in the Northeast spring soybean region; beet armyworm will be widespread in the Huanghuaihai soybean–corn intercropping area; and tobacco whitefly will occur at a relatively severe level in southern Huanghuai. To effectively implement soybean disease and pest control measures in 2025, this plan has been formulated.

I. Prevention and Control Objectives

The loss rate due to pests and diseases is kept below 5%, with a dual focus on disease and pest control to boost both yield and quality. In major soybean-producing regions and in areas practicing strip intercropping, efforts are being intensified to integrate green pest management with unified, coordinated control, thereby ensuring the safety and quality of soybean production.

II. Prevention and Control Strategies

Adhering to the principle of prevention first and integrated pest management, we will rationally select resistant or tolerant varieties, strengthen seed treatment and sound cultivation practices, and comprehensively apply a range of technical measures—including cultural control, ecological regulation, physicochemical trapping, biological control, and judicious use of chemical pesticides—to boost yields across large areas.

III. Target Groups for Prevention and Control

(1) Northern Spring Soybean Region

Key pests and diseases to be rigorously managed include root rot, soybean cyst nematode, soybean pod borer, and soybean aphid, with attention also given to bacterial spot, sclerotinia stem rot, downy mildew, gray leaf spot, bean pod borer, red spider mite, cotton bollworm, alfalfa looper, soybean bud gall midge, as well as leaf beetles and underground pests.

(II) Huanghuai Summer Soybean Region

Key pests and diseases to be closely monitored and controlled include root rot, viral diseases, anthracnose, beet armyworm, stink bugs, and whiteflies, while also addressing stem blight (stem dieback), underground pests, cotton bollworm, soybean pod borer, bean pod borer, soybean aphids, and snails.

(3) The southern region is predominantly a soybean-growing area.

Key pests and diseases to be controlled include root rot, rust, viral diseases, anthracnose, the striped armyworm, the bean pod borer, and the bean stem fly; concurrent attention should also be given to the beet armyworm, the bean leafroller, the rice weevil, the spotted lanternfly, the rice green stink bug, and underground pests.

IV. Prevention and Control Measures

(1) Sowing period: Implement appropriate crop rotation and avoid early sowing under low soil temperatures. Select disease- and pest-resistant varieties, screen and carefully select high-quality seeds, and treat them with appropriate chemical agents. To control underground pests as well as seedling-stage pests such as leaf beetles and soybean aphids, use seed treatments containing thiamethoxam or similar active ingredients; in areas where grubs and other underground pests are recurrent, apply granular formulations of imidacloprid or Metarhizium anisopliae, either by broadcasting or incorporating them into the seed‑fertilizer mix. For managing root diseases like soybean root rot and cyst nematode disease, use seed treatments containing active ingredients such as fludioxonil–metalaxyl, pyraclostrobin, or emamectin benzoate.

(2) From the seedling stage to the branching stage: For leaf‑feeding pests, spray applications of chlorantraniliprole and similar products are recommended. For sap‑sucking pests, use chemical agents such as clothianidin–chlorpyrifos, thiamethoxam–chlorpyrifos‑methyl, or bifenthrin–flonicamid, or apply biopesticides like matrine or abamectin. To control viral diseases, promptly manage sap‑sucking pests to prevent virus transmission; this can be combined with foliar sprays of plant‑induced resistance agents such as aminooligosaccharides for preventive measures. In large, contiguous fields, integrate physical control methods—such as color traps and light traps—to monitor and suppress adult populations of pests including whiteflies, scarab beetles, and lepidopteran insects.

(3) From flowering to pod‑filling stage. In the early stages of disease, spray with azoxystrobin–flutriafol, benzoic acid–pyraclostrobin, propiconazole–pyraclostrobin, flusilazole, and other formulations to control rust, stem blight, anthracnose, and sclerotinia; use azoxystrobin–cymoxanil or fluopicolide–metalaxyl to manage downy mildew; and apply kasugamycin–copper, zinc thiazole, thiamethoxam, and similar products to control bacterial spot. At the same time, apply foliar fertilizers, growth regulators, and resistance‑inducing agents to strengthen plants and prevent premature senescence. During the initial flowering and pod‑setting phase, focus on controlling piercing‑sucking pests such as the soybean bug; deploy aggregation pheromone traps and spray with insecticides like thiamethoxam and buprofezin, while also managing other leaf‑feeding pests. In the pod‑filling and grain‑filling stage, prioritize control of pod‑borers such as the soybean pod borer and bean pod borer; use sex pheromones to trap adult moths, release Trichogramma wasps to destroy eggs, and apply Bacillus thuringiensis, chlorantraniliprole, or lambda‑cyhalothrin to control newly hatched larvae, concurrently managing other pests. Before mature larvae exit pods and burrow into the soil, evenly spray the soil surface with Beauveria bassiana powder to suppress overwintering larvae. When snails and other mollusks cause damage, apply metaldehyde or a combination of metaldehyde and molluscicide to control them.

(4) Harvesting period: Straw is chopped and returned to the field, followed by deep plowing and harrowing to reduce the initial population of pests and diseases.

V. Precautions

(1) The number of registered pesticide products for soybeans is limited. The formulations mentioned in this plan are for reference only. Pesticides should be selected scientifically in accordance with the relevant regulations and guidance issued by local agricultural and rural affairs authorities, with due attention paid to rational rotation and alternating use of active ingredients.

(2) In the early stages of pest and disease outbreaks, prioritize non-chemical control measures such as biological and physical methods, while safeguarding and harnessing natural enemies and biodiversity. For leaf‑feeding pests, during the vegetative growth phase of soybeans, appropriately relax control thresholds to reduce chemical applications, and emphasize precise management during the flowering, pod‑setting, and grain‑filling stages.

(3) Strengthen the integration of plant protection equipment—such as seed‑treatment machines, sprayers, and drones—with corresponding operational techniques to ensure both effective implementation and safety.

Technical Plan for the Control and Management of Pests and Diseases in Strip Intercropping of Soybeans and Corn, 2025

In the soybean–corn intercropping zones, plant density is high and pest and disease complexes are diverse. Pests and diseases such as the beet armyworm, the oriental armyworm, the brown marmorated stink bug, stem rot, root rot, and leaf spot disease pose an increased risk of severe outbreaks in certain areas. To ensure effective pest and disease management for intercropping in 2025, this plan has been specially formulated.

I. Prevention and Control Strategies

Adhering to the principle of prevention first and integrated pest management, with a focus on the coordinated control of major pests and diseases under the soybean–corn intercropping system, we comprehensively apply techniques such as healthy cultivation, physicochemical trapping and monitoring, biological control, and judicious use of pesticides. By seizing critical periods of pest and disease emergence to implement integrated management, and by making rational use of high‑efficiency plant protection equipment, we effectively enhance control efficacy and ensure both production and product quality and safety.

II. Target Pests and Diseases

(1) Southwest Intercropping and Relay Cropping Zone

Corn: ear rot, leaf spot, sheath blight, northern corn leaf blight, gray leaf spot, southern rust, fall armyworm, European corn borer, peach fruit borer, beet armyworm, cotton bollworm, aphids, and others. Soybean: root rot, rust, viral diseases, anthracnose, beet armyworm, soybean pod borer, bean stem fly, sweet potato budworm, rice green stink bug, and underground pests, among others.

(II) Northwest Intercropping Model Zone

Corn: rust, stalk rot, northern corn leaf blight, European corn borer, aphids, spider mites, cotton bollworm, soil‑borne pests, and the two‑spotted longhorned leaf beetle, among others. Soybean: root rot, downy mildew, gray leaf spot, soybean pod borer, soybean aphid, bean pod borer, red spider mite, cotton bollworm, leaf beetles, and soil‑borne pests, among others.

(3) Intercropping Model Zone in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain and the Middle–Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River

Corn: southern rust, ear rot, brown spot, Curvularia leaf spot, small spot, stalk rot, as well as corn borer, cotton bollworm, armyworm, peach fruit borer, aphids, thrips, and others. Soybean: root rot, viral diseases, anthracnose, Phomopsis stem blight (stem dieback), beet armyworm, cotton bollworm, beet armyworm, bean bug, tobacco whitefly, soybean pod borer, soybean seed moth, and underground pests, among others.

III. Prevention and Control Measures

(1) Sowing period: Select disease- and pest-resistant varieties and adopt appropriate planting density. For maize, choose compact, high-density-tolerant cultivars; seed treatment should primarily target aphids, thrips, stalk rot, and smut. For soybeans, select shade-tolerant varieties; seed treatment should focus on controlling soybean root rot, Phomopsis stem rot, soil-borne pests, and leaf beetles. Use seed coatings containing active ingredients such as cyantraniliprole + fludioxonil, thifluzamide, pyraclostrobin, thiamethoxam, and imidacloprid. In different regions, select formulations tailored to the predominant local diseases and pests.

(2) Seedling stage to the corn whorl stage (soybean branching stage). First, physical and chemical control measures: deploy insecticidal lamps, sex pheromones, food attractants, and colored sticky traps to trap adult pests. Second, biological control measures: apply Bacillus thuringiensis, Beauveria bassiana, nuclear polyhedrosis virus, Metarhizium anisopliae, and Serratia marcescens to manage early‑instar larvae. Third, chemical control measures: use chlorantraniliprole, emamectin benzoate, spinosad, thiamethoxam, and other products to manage fall armyworm, European corn borer, cotton bollworm, aphids, whiteflies, and other pests; employ abamectin and etoxazole to control spider mites; and apply pyraclostrobin, tebuconazole, and ningnanmycin to manage foliar diseases of corn and soybeans, with plant‑induced resistance agents optionally used in combination to enhance crop stress tolerance.

(3) From flowering (corn tasseling stage) to maturity. Building on early‑season control measures, based on the incidence of northern corn leaf blight, southern corn leaf blight, southern rust, brown spot, ear rot, and borers in corn; as well as soybean rust, leaf spot, pod borer, soybean podworm, and beet armyworm, select appropriate fungicides—such as Bacillus subtilis, Jinggangmycin, pyraclostrobin–fluoxastrobin, benzoic acid–azoxystrobin, and propiconazole–azoxystrobin—and insecticides—including chlorantraniliprole, lambda‑cyhalothrin, deltamethrin, and thiamethoxam—and apply them in properly formulated tank mixes for integrated management. To control snails and slugs, broadcast polyaldehyde–carbamate granules. For managing stink bugs, employ pheromone traps or spray with agents such as thiamethoxam.

IV. Precautions

(1) In soybean fields with heavy canopy shading, plant growth regulators should be used to control excessive vegetative growth. Products such as uniconazole or paclobutrazol may be applied once during the soybean branching stage; in severely affected plots, an additional spray can be applied during the flowering stage.

(2) When applying pesticides with unmanned aerial vehicles, be sure to add adjuvants such as wetting agents, and ensure a spray volume of at least 1.5 liters per mu. For pest control, seize the optimal window during the early larval stages, and implement integrated pest management with the goals of protecting seedlings, preserving the heart leaf, and ensuring yield. After harvest, promptly chop or bale crop residues to reduce the amount of diseased plant debris and pest sources remaining in the field.

Technical Plan for the Control of Major Cotton Diseases and Pests in 2025

According to forecasts from the National Agricultural Technology Center, by 2025, cotton aphids, cotton leaf mites, thrips, cotton mirids, cotton bollworms, Verticillium wilt, seedling diseases (including damping-off, sudden death, and anthracnose), and boll diseases (such as blight, anthracnose, and red rot) are expected to occur widely across all cotton-growing regions. Meanwhile, whiteflies, beet armyworms, soil-dwelling pests (including cutworms, mole crickets, and grubs), wilt disease, and beet armyworms will be localized in certain areas. To effectively implement pest and disease management for cotton in 2025 and ensure the safety of cotton production, this plan has been specially formulated.

I. Prevention and Control Strategies

Emphasize preventive measures during the pre-sowing and seedling stages, and pest‑management strategies during the bud‑and‑boll stage. Prioritize the use of resistant or tolerant varieties, seed treatments, ecological regulation, agronomic practices, and biological control to fully leverage cotton’s intrinsic compensatory capacity and the sustained pest‑suppressing power of natural enemies. Give preference to bio‑based and environmentally friendly pesticides, promote compliance with residue‑limit standards and precision application, and thereby achieve effective pest control while safeguarding bolls and ensuring yield. Integrate green pest management with professional, unified pest‑control services to enhance efficacy and reduce the intensity of chemical pesticide use.

II. Key Areas of Prevention and Control

(1) Northwest Inland Cotton Region: This includes the cotton-growing areas of Xinjiang and Gansu. Key pests and diseases to be controlled include cotton aphids, cotton leaf mites, thrips, cotton mirids, cotton bollworms, Verticillium wilt, seedling diseases, and boll diseases. Close attention should also be paid to whiteflies, beet armyworms, and Fusarium wilt.

(2) Cotton-growing regions in the Yellow River Basin, including Hebei, Shandong, Henan, Tianjin, Shanxi, and Shaanxi. Priority control measures should target cotton aphids, cotton mirids, cotton bollworms, whiteflies, cotton leaf mites, Verticillium wilt, seedling diseases, and boll diseases, while closely monitoring thrips, beet armyworms, and Fusarium wilt.

(3) Cotton-growing regions in the Yangtze River Basin, including Jiangsu, Anhui, Hubei, Jiangxi, and Hunan. Priority control measures should target cotton mirids, cotton leaf mites, cotton bollworms, cotton aphids, beet armyworms, seedling diseases, and boll diseases, while closely monitoring Verticillium wilt, Fusarium wilt, thrips, whiteflies, pink bollworms, and beet armyworms.

III. Prevention and Control Measures

(1) Prevention and Control Technologies

1. Select disease- and pest-resistant varieties. Based on local conditions, choose cultivars resistant to Fusarium wilt and tolerant to Verticillium wilt; give priority to insect-resistant cotton varieties that also exhibit strong resistance or tolerance to diseases, and sow at the appropriate time to prevent seedling diseases.

2. Seed treatment. Based on the predominant pests and diseases during the seedling stage, select appropriate insecticides and fungicides for seed coating. Insecticides may include thiamethoxam or imidacloprid seed treatments, while fungicides can include difenoconazole, fludioxonil, or pyraclostrobin, among others.

3. Ecological regulation. In the inland cotton-growing regions of Northwest China, plants such as alfalfa are sown along field edges and within shelterbelts, while functional plant strips—featuring bitter vetch, licorice, camel thorn, ramie, and tamarisk—are maintained along field borders. Co‑planting cotton with winter wheat is encouraged. In other cotton‑growing areas, flowering plants like snakegrass, cosmos, and zinnias are planted at field margins or in strip plantings to attract and harbor natural enemies, thereby enhancing their capacity to control pests such as cotton aphids, cotton bollworms, cotton leaf mites, and cotton mirids. In areas where cotton bollworms are prevalent, corn is intercropped with cotton, and hempseed strips are established along field edges to lure adult bollworms for oviposition, allowing for concentrated eradication. Around cotton fields and along field borders, early‑maturing mustard-type rapeseed, safflower, and sunflower strips can serve as trap crops, helping to either block pest movement or concentrate them for targeted control of pests like grassland mirids.

4. Conservation and utilization of natural enemies. First, conserve and utilize natural enemies: during the early growth stage of cotton, prioritize protecting and harnessing the natural enemies already present in the field; after harvesting wheat and rapeseed, leave crop residues in the field for 2–3 days to encourage the migration of beneficial insects such as lady beetles and lacewings into the cotton fields. Second, conduct artificial releases of natural enemies: at the onset of peak adult emergence of the cotton bollworm, release egg‑parasitizing wasps—such as Trichogramma pretiosum or T. chilonis—2–3 times per generation, with intervals of 3–5 days, releasing 10,000 individuals per mu each time to reduce bollworm larval populations. During localized outbreaks of cotton leaf mites, hang one bag containing predatory mites—such as Amblyseius cucumeris, Neoseiulus baraki, or Neoseiulus fallacis—per central plant, releasing 100,000 individuals per mu each time to help control mite populations.

5. Physicochemical trapping and control. From the onset of the overwintering generation’s adult emergence to the end of the final generation, apply cotton bollworm sex pheromone lures across contiguous cotton fields and adjacent host‑crop areas: first, for mating disruption, use a high‑dose pheromone smart‑spraying device—install one unit per 3 mu—or place bag‑type pheromone dispensers in the field, at an average of six per mu. Second, for mass‑attraction and killing, set up one volatilizing lure core and a dry‑type moth trap per mu; in the Yangtze River Basin cotton region, particularly in areas where the beet armyworm is prevalent, apply beet armyworm sex pheromone lures on contiguous plots, using one volatilizing core and a noctuid‑type trap per mu to attract and kill adults, thereby reducing egg deposition in the field. Third, apply bio‑food attractants across contiguous areas: 1–2 days before the emergence of the primary pest generation of noctuid moths (such as the cotton bollworm, cutworms, and beet armyworm), apply the product in strip‑like bands by drip irrigation, evenly spraying the upper leaf surfaces of cotton plants along a single row every 50–80 meters; this can effectively lure and kill adult moths.

6. Agronomic practices: Maintain field cleanliness by promptly removing cotton stalks and remnants of pests and diseases after harvest. In autumn, conduct deep plowing; in regions where conditions permit, irrigate during the fall and winter to conserve soil moisture, thereby reducing the overwintering population of pests and pathogens. Employ selective herbicides that are safe for beneficial plants to control weeds along field edges that do not harbor natural enemies, or perform inter-row cultivation to suppress weed growth and minimize pest‑induced crop damage. In the Northwest cotton-growing area, adopt a rational crop‑rotation plan, avoiding close proximity between cotton fields and large areas of spring corn, processing tomatoes, or cruciferous crops, and keeping cotton fields away from concentrated greenhouse complexes to reduce the risk of pest migration and associated damage caused by cotton bollworms, cotton mirids, and whiteflies.

(II) Rational Drug Use Techniques

1. Cotton aphid. When the beneficial–pest ratio falls below the threshold for control, and in cotton-growing areas of the Yellow River Basin and the inland Northwest, if the proportion of plants with curled leaves reaches 5%–10% before the third true leaf stage, or 10%–20% after the fourth true leaf stage, targeted spot‑treatment with insecticides should be carried out. In regions where conditions permit, it is recommended to use remote-sensing monitoring to guide precision application. For summer‑season aphids, when the average number of aphids on the middle, upper, and lower leaves of a single plant exceeds 200–300 individuals, whole‑field control is advised. Appropriately alternate the use of agents such as flonicamid, sulfoxaflor, flonicamid‑nitenpyram, cyantraniliprole, and pymetrozine.

2. Cotton leaf mite. When outbreaks are localized or the percentage of infested plants is below 15%, treat only the central plants; when the infestation rate exceeds 15%, implement whole-field control. Recommended acaricides include etoxazole, etofenprox, pyridaben, and abamectin. In areas where conditions permit, during the localized outbreak stage, it is advisable to use remote-sensing monitoring to guide precision application of pesticides.

3. Thrips. During the seedling and bud stages, tobacco thrips are the primary pest; control is achieved mainly through seed treatments containing thiamethoxam or imidacloprid. In the flowering and boll‑setting stage, flower thrips predominate; spray applications of Metarhizium anisopliae or thiamethoxam are recommended for management.

4. Cotton mirid bugs. Focus on protecting flower buds and the growing tip; apply pesticides when threshold levels are reached. Control thresholds: In the inland cotton-growing regions of Northwest China, the dominant species is the grass mirid bug, with a threshold of 12 bugs per 100 plants during the bud stage, 20 during the flowering stage, and 40 during the boll stage; in the Yellow River Basin, the main pests are the three-spotted mirid and the green mirid, with thresholds of 5 bugs per 100 plants at the bud stage and 10 at the flowering–boll stage; in the Yangtze River Basin, the primary pests are the green mirid and the medium‑black mirid, with a threshold of 3% newly damaged plants or 5 bugs per 100 plants. Apply insecticides from the field edges inward, using formulations such as Metarhizium anisopliae, acetamiprid, thiamethoxam, and flonicamid.

5. Cotton bollworm. Prioritize the use of biological pesticides such as cotton bollworm nucleopolyhedrovirus, cabbage looper nucleopolyhedrovirus, Bacillus thuringiensis, Bacillus subtilis var. aizawai, azadirachtin, and spinosad. For chemical pesticides, select chlorantraniliprole, flufenoxuron, indoxacarb, and flufenoxuron.

6. Seedling diseases. Prevention should primarily rely on seed coating; use seed treatments such as fludioxonil, metalaxyl‑M, and azoxystrobin. At the onset of the disease—especially during cold, overcast, and rainy conditions—apply appropriate chemical controls promptly, employing sprays containing Bacillus subtilis, kasugamycin, or oxymatrine.

7. Verticillium wilt and Fusarium wilt. Use Bacillus subtilis–based seed coatings. From the seedling stage through the bud stage, apply Bacillus subtilis, amino‑oligosaccharides, allicin, or similar products by foliar spray or fertigation during the pre‑disease period or at the early onset of symptoms.

8. Boll rot. Before the onset of the disease or at its earliest stage, focus spraying on flower buds and young bolls for preventive control; alternatively, apply preventive sprays before rainfall during the flowering–boll‑setting period, and follow up with timely post‑rain applications to contain the disease. Recommended fungicides include aluminum tris(ethyl phosphonate) and kasugamycin.

IV. Precautions

(1) Prioritize the use of biopesticides and highly selective chemical pesticides that are safe for natural enemies, while emphasizing the regional conservation of cotton-field natural enemies and the sustainable management of cotton ecosystems.

(2) Based on resistance monitoring results for pests such as cotton aphids, the use of highly effective cypermethrin, deltamethrin, and imidacloprid is temporarily suspended; the number of applications of carbofuran is strictly limited; and agents with different modes of action—such as flonicamid, flupyradifurone, and sulfoxaflor—are rotated to prevent repeated use of the same pesticide within a single growing season.

(3) Strictly comply with pesticide application procedures and observe the pesticide safety interval.

2025 Peanut Pest and Disease Control Technical Plan

According to forecasts from the National Agricultural Technology Extension Center, in 2025, major peanut diseases and pests are expected to occur at a moderate level nationwide, affecting an area of 110 million mu‑times. Peanut leaf spot, cotton bollworm, and underground pests are likely to be more severe in certain localized areas. To ensure effective management of peanut diseases and pests in 2025, this plan has been specially formulated.

I. Prevention and Control Strategies

Adhere to a prevention-first, integrated pest management approach; promote the use of resistant or tolerant varieties; comprehensively apply techniques such as healthy cultivation, physicochemical trapping and control, and biological control; ensure the scientific and safe application of high‑efficacy, low‑risk pesticides; advance full‑cycle green pest and disease management for peanuts; and safeguard peanut production and quality safety.

II. Target Groups for Prevention and Control

Key pests and diseases to be controlled include underground pests, beet armyworm, brown spot, white mold, and stem rot; also address root rot, black spot, net blotch, fruit rot, rust, bacterial wilt, cotton bollworm, striped armyworm, aphids, thrips, and leaf mites.

III. Prevention and Control Measures

1. Sowing period: Focus on controlling soil-borne diseases and underground pests. Rotate crops with cereals such as corn, tailored to local conditions, and carry out timely deep tillage. Select high‑quality, high‑yielding varieties that are resistant or tolerant to key stresses, sow at the appropriate time, and plant at an optimal density. Based on the incidence of soil-borne diseases, underground pests, and sap‑sucking insects, prepare seed treatments by appropriately mixing fungicides such as fludioxonil, metalaxyl‑manganese zinc, and azoxystrobin with insecticides like imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, and clothianidin. During seed dressing, consider adding plant growth regulators—such as brassinolide, indole‑3‑butyric acid, or kinetin—or immune‑inducing agents like aminooligosaccharides to promote plant growth and development and enhance stress tolerance and resistance to diseases and pests. When sowing, apply Beauveria bassiana or Metarhizium anisopliae in furrows to control underground pests.

2. Seedling stage: Focus on controlling stem rot, root rot, and sap-sucking pests. At the early onset of stem rot, root rot, and similar diseases, apply fungicides such as tetramycin, thifluzamide–tebuconazole, or thifluzamide–pyraclostrobin by spraying the base of the stems. For sap-sucking pests like aphids, thrips, and spider mites, use insecticides such as deltamethrin for foliar application, while also taking measures to prevent virus diseases transmitted by these pests. For grubs, wireworms, and cutworms, either drench the roots with a solution of flufenoxuron or apply granular formulations mixed with sand.

3. From flowering and pegging to full fruit maturity. Focus on the prevention and control of foliar and rhizome diseases, as well as lepidopteran pests. At the early stages of foliar diseases such as brown spot, black spot, net blotch, and rust, apply biopesticides like Bacillus subtilis or polyoxin, or spray with chemical fungicides such as azoxystrobin‑fluquinconazole, pyraclostrobin, or benzo‑pyrimethanil‑azoxystrobin. Before peanut rows close, drench the base of the stems with fungicides including Bacillus subtilis, thifluzamide, fluopyram‑azoxystrobin, thifluzamide‑tebuconazole, or fluazinam to prevent and control white mold, root rot, stem rot, and fruit rot. Ensure proper irrigation and drainage to maintain optimal field moisture levels.

During the emergence periods of the beet armyworm, cotton bollworm, striped armyworm, and cutworms, use insecticidal lamps, sex pheromone traps, and food attractants to trap and kill adult insects, and apply cypermethrin or fenvalerate–malathion formulations to control larvae. During the peanut pod‑filling stage, employ phoxim granules or thiamethoxam granules to manage underground pests such as white grubs.

In peanut fields with dense plant stands and vigorous growth, apply plant growth regulators such as uniconazole, calcium cyclamate, or paclobutrazol–mepiquat chloride during the flowering and pegging stage to control excessive vegetative growth.

IV. Precautions

(1) At the early stage of pest and disease outbreaks, prioritize non-chemical control measures such as biological and physical methods, and take care to protect and harness natural enemies.

(2) When using sex pheromone traps, it is advisable to deploy them over large, contiguous areas; pheromone lures targeting different pest species must not be placed in the same trap.

(3) Light‑based trapping should be conducted during the peak emergence period of adult pests and their nocturnal activity, with efforts made to minimize impacts on natural enemies and non‑target organisms.

Technical Plan for the Control of Major Diseases and Pests of Sunflowers in 2025

According to forecasts from the National Agricultural Technology Center, major sunflower diseases and pests are expected to occur at a moderate level nationwide in 2025. Common sunflower diseases and pests include sclerotinia rot, verticillium wilt, downy mildew, rust, white rust, leaf spot, brown spot, broomrape, sunflower stem borer, cotton bollworm, flower thrips, armyworm, two-spotted long-legged leaf beetle, mirids, white-spotted chafer, aphids, and underground pests, among others. To effectively implement control measures for these key sunflower diseases and pests in 2025, this plan has been specially formulated.

I. Prevention and Control Strategies

Adhering to the principles of “tailoring measures to local conditions, implementing region-specific strategies, and providing category‑based guidance,” we comprehensively employ green pest‑management techniques—including agronomic practices, physicochemical trapping and control, biological control, and the judicious use of pesticides—while coordinating pest and disease management with honeybee pollination safety. We also organize timely emergency control measures to ensure the production and quality safety of sunflowers.

II. Target Pests and Diseases

1. Seedling stage: In the Xinjiang and Gansu production areas, the primary focus is on controlling Sclerotinia stem rot and underground pests. In the Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Shaanxi, and Shanxi production areas, the main targets are Verticillium wilt, Sclerotinia stem rot, and underground pests. In the Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Hebei production areas, the emphasis is on managing rust and underground pests.

2. Bud‑formation stage: In the Xinjiang and Gansu production areas, the primary focus is on controlling Sclerotinia rot, white rust, and underground pests. In the Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Shaanxi, and Shanxi production areas, the main targets are sunflower stem borer, Verticillium wilt, thrips, Sclerotinia rot, downy mildew, sunflower broomrape, and grass cutworm. In the Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Hebei production areas, the emphasis is on managing sclerotial rot of the head, Verticillium wilt, black spot, brown spot, rust, and underground pests.

3. Flowering stage: In the Xinjiang and Gansu production areas, the primary targets are Sclerotinia stem rot, Verticillium wilt, white rust, sunflower broomrape, flower thrips, cotton bollworm, mirids, and sunflower moth. In the Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Shaanxi, and Shanxi production areas, the main pests and diseases to be controlled include sunflower moth, flower thrips, Verticillium wilt, Sclerotinia stem rot, sunflower broomrape, and grass cutworm. In the Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Hebei production areas, the focus is on managing sclerotial rot, Verticillium wilt, rust, and sunflower broomrape.

4. Maturity stage: In the Xinjiang and Gansu production areas, the primary targets are sunflower broomrape, cotton bollworm, sunflower stem borer, flower thrips, and mirids. In the Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Shaanxi, and Shanxi production areas, the main pests and diseases to be controlled include the sunflower stem borer, sclerotinia rot, sunflower broomrape, and grass cutworm. In the Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Hebei production areas, the primary focus is on managing sunflower broomrape.

III. Prevention and Control Measures

(1) Preventive Technologies

1. Select disease-resistant or tolerant varieties. Based on local conditions, choose cultivars resistant to or tolerant of Sclerotinia stem rot, Verticillium wilt, rust, and sunflower broomrape, and avoid planting highly susceptible varieties.

2. Agronomic practices: In late autumn, till the soil to destroy diseased and dead plant residues, and promptly remove infected plants from the field to reduce primary inoculum sources. Rotate crops with gramineous and leguminous species, and implement appropriate intercropping; eliminate weeds of the Chenopodiaceae family and host plants of the western flower thrips in and around the fields to effectively decrease overwintering populations of mirids and lower the densities of larvae of the beet armyworm and western flower thrips. Sow at an optimal late date and maintain appropriate planting density. Apply bio‑fertilizer in furrows at sowing, increase base fertilizer application, and supplement with timely topdressing to enhance the plants’ disease resistance.

3. Pre-planting prevention: Before sowing, apply seed treatments—such as seed coating, seed dressing, or seed soaking—using appropriate fungicides and insecticides tailored to the specific target pests and diseases, including fludioxonil and thiamethoxam.

(II) Non-chemical Green Pest Control Technologies

1. Physical and chemical control: During the peak emergence of adult sunflower moths and cotton bollworms, deploy 25–30 pheromone traps per hectare in a checkerboard pattern at equal intervals to trap and kill adults. During the bud‑formation stage, hang blue sticky traps to capture flower thrips, positioning them 10 cm above the sunflower plants. Use insecticidal lamps to control sunflower moths, cotton bollworms, and underground pests. For cotton bollworms, employ food‑attractant devices for trapping and killing.

2. Biological control: During the bud‑formation and flowering stages of sunflowers, Trichogramma pretiosum can be released manually to control sunflower moths and cotton bollworms, while Orius similis can be used to manage thrips. In the early flowering stage, Bacillus thuringiensis can be applied selectively to the flower heads to control larvae.

(3) Pesticide-based pest control technology

1. Sclerotinia rot. In fields with severe recurrence, apply fungicides such as procymidone or fludioxonil during the initial flowering stage for control.

2. Rust disease. Field trials across different regions have demonstrated that spraying pyraclostrobin or propiconazole at the early stage of infection yields good results; based on these trial and demonstration findings, the scope of application can be expanded.

3. Black spot disease. Field trials across different regions have demonstrated that, at the early stage of infection, timely applications of mancozeb, chlorothalonil, or iprodione—repeated every 7 to 10 days for 2 to 3 consecutive sprays—yield good control. Based on these trial results, the scope of application can be expanded.

4. Brown spot disease. In the early stages of the disease, alternate between fungicides such as carbendazim and thiophanate‑methyl, applying them at intervals of 7–10 days for a total of 2–3 sprays.

5. Sunflower borer, cotton bollworm, and grass webworm. Field trials across different regions have demonstrated that spraying with Bacillus thuringiensis, cotton bollworm nucleopolyhedrovirus, chlorantraniliprole, emamectin benzoate–indoxacarb, chlorantraniliprole, deltamethrin, lambda‑cyhalothrin, and diflubenzuron yields good control when applied before the newly hatched larvae bore into the flower head; on the basis of these trials and demonstrations, the scope of application can be expanded.

6. Flower thrips. During the seedling stage through the bud stage, it can be managed concurrently with other diseases and pests.

7. Mirid bugs. Field trials across different regions have demonstrated that, when infestations are severe, spray applications of chemical agents such as lambda‑cyhalothrin and flonicamid can achieve good control. Given the strong migratory capacity of adult mirids, it is especially important to coordinate timing and organize integrated pest management efforts during treatment.

IV. Precautions

(1) When employing light‑based trapping techniques, use insecticidal lamps designed for specific wavelength bands and adjust the light spectrum according to the time of day; broad‑spectrum insecticidal lamps are prohibited.

(2) When employing sex pheromone‑based trapping techniques, large contiguous areas should be managed under unified pest control, and lure cores targeting different pest species must not be placed in the same trap.

(3) During the sunflower flowering period, the use of sticky insect traps is prohibited to avoid unintentional harm to honeybees, and the application of pesticides toxic to bees is forbidden. Pesticide applications should, whenever possible, be scheduled during times when honeybees are not foraging.

(4) Use registered pesticides for sunflowers, or select varieties based on temporary pesticide recommendations issued by the local provincial agricultural authorities; strictly observe the pre-harvest interval; and emphasize rotational use of pesticides to delay the development of resistance.

Source: National Agricultural Technology Extension Network