Latest Data Analysis of China’s Seed Treatment Agent Registration Overview and Common Issues

Release Date:

2018-10-25

As an efficient crop protection strategy, seed treatment technology—characterized by low input costs, high economic returns, minimal environmental impact, and significant social benefits—has become a key lever for reducing pesticide use while enhancing efficacy and advancing green agricultural development in China. Seed treatment agents, serving as the delivery vehicles for this technology, have garnered growing attention and recognition from producers. In recent years, their share of both domestic and international pesticide markets has steadily expanded, with a continuous increase in the number of registered products. This paper summarizes the current landscape of seed treatment agent registration, analyzes its distinctive features and emerging trends, and reviews the key considerations involved in the registration and evaluation process.

seed As an efficient crop protection method, treatment technology—characterized by low input costs, high economic returns, minimal environmental impact, and significant social benefits—has become a driving force in China. Pesticide An important lever for reducing inputs while enhancing efficiency and promoting green agricultural development. seed The treatment agent as seed The carrier of treatment technologies has garnered growing attention and recognition from a broad spectrum of agricultural producers. In recent years, seed Treatment agents, both domestically and internationally Pesticide The market share continues to grow, and the number of registered products is steadily increasing. This paper examines the current… seed A summary of the registration status of treatment agents has been compiled, and an analysis has been conducted. seed The characteristics and trends of treatment agent registration have been summarized. seed Common issues encountered in the registration review of treatment agents, intended to provide guidance and assistance to applicants.

1 Our country seed Overview of Treatment Agent Registration

1.1 Registered quantity

Since 1985, the first seed Since the treatment product (35% metalaxyl seed dressing, used to control white leaf blight in millet) obtained formal registration in China, seed Treatment agents have undergone more than 30 years of development. As of the end of 2017, China had registered… seed There are a total of 762 treatment agents (including 393 single‑component products and 369 formulated mixtures), accounting for approximately 2% of the total number of registered products.

Before the year 2000, seed The development of treatment agents has been very slow; by the year 2000, there were only five. seed Treatment products have obtained registration. After 2000, the number of registered products gradually increased, and began to grow rapidly around 2010. As shown in Figure 1, in 2012, newly registered products… seed There were 35 treatment agents, nearly doubling compared to 2010. Thereafter, seed The number of registered treatment agents has generally shown a steady upward trend. Even in 2016, when the number of registered products declined significantly, nearly 70 remained. seed Registration of treatment agents. With the goal of green agricultural development and a relative shortage of rural labor, in order to… seed The development of processing agents presents opportunities.

1.2 Registration of Active Ingredients and Formulations

As of the end of 2017, those that had obtained registration seed The formulation products comprise a total of 45 active ingredients (Table 1). The top five active ingredients are thiram, carbofuran, imidacloprid, clothianidin, and tebuconazole; products containing these five active ingredients account for more than 50% of the total registered volume. A total of 164 registered formulations have been recorded (including 38 single‑ingredient products), with the top 20 formulations listed in Table 2.

Currently registered seed Among treatment agents, products containing older active ingredients such as thiram, imidacloprid, and tebuconazole account for a significant share, and formulations with highly toxic active substances like carbofuran also hold a notable presence; the product mix therefore requires adjustment. In addition, seed Treatment agents are predominantly registered as mixtures; among the top 20 most‑registered formulations, 13 are compound formulations, including 9 binary mixtures and 4 ternary mixtures. In recent years, with the gradual introduction of an increasing number of newly approved active ingredients—such as novel succinate dehydrogenase inhibitors, amide‑type insecticides, microbial preparations, and plant growth regulators—this has paved the way for… seed The optimization and upgrading of treatment agents have expanded the range of available options.

1.3 Registered Dosage Forms

At present, China has a total of 15 dosage forms. seed Treatment agents have been registered, and the registered products exhibit a high degree of formulation concentration. Among them, the number of registered suspension seed coatings accounts for approximately 80% of the total registrations, followed by… seed Handling dispersible powders, seed The proportion of each suspending agent is approximately 7% (Figure 2).

1.4 Registration Subject

According to statistics, China currently has… seed The treatment agents have been registered for a total of 15 crops, with the majority concentrated in… Corn 、 Wheat 、 Cotton , rice, Peanut 、 Soybean (Figure 3) covers more than 40 target pests and diseases, primarily aphids, soil‑borne and seed‑borne pathogens, as well as seedling‑stage diseases.

In summary, at present, China… seed The registration of treatment agents is characterized by the following four main aspects: first, the number of products is relatively small. Although since 2010… seed The number of registered treatment agents continues to rise, but… Pesticide They account for only about 2% of the total product portfolio, leaving ample room for future growth. Secondly, the product mix urgently needs optimization. Established active ingredients such as thiamethoxam, imidacloprid, and difenoconazole remain key focuses in domestic registrations. In recent years, as… Pesticide The ongoing advancement of efforts to reduce inputs while enhancing efficiency, seed The treatment agent market continues to heat up, with the number of product registrations for formulations containing novel insecticides and fungicides steadily rising, thereby… seed The optimization and upgrading of treatment agents have injected fresh vitality. Third, suspension‑type seed coatings hold an overwhelming market share, accounting for approximately 80%. Meanwhile, microcapsule‑based suspension products with controlled release and prolonged efficacy are steadily gaining ground. Fourth, the registered scope of use remains relatively narrow, concentrated primarily in… Corn 、 Wheat 、 Cotton , rice, Soybean 、 Peanut The six major crop categories account for 95% of the total. seed The treatment agent market still has enormous growth potential, particularly in specialty crops such as vegetables.

2 2017 seed Registration Status of Treatment Agents

In 2017, 3,693 new products were registered, of which seed There are 153 treatment agents, including 85 single-agent formulations and 68 formulated mixtures.

2.1 Newly Registered Active Ingredients and Formulations in 2017

Newly registered in 2017 seed The treatment agents encompass a total of 27 active ingredients (Table 3), and a number of new compounds, including cyazofamid and chlorantraniliprole, have been added to the list. seed The product lineup has been streamlined, and the product portfolio has been optimized to a certain extent. A total of 50 registered formulations have been recorded (including 12 single‑ingredient products). The top 10 formulations and their respective registration numbers are listed in Table 4, with a marked increase in the share of formulated mixtures. In addition, products with higher toxicity levels… Pesticide The variety has largely faded from the scene.

2.2 Newly Registered Dosage Forms in 2017

Newly registered in 2017 seed The treatment agent pertains to suspension seed coatings, seed Handling suspending agents, seed Handling dispersible powders, seed Processing microcapsule suspension–suspending agent, seed Handling emulsions and seed It handles six dosage forms, including dry powder formulations. Among these, there are 112 suspended seed‑coating products. seed Processed 23 suspension agent products, seed Processed 13 products containing dispersible powders.

2.3 Newly Registered Entities in 2017

Newly registered in 2017 seed The treatment agents cover a total of eight crop species, with the crop names and registration frequencies (Figure 4) primarily concentrated on… Wheat , rice, Corn On these major grain crops, the share is approximately 74.8%. Compared with the overall registration situation, Wheat , registered for use on rice seed The treatment agent is on the rise, Corn 、 Cotton The number of registrations is steadily declining, closely linked to the restructuring of China’s agricultural sector.

In summary, new registrations in 2017 seed The product portfolio of crop protection agents has undergone certain adjustments, with imidacloprid, difenoconazole, and fludioxonil remaining the mainstay. Meanwhile, the addition of a number of new active ingredients, such as fluxapyroxad and chlorantraniliprole, will further enhance… seed The treatment agent market is gaining greater momentum. Furthermore, the registration‑based scope of pest control has become increasingly focused, which means… seed The treatment‑agent market still has considerable room for growth, particularly for specialty crops with high economic value. seed Processing products will open up greater opportunities for growth.

3 seed Common Issues in Registering Efficacy Data for Treatment Agents

seed The number of registered treatment products has been increasing year by year, and the review of efficacy data registration has also revealed several common issues, which can be broadly categorized into five key areas.

3.1 Unreasonable product formulation One scenario is that the content of the active ingredient fails to meet the required standards, such as in products containing fipronil. seed The treatment agent contains an excessively high level of fipronil. Another scenario occurs when, in a binary or ternary formulation, one of the components lacks a corresponding target for control—for example, a fungicide–insecticide mixture registered solely for rice thrips, or a product containing only the fungicidal active ingredient metalaxyl‑M. seed Treatment agents are used to control rice bakanae disease and other ailments.

3.2 Indoor Crop Safety Assessment The experimental design is unreasonable. seed The methods for assessing the safety of treatment agents to indoor crops should be in accordance with “…” Pesticide Part 3 of the Guidelines for Crop Safety Assessment: seed “Laboratory Test Method for Evaluating the Crop Safety of Treatment Agents” (NY/T 1965.3-2013), rather than “ Pesticide “Guideline for Crop Safety Assessment, Part 1: Laboratory Methods for Evaluating the Crop Safety of Fungicides and Insecticides.” The most significant difference between the two is that the former mandates the use of four test doses: the highest field‑trial dose recommended by the manufacturer, along with 1.5×, 2×, and 2.5× that dose.

3.3 Unreasonable selection of target organisms in indoor bioassay tests Appropriate test targets should be selected based on the characteristics of the formulation. For example, root rot can be caused by a variety of pathogens, including Pythium, Fusarium, and Phytophthora species. For broad-spectrum products, it may suffice to test against only one of these pathogens; however, when the product formulation contains active ingredients such as fludioxonil or metalaxyl‑M, the test targets should not be limited to Fusarium species that are insensitive to these compounds—Pythium and Phytophthora species should also be included.

3.4 The experimental design for formulation screening is unreasonable. The experimental design should be rationally tailored to the intended purpose of the product formulation, such as a ternary mixture comprising one insecticide and two fungicides. seed For the treatment agents, indoor bioassays for insecticidal activity and indoor formulation screening for two fungicides must be conducted separately, followed by an assessment of whether antagonistic interactions exist among the different components.

3.5 Unreasonable Design of Field Efficacy Trials Primarily, the selection of reference products and test‑dose levels fails to meet the requirements for evaluation. In general, for single‑ingredient products, a locally commonly used single‑ingredient formulation should be designated as the control; for formulated products, both the individual components and a locally widely used product should serve as controls; and the doses of the reference products should correspond to the locally customary application rates.

Source: Pesticide Inspection Institute, Ministry of Agriculture

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