The Pesticide Industry Has Thrived Over Seven Decades, Striving in the New Era—A Review of China’s Pesticide Industry Since the Founding of the People’s Republic of China 70 Years Ago

　　This year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. The past seven decades since the PRC’s establishment represent a landmark and glorious period in modern Chinese history, and also… Pesticide The magnificent and inspiring 70-year journey of industrial development. The founding of New China laid the foundation for our country… Pesticide Industrial development has ushered in a new era. Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Pesticide The industry has risen from the ashes, undergoing earth‑shaking transformations. As a country with a large agricultural population, ensuring people’s access to food and clothing has long been the top priority in national economic development. The development of agriculture is directly linked to addressing these fundamental needs, and… Pesticide It plays a crucial role in ensuring agricultural development; therefore, Pesticide Industry has consistently received high attention from the Party and the state. Over the past seventy years, from 1949 to 2019, China has… Pesticide the best period for industry development, Pesticide The industrial sector has undergone earth-shattering changes. At present, China has become a country with new… Pesticide The world’s largest producer of active pharmaceutical ingredients, with global leadership in production, innovation, and exports. Pesticide It has a foothold in the market; Pesticide The industrial sector has robustly safeguarded national food security and the supply of agricultural products, providing strong support for addressing the food needs of nearly one-fifth of the world’s population and for accelerating industrialization and urbanization. Pesticide The 70-year journey of industrial development has not only left an indelible mark on the modern history of our country but has also amassed a wealth of invaluable experience and valuable lessons for forging ahead in the new era.

　　1. Starting from scratch under extremely difficult conditions

　　On the eve of the founding of New China, our country had only a handful of extremely small-scale handicraft workshops. Pesticide The factory produces several mineral-based products, including realgar, calcium arsenate, lead arsenate, lime sulfur, rotenone, and copper sulfate. Pesticide and plants Pesticide , with annual production amounting to only a few dozen tons. Agricultural pests and diseases remained unchecked by any effective means. According to the History of China’s Chemical Industry, locust plagues alone occurred on average once every three years. When such infestations struck, skies were obscured and fields lay barren; vegetation was entirely consumed, leaving vast stretches of land desolate and yields nonexistent. Farmers were forced to abandon their homes, and starvation claimed countless lives, with corpses piled along the roads—a scene of profound misery. In short, prior to 1949, the nation’s strength had been severely weakened by the oppressive rule of the Kuomintang government, while warlords engaged in incessant internecine conflict and warfare raged unceasingly, leaving the people unable even to secure basic sustenance. Pesticide Industry had grown even more decadent and in decline, further compounded by the ravages of imperialism and the plundering of bureaucratic capital. Pesticide Industry was in a state of depression and stagnation, with outdated production methods that had long hindered development. On the eve of liberation, Pesticide The industry is in a precarious state, but there are also scattered… Pesticide Factory production Pesticide , only producing small quantities of plants and minerals Pesticide and the variety was limited, with extremely low output. However, like other national industries in old China, Pesticide The business is on its last legs.

　　In 1949, the People’s Republic of China was founded, opening a new chapter for China. Pesticide A new era in industrial development. Food is the paramount necessity of the people, and agriculture is the foundation of the nation. Since the founding of New China, the Party and the government have attached great importance to agricultural development, and our country… Pesticide Industry, too, was thus given a new lease on life. Following the founding of New China, the Party and the People’s Government attached great importance to the prevention and control of agricultural pests and diseases, and set about establishing and developing chemical… Pesticide Industry has been designated as a major task of utmost urgency. The People’s Republic of China Pesticide Industry also embarked on a difficult start from scratch. In October 1949, amid nationwide celebrations marking the founding of the People’s Republic, the Jiaodong Administrative Office of the Shandong Provincial People’s Government purchased the Jianyi Chemical Plant for 1,340 bolts of cloth—equivalent to RMB 3,900—and on this basis established Shandong… Pesticide The manufacturing plant, which was under the jurisdiction of the Industrial Department of the Shandong Provincial People’s Government, is now known as Shandong Dacheng. Pesticide The predecessor of the joint-stock company was Shandong. Pesticide And so the manufacturing plant was born. Thus, after liberation, China… Pesticide The industry has embarked on a new journey.

　　As early as 1949, Huang Ruilun, Xing Qiyi, Zhou Changhai, and others conducted research on the use of… seed A collaborative study was conducted on the trial preparation of phenylmercuric acetate as a disinfectant, using it as… seed Disinfectant. In 1950, Huang Ruilun, Xing Qiyi, and Zhou Changhai published in the journal Science Bulletin: seed An article titled “Trial Preparation of Organic Mercury Compounds as Disinfectants and the Synthesis of Mercury-Based Preparations.” In China, the synthesis of phosphate ester compounds and their application in agricultural production was pioneered by Hu Bingfang, Lu Qinfan, and others. In 1950, Professor Hu Bingfang of Beijing Agricultural University and his colleagues began investigating the synthetic process for the organophosphorus insecticide parathion. Hu Bingfang systematically studied and compared four methods for synthesizing parathion, concluding that Fletcher’s method using phosphorus pentasulfide was the simplest and most economical, with reaction conditions easy to control—laying the groundwork for large-scale domestic production of parathion. Building on this work, Lu Qinfan carried out design studies and initiated small-scale production of parathion. They also collaborated with the North China Institute of Agricultural Sciences to conduct pilot-scale trials, thereby establishing the conditions necessary for industrial-scale manufacturing. In 1950, it was decided to construct an organic chlorine-based DDT production facility at the Luzhou Chemical Plant in Sichuan. The plant’s workers, driven by great enthusiasm and selfless dedication, completed construction and commenced operations within just one year, producing 113 tons of DDT in that same year. Pesticide The North China Institute of Agricultural Sciences and the Shanghai Pesticide and Machinery Factory also successively developed another organochlorine compound. Pesticide Hexachlorocyclohexane, and it went into production in 1951. Although at that time these two… Pesticide Its production scale was small, its equipment rudimentary, and its technology still immature; nevertheless, it marked the beginning of China’s independent development of chemical organic synthesis. Pesticide Industry. Chemistry Pesticide Once put into use, it immediately demonstrated clear superiority. According to the History of China’s Chemical Industry, during the early years after liberation, within a 3,770-mu area plagued by locusts, records show that the use of DDT not only saved labor in pest control but also effectively curbed the damage locusts inflicted on crops. In 1951, 700 tons of the pesticide were applied, and 190,000 man-days were devoted to capturing and eliminating locust nymphs; in 1952, 2,000 tons were used, with 43 million man-days dedicated to the same task; in 1953, 9,000 tons were applied, requiring one million man-days for locust‑control efforts. After 1956, the use of… Pesticide This essentially ensures that locusts do not cause a disaster. Farmers have personally experienced the use of chemicals. Pesticide The benefits thereof urgently call for the industrial sector to increase Pesticide Production. In 1952, hexachlorocyclohexane and DDT production facilities were successively established at chemical plants in Shenyang, Tianjin, Dagukou, and other locations, with production capacity gradually expanded. At this time, the state allocated special funds to provide support. Pesticide In the research and production of , the manufacture of 666 was first resumed, and a number of facilities were subsequently built across the country. Pesticide Factory. For example, in 1950, a new DDT production workshop was built at the Luzhou Chemical Plant, which produced 113 tons in 1951. Subsequently, toxaphene, developed by the Zhejiang Institute of Chemical Research, also began to be manufactured in southern China. In early 1956, construction commenced on China’s first organophosphorus compound facility. Pesticide Factory (that is, present-day Tianjin) Pesticide factory), which was completed and put into operation at the end of 1957. This is China’s first organophosphorus compound… Pesticide The beginning of production. In the same year, the Shanghai Xincheng Chemical Plant and the Shanghai Agricultural Machinery and Pesticide Plant jointly succeeded in developing another organophosphorus insecticide, trichlorfon, which was officially put into mass production in 1958.

　　By the 1950s, the state had implemented public–private joint ventures and carried out the transformation of industry and commerce, thereby… Pesticide Its initial development was greatly promoted; in the early 1950s, the only fungicides produced and used in China were inorganic compounds such as lime-sulfur mixture, copper sulfate, colloidal sulfur, and barium polysulfide. Subsequently, organic mercury formulations like Sairisan and Xilisheng for seed treatment were also manufactured. In pursuit of copper–mercury-based agents… Pesticide Substitutes: In 1958, organic fungicides such as ammonium dithiocarbamate, zinc dithiocarbamate, mancozeb, and zineb were developed and put into production. During the First Five-Year Plan period, many pre‑liberation factories underwent expansion and modernization, resulting in improved product quality, an expanded range of formulations, and increased output. Additionally, new facilities were built or existing ones expanded in Shandong, Luzhou in Sichuan, Zhengzhou, Shanghai, Tianjin, Lianyungang, Nantong, as well as in Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Fujian, Hubei, and Hunan. Pesticide During the period from the early years of the People’s Republic of China to the 1960s, the major facilities that were successively developed and put into operation were… Pesticide The available formulations include sodium fluoride, sodium fluoroaluminate, carbon disulfide, copper sulfate, and rotenone. In 1951, Shandong Province successfully conducted the first domestic trial production of chloropicrin—a grain fumigant—using trichloroethylene as the raw material, and subsequently put it into mass production. Pesticide Major original pharmaceutical products: insecticides such as BHC technical grade, trichlorfon, anthracene oil emulsion, malathion, and ethyl parathion; fungicides including zineb, hexachlorobenzene, pentachloronitrobenzene, and dinitrophenol; rodenticide zinc phosphide; and plant growth regulators like 1-naphthylacetic acid, among others. New China Pesticide Industry got off the ground from scratch and achieved its initial development against a backdrop of widespread reconstruction and revitalization.

　　2. Tortuous Development Amidst Exploration and Progress

　　After the 1960s began, despite numerous difficulties and setbacks, Pesticide Industry continued to advance through exploration. Particularly in the early 1960s, our country… Pesticide Industry has been steadily advancing. In 1962, Mr. Yang Shixian submitted a report titled “On Our Country’s…” to the central leadership. Pesticide “Several Suggestions on Production, Particularly on Organophosphorus Production,” addressing organophosphorus… Pesticide Given the generally high toxicity of these compounds, it is recommended to prioritize the production of a few varieties with lower toxicity, while also adopting advanced pharmaceutical equipment and technologies to enhance efficacy and reduce costs. Furthermore, rigorous training should be provided to users to ensure safety. In the same year, at the behest of Premier Zhou Enlai, Mr. Yang Shixian established the Institute of Element‑Organic Chemistry at Nankai University, where he subsequently conducted research in areas such as organophosphorus chemistry, organic fluorine chemistry, and organic boron chemistry, thereby paving the way for the development of these fields in China. Pesticide has contributed to the road.

　　From 1964 to 1966, China successively put into production several organoarsenic fungicides, including fomezine, calcium methylarsonate, and thiram, thereby addressing urgent needs for controlling plant diseases. In the mid-1960s, the Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry isolated a fungicidal compound from garlic and, through synthesis and screening, identified an excellent candidate. Pesticide Antibiotic 402 is a new fungicide variety that was successfully developed through biomimetic screening for the first time in China. In 1965 and 1966, during these two years, some… Pesticide Factory, such as Zhangdian in Shandong. Pesticide The factory has put DDT and dimethoate into production; Qingdao. Pesticide The plant has officially commenced production of malathion and other products. Pesticide Variety. Around the 1960s, the state focused on developing… Pesticide It is given very high priority. In 1965, Premier Zhou Enlai pointed out that we must approach it with the same level of attention as… Fertilizer In that case, go all out. Pesticide production and scientific‑technological work to meet the needs of increasing agricultural output. To implement Premier Zhou’s directive, the State Science and Technology Commission and the Ministry of Chemical Industry convened a national conference in Hangzhou in September of the same year. Pesticide The science and technology work conference discussed and formulated the plan to… Pesticide The plan to increase annual production from 690,000 tons to 1 million tons has identified a series of key technological research projects. Following the meeting, Pesticide The workers on the front lines have launched a drive for development. Pesticide The new surge in production achieved the goal of one million tons per year in just over a year, by the end of 1966. In 1966, Pesticide Production increased by 36% compared to 1965. Meanwhile, organophosphorus compounds… Pesticide It rose from 8% of total output in 1964 to 13%. Pesticide The product quality and technical‑economic indicators, such as raw material consumption, have also reached their highest levels since the founding of the People’s Republic of China. After 1966, the state successively built a number of sizable, comprehensive… Pesticide Factories, such as those in Yongji, Shanxi; Zijiang, Hunan; Yongqing, Gansu; and Shashi, Hubei, among others. Pesticide factory, further expanded Pesticide production capacity. By 1966, three organophosphorus compounds had been developed, including monocrotophos and dimethoate. Pesticide as well as the herbicide Avena, the fungicide Leaf‑Blight‑Clear, the plant growth regulator Chlormequat, and other new… Pesticide , have been put into production one after another, and some have even become China’s… Pesticide the main varieties. During this period, following the industrialization of its earlier research on hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), the Shenyang Research Institute of Chemical Industry launched a series of additional studies, including improvements to the HCH production process to achieve continuous manufacturing (1954–1975), as well as organochlorine compounds such as dicofol (1965–1966) and trichlorfon (1963–1966). Pesticide ; organophosphorus Pesticide such as ethyl parathion (1957–1964), parathion (1961–1965), dichlorvos (1966), and methyl parathion (1964–1970); herbicides, including sodium 2,4‑dichlorophenoxyacetate (1959–1965), propanil (1963–1964), sodium pentachlorophenate (1956–1962), Oat‑Killer No. 2 (1967–1971), and chlorobenzonitrile (1964–1969); and fungicides, such as zinc dithiocarbamate (1963–1966), maneb (1965), copper 2,4,5‑trichlorophenolate (1959), and captan (1959). These studies became the foundation of China’s… Pesticide The earliest and most prominent research institutes under the ministry, as well as provincial and municipal chemical research institutions ( Pesticide ) Research institutes such as the Jiangsu Institute, Zhejiang Institute, Sichuan Institute, Hunan Institute, Anhui Institute, Shanghai Institute, Shandong Institute, and Guangzhou Institute have also carried out extensive replication work.

　　During the Cultural Revolution, Pesticide Development has been hit. Pesticide Research institutions were dissolved, and their staff were reassigned. Pesticide Enterprises are in disarray as they engage in revolution, Pesticide It was nearly on the brink of collapse. Conditions did not begin to improve until the end of the Cultural Revolution. In 1970, Mr. Zhang Shaoming and his colleagues at the Shenyang Research Institute of Chemical Industry synthesized and screened carbendazim; in 1971, pilot-scale trials were completed, and production commenced in 1973—at least two years earlier than BASF. Carbendazim is a systemic fungicide, one of only a few such agents available worldwide at the time. Carbendazim is used for the control of… Wheat It played a significant role in Fusarium head blight, particularly in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River at that time. Wheat Fusarium head blight is extremely severe; consuming infected wheat grains or using them as feed can cause poisoning in both humans and livestock. At a time when no effective fungicides were available, the introduction of carbendazim provided a solution to this pressing control challenge. Subsequently, the application scope of carbendazim expanded to include the management of diseases in other cereal crops, fruit trees, vegetables, and a variety of cash crops.

　　During this period, imitation Pesticide Tricyclazole, isoproturon, and kasugamycin were also successively developed and put into production, ensuring that effective agents were available for the control of rice blast. In addition, the production of compound formulations such as zineb and mancozeb, along with sodium fluorosilicate, further contributed to… Wheat The use of these products in rust‑prone areas, among other factors, created the conditions for banning their production and application. In 1972, China announced the cessation of production of products such as Sairisan and Xilisheng, and by 1973, their use was prohibited. Thus, highly effective, easy‑to‑apply, low‑cost agents—once considered first‑rate—were phased out. Pesticide “sector.” After the ban on organomercury compounds, and in response to the evolving patterns of agricultural diseases, researchers continued to develop other highly effective fungicides, such as thiophanate‑methyl and metalaxyl—both systemic agents—as well as triazolols like triadimefon, triazolone, epoxiconazole, and propiconazole, which have since been commercialized. Thus, the prohibition of the production and use of organomercury compounds has spurred the advancement of China’s fungicide industry and its overall industrial upgrading, while also enabling… Pesticide Workers’ understanding of cumulative chronic toxicity has advanced by leaps and bounds. Consequently, this represents one of the pivotal periods in the development of fungicides in China, and also in our country… Pesticide A glorious chapter was written in the history of industrial development. In 1973, in response to the decade of turmoil… Pesticide Industrial development has been disrupted, and production has been severely damaged; most seriously, Pesticide In the face of declining quality, rising raw material consumption, and increasing costs, the Fuel Chemical Industry Department convened a national meeting in Nantong City, Jiangsu Province. Pesticide A production experience exchange conference. This is the largest of its kind since the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Pesticide A professional conference was held. During the meeting, the importance of supporting agriculture was underscored, and it was clearly stated that… Pesticide The main tasks of production and scientific research were discussed, and experiences in improving production management were shared. This conference contributed to stabilizing the situation at the time. Pesticide Production played a significant role. After the downfall of the Gang of Four, in response to… Pesticide In response to the needs of industry and agriculture, factories have focused on upgrading production technologies for key established products such as trichlorfon, dichlorvos, malathion, and dimethoate, thereby enhancing both production efficiency and various technical and economic performance indicators. At the same time, efforts have been actively directed toward expanding the production of new formulations—including monocrotophos, amitraz, carbofuran, and carbendazim—thus enabling China to… Pesticide Industry has once again made great strides. Tianjin Pesticide Factory, Hangzhou Pesticide Factory, Shanghai Pesticide Factory, Nantong Pesticide Factory, Qingdao Pesticide Factory, Zhangdian Pesticide Factory, Chongqing Pesticide Factories and more than a dozen other plants gradually developed into China’s… Pesticide A pillar enterprise in the industrial sector. Certain domestically produced organochlorine compounds Pesticide These products were successfully developed and have since experienced rapid growth in China. By the late 1960s, the main pesticide varieties that had been trial‑produced and put into commercial production included: insecticides such as DDT, phosmet, ethyl 1605, Suhua 203, monocrotophos, and 3911; acaricides such as trichlorfon and monochlorofon; fungicides such as zineb, cacodylic acid, phenanthrene quinone, and thiophanate‑methyl; the nematicide dibromochloropropane; the herbicide 2,4‑D butyl ester; and plant growth regulators such as chlormequat chloride.

　　In 1965, the production of hexachlorocyclohexane had reached 150,000 tons, while DDT production stood at 8,000 tons. Thereafter, other organochlorine compounds… Pesticide The varieties—including heptachlor, chlordane, toxaphene, dicofol, and trichlorfon—were also successively developed and put into industrial production. Toxaphene was successfully synthesized by the Zhejiang Provincial Chemical Research Institute. Following its launch into production, Fujian, Jiangxi, and other regions promptly adopted and expanded its manufacture, with total output rapidly climbing to nearly 10,000 tons, making it a major… Pesticide One of the products. Starting in 1967, isoprothiolane, prochloraz, and jinggangmycin were successively developed and put into production, playing a crucial role in controlling rice blast, sheath blight, and other diseases. Particularly after mercury-based formulations were discontinued, these fungicides experienced rapid growth, ensuring that agricultural needs were met. Among them, jinggangmycin is produced in Shanghai. Pesticide A new strain of agricultural antibiotic, developed through experimentation from a bacterium isolated from the soil of China’s Jinggangshan region, has demonstrated excellent control efficacy against rice sheath blight. The production process employed yields high fermentation titers, keeps production costs low, and requires only small application rates, resulting in pronounced therapeutic effects; consequently, it has been rapidly adopted. In coastal provinces and municipalities such as Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai—where land is scarce and population density is high—there is an urgent need to enhance agricultural productivity. Coupled with a well‑developed industrial base, strong technical expertise, and favorable conditions for raw‑material supply, these regions have therefore embarked on new construction projects… Pesticide There were also many factories. A large number of organophosphorus insecticides, including dichlorvos, dimethoate, malathion, and phorate, were put into production one after another, with output increasing rapidly.

　　Since 1959, the national organophosphorus… Pesticide Its output grew from approximately 2,500 tons to over 100,000 tons by 1970, accounting for… Pesticide One-third of the total output, becoming Pesticide the major strains in it, marking China’s… Pesticide Industry has entered a new stage of development. In the 1970s, the peak annual production of hexachlorocyclohexane reached 350,000 tons, while the annual output of DDT was approximately 25,000 tons. Additionally, a variety of organochlorine compounds—including aldrin, dieldrin, endrin, isodrin, heptachlor, chlordane, and toxaphene—were produced. Pesticide , with an annual production capacity and output totaling approximately 400,000 tons, this period marked China’s organic chlorine industry. Pesticide The period of vigorous development is also referred to as the “organochlorine era.” In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Pesticide Industry has been revitalized, and China has successively developed a number of organic synthesis products. Pesticide After the 1970s, a series of representative products—including sodium ortho‑phenylphenate, phosmet, methamidophos, fenthion, monocrotophos, phoxim, isopropyl methylphosphonothioate, carbaryl, and parathion—were successively put into production and widely promoted nationwide, bringing an end to China’s… Pesticide A history of mere imitation, with no capacity for innovation. (To be continued.)

　　Note: The data in this article are sourced from the National Bureau of Statistics, China Customs, and China. Pesticide Historical data publicly released by industry associations and other entities.

Source: Penglai Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology, Shandong Province Author: Han Yongqi Editor: xwbj3