Specialty fertilizer: a burgeoning new product category!

The inevitability of specialized fertilizer products

　　In 2017, China’s production of agricultural NPK fertilizers exceeded 58 million tons, down 4% year on year; the output of chemical pesticide technicals surpassed 2.5 million tons, a 4.5% decline from the previous year. Both fertilizer and pesticide production achieved the target of zero growth ahead of schedule.

　　However, in China’s agricultural production, fertilizers and pesticides will remain indispensable for the foreseeable future.

　　 China’s arable land suffers from relatively low baseline soil fertility, and the application of chemical fertilizers contributes more than 40% to increases in grain production; however, certain issues still persist:

　　1. Excessive fertilizer application per mu: The average fertilizer application rate for crops is approximately 20 kg per mu, compared to the global average of about 8 kg per mu.

　　2. Imbalanced regionalized fertilization: In the eastern region, the lower Yangtze River basin, and suburban areas, excessive fertilization is widespread for high-value crops such as vegetables and fruit trees.

　　3. Low utilization rate of organic fertilizer resources: The total nutrient content of organic fertilizers amounts to over 70 million tons, yet less than 40% is actually utilized.

　　4. Imbalanced fertilizer application: The “three heavies and three lightweights” problem is particularly pronounced—emphasizing chemical fertilizers while neglecting organic fertilizers; prioritizing macronutrients while underemphasizing meso- and micronutrients; and favoring nitrogen fertilizers while downplaying phosphorus and potassium fertilizers.

　　5. Fertilization practices remain relatively outdated: traditional broadcast and surface application methods dominate, while mechanized and precision fertilization account for only about 30%.

　　 The application of pesticides is an essential measure for disease and pest control as well as weed management; however, with climate change and shifts in cultivation practices, the challenges of managing diseases, pests, and weeds are steadily increasing. Moreover, the overuse of pesticides raises production costs and compromises both the quality of agricultural products and environmental safety. Continued efforts are still needed in the following areas:

　　 1. Promote sustainable management of plant diseases, pests, and weeds: In the face of widespread, frequent, and recurrent pest and disease outbreaks, over-reliance on chemical control can lead to increased resistance and diminished efficacy, resulting in a vicious cycle where more pesticides are needed yet the target pests become increasingly difficult to manage. It is essential to conserve and harness natural enemies, employ pesticides judiciously, and curb the escalating severity of pest, disease, and weed pressures to achieve sustainable management.

　 　2. Ensuring the quality and safety of agricultural products: Unscientific prevention and control measures, coupled with improper application, can easily lead to pesticide residue levels exceeding regulatory limits in certain agricultural products. Ensuring the quality and safety of agricultural products requires institutional safeguards for oversight, process‑level control during production, and, above all, breakthroughs in new technologies and methods for practical use.

　 　3. Promoting cost reduction and income growth in agriculture: The primary reason for the relatively low profitability of the agricultural sector is the rapid rise in production costs, particularly labor and material‑related expenses. Applying pesticides requires substantial manual labor, and overuse further drives up costs; for instance, pesticide‑related expenses for vegetables and apples have increased by roughly 90% compared with 2002. It is essential to integrate and promote green pest‑management technologies, develop products that save labor, time, and effort, reduce production costs, and thereby enhance both quality and efficiency.

　 　4. Safeguarding ecological and environmental security: At present, the average utilization rate of pesticides in China stands at only about 35 percent. The majority of applied pesticides are lost through runoff, leaching, and drift, contaminating soils and aquatic environments and compromising the ecological safety of farmland. Implementing measures to reduce pesticide use while controlling pest damage and improving application practices can enhance control efficacy, mitigate non-point source pollution, safeguard the agricultural ecosystem, and promote the coordinated development of production and ecology.

What is special-purpose fertilizer?

　　Since the implementation of the new pesticide regulations, oversight of pesticide management and control, as well as production processes, has become increasingly stringent, driving a more pronounced industrial upgrade. For agrochemical companies, building on compliance with legal standards, breakthroughs in new technologies and innovative approaches are of paramount importance.

　　Driven by shifts in agricultural production models, environmental protection requirements, soil remediation needs, and the demand for labor-, time-, and effort-saving solutions, a specialized subcategory of agricultural inputs—specialty agrochemicals with dual pesticide and fertilizer functions—has emerged.

　　Specialty agro‑pharmaceutical fertilizers refer to products manufactured using a primary formulation comprising “biostimulants (mineral‑derived humic acid, mineral‑derived fulvic acid, animal and plant peptides, amino acids, alginic acid, chitosan, biocontrol microorganisms, etc.), secondary and micronutrients, and soil‑conditioning ingredients.” These products are applied via precision application methods—such as broadcast spreading, hole‑application, band‑fertilization, seed‑fertilizer co‑sowing, drip irrigation, or flush application—with the aim of reducing the use of conventional pesticides and chemical fertilizers while improving soil health. The concept of specialty agro‑pharmaceutical fertilizers was first introduced by Biaozheng Company in 2014.

What are the characteristics of specialty fertilizers?

1. Form, carrier, and method of use:

　　Traditional agro‑fertilizer products are formulated by coating agricultural compound fertilizers with pesticide ingredients or by simply blending compound fertilizers with pesticides. Because the carrier is a compound fertilizer with varying N‑P‑K ratios or urea, these products typically come in solid granular form. While the nutrient composition of traditional agro‑fertilizers is relatively fixed, crop nutrient requirements vary considerably, resulting in low application precision. Moreover, they are applied using conventional methods—such as broadcasting or banding—similar to those used for standard fertilizers, leading to poor fertilizer and pesticide utilization efficiency.

　　Specialty fertilizers use bio‑stimulant substances as carriers, including mineral‑derived humic acid, mineral‑derived fulvic acid, animal and plant peptides, amino acids, alginic acid, biocontrol microorganisms, and more. These formulations can stimulate natural plant processes, enhancing the uptake of essential nutrients, improving nutrient efficiency, boosting resistance to abiotic stresses, and elevating crop quality. Depending on requirements, they can be formulated in solid or liquid forms—serving as carriers for granular products or for liquid formulations such as aqueous solutions—and allow for the convenient incorporation of a wide range of meso‑ and micronutrients. Consequently, specialty fertilizers are available both as solid granules and as liquid aqueous preparations. Designed to address specific diseases, pests, and weeds, these specialty fertilizers—whether in solid granular form or liquid aqueous form—are applied with greater precision. Solid granular formulations are typically applied locally through furrow application, hole application, band application, or ridge application, in addition to traditional seed‑dressing and broadcast methods. Liquid aqueous formulations, meanwhile, are often delivered via drip irrigation rather than conventional flushing applications. As a result, specialty fertilizers offer more consistent quality, more accurate application, and higher utilization rates of both fertilizer and pesticide inputs.

　　In addition, traditional agro‑pharmaceutical fertilizers primarily emphasize the fertilizer’s (the “major fertilizer”) efficacy, with pesticide effects playing a secondary role—hence the “fertilizer first, pesticide second” approach. By contrast, specialized agro‑pharmaceutical fertilizers highlight the benefits of biostimulants and micronutrients, while leveraging the biostimulant’s bidirectional regulatory action to enhance the utilization efficiency of active pesticide ingredients, thereby achieving synergistic improvements in both fertilizer and pesticide performance. In practical application, when using conventional agro‑pharmaceutical fertilizers, organic fertilizers, micronutrients, and pesticides must still be applied according to standard practices. By contrast, with specialized agro‑pharmaceutical fertilizers, the frequency and dosage of pesticide applications can be reduced, and as various organic amendments improve soil quality, the amount of major fertilizer required will also decline.

2. Pesticide content, package size, and application rate per mu:

　　Traditional agro‑pharmaceutical fertilizers are formulated as primary fertilizers with supplementary pesticide components, so their pesticide content is typically quite low—usually below 0.1%. Packaging follows standard fertilizer‑sack dimensions, generally ranging from 40 to 50 kilograms per bag, while the recommended application rate is usually around 40 kilograms per mu, and in some cases can reach 80 to 100 kilograms per mu.

　　Specialty agro‑pharmaceutical fertilizers are products that deliver both fertilizer and pesticide benefits, so their active pesticide content is typically 0.1% or higher. Depending on the recommended application rate per mu, packaging sizes range from 1 kg to 20 kg, with 5 kg being the most common—each bag covers one mu, making application convenient.

3. Futurity:

　　In the strict sense, traditional agro‑pharmaceutical fertilizers have not reduced the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, contradicting the principle of zero growth in their application. This leads to significant resource waste and is detrimental to environmental protection and soil improvement.

　　Specialty fertilizer‑pesticides are rich in a variety of biostimulants, which can improve soil quality while reducing the application rates of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. They align with the need to transform agricultural production models and with the broader trends toward environmental protection and energy efficiency, making them highly promising for the future.

What are the functions of specialty fertilizer?

Compared with conventional agrochemicals and fertilizers, specialty agrochemicals and fertilizers possess the following unique functions:

1. Dual efficacy of fertilizer and pesticide:

Unlike conventional agrochemicals that rely on a primary fertilizer supplemented by pesticides, specialty agrochemicals not only ensure the efficacy of their pesticide components but also fully leverage the biostimulant’s dual‑directional regulation of crop metabolism, induce stress‑resistance mechanisms, and enhance the utilization efficiency of both fertilizer and pesticide active ingredients. They significantly boost crop yield and quality while being environmentally and ecologically benign, replenishing organic matter and essential micronutrients in crops and soils, thereby achieving the dual benefits of both pest control and nutrient supplementation.

2. Cost Reduction and Efficiency Enhancement:

Each application of specialized fertilizer can, in theory, reduce the need for foliar pesticide applications by two or even more times, significantly lowering pesticide costs and decreasing overall pesticide usage. Moreover, because these fertilizers are typically applied using precision methods—such as banding, hole‑application, or drip irrigation—wastage is greatly minimized, and the efficiency of both pesticides and fertilizers is improved. Overall, this approach helps cut costs while enhancing pest‑control efficacy.

3. Adjust the fertilizer application structure:

During the promotion and application of specialized fertilizer products, it is possible to gradually improve soil conditions, increase the levels of organic matter and secondary and micronutrients in the soil, and reduce the use of chemical fertilizers and macronutrients. At the same time, this approach can facilitate the wider adoption of precision‑fertilization techniques, thereby helping to optimize the fertilizer‑use structure.

4. Making agricultural products greener, safer, and naturally authentic:

Thanks to the application of precision application and pre-emptive treatment, pest, disease, and weed management can achieve both above‑ground control of surface‑borne threats and early‑stage prevention of mid‑to‑late‑season issues. This approach reduces direct contact between conventional pesticide sprays and crops during maturation, resulting in greener, safer agricultural products. In terms of fertilizer use, by cutting back on chemical fertilizers and increasing the proportion of organic matter, the produce boasts a more natural, authentic flavor.

What are the benefits of specialty fertilizer?

　　 Social value — saves labor, time, and effort: It is user-friendly and reduces the application of conventional pesticides and fertilizers. In the current context of labor shortages and the rapid growth of large-scale farmers and family farms, it truly saves labor, time, and effort, lowers labor costs, shortens working hours, and mitigates work intensity.

　　 Ecological Value — Green and Environmentally Friendly: Adjusting the methods and timing of pesticide application, minimizing direct contact between agricultural products and pesticides, and reducing the use of chemical fertilizers can help promote biodiversity—such as by mitigating the harm caused to bees and beneficial insects and birds from foliar pesticide sprays—while fostering greener, healthier produce and a more ecologically sustainable, environmentally friendly, and livable environment.

　 　Economic Value — Increasing Farmers’ Incomes: Thanks to the use of biostimulants and micronutrients, coupled with changes in pesticide application practices, the quality of agricultural products has been significantly enhanced, boosting their competitiveness and helping to command higher prices, thereby contributing to increased incomes for farmers.