How can the agrochemical industry achieve efficient development? Let’s hear what Chinese Academy of Engineering Academician Song Bao’an has to say.

In recent years, China has seen steady improvements in pesticide utilization rates, with the utilization rate for the three major grain crops reaching 39.8% last year. At present, China is also the world’s largest producer of active ingredients and holds a dominant position in the global pesticide market. Nevertheless, there remains considerable room for further progress in enhancing pesticide use efficiency; compared with developed countries, China still lags behind in areas such as the research and development of green pesticides. So how can we further boost utilization rates, address existing shortcomings, and elevate the industry’s level of clean and sustainable development? With these questions in mind, our reporter interviewed Song Bao’an, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and president of Guizhou University. With more than three decades of experience in pesticide R&D and plant protection, Song Bao’an is a renowned expert who has deep insights into innovation in the pesticide sector and the future direction of the industry.

Pesticide use is being targeted toward greater efficiency.

Since the beginning of the 21st century, pesticide application technologies have advanced rapidly on the international stage. Spraying is shifting toward high-concentration, low-volume applications that are precisely targeted and intelligently efficient, moving from traditional large‑volume, low‑concentration wash‑off sprays to low‑volume, high‑concentration, uniform sprays. Although China has achieved significant progress in reducing pesticide use, much remains to be done to further enhance the efficiency and precision of pesticide application.
　　

In response, Song Bao’an recommends first strengthening the research and development, production, distribution, sales, and standardized use of plant protection machinery. Plant protection machinery is a specialized category of agricultural equipment that intersects with mechanical engineering, crop science, plant protection technologies, agrochemicals, environmental protection, and safety. Compared with conventional agricultural machinery, it is characterized by numerous safety concerns, stringent operational requirements, and the need to function during critical crop‑growth stages; accordingly, its performance and application are heavily influenced by farming practices. “With regard to the management of plant protection machinery, we should draw on the experience of developed countries, classify it as a special type of agricultural machinery, establish a management system led by plant protection authorities, and enact dedicated regulations to ensure its lawful oversight and administration,” Song Bao’an emphasized. He further stressed the importance of rigorously regulating the quality, market access, and operational use of such machinery, adopting the relevant standards for plant protection equipment promulgated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and formulating application‑specific pesticide‑application technical standards tailored to China’s national conditions.
　　

Research and dissemination of application technologies and methods should also be strengthened. “In China, plant protection professionals have devoted less attention—and conducted less in-depth research—to application techniques and methods than to pesticides themselves and the patterns of pest and disease occurrence,” Song Bao’an told reporters. At present, many practitioners focus solely on the technical aspects of pesticide use, while neglecting fundamental studies on droplet‑movement characteristics, deposition and distribution patterns, and the relationships between pest behavior and these factors. These foundational elements are largely dictated by crop‑protection machinery, yet no systematic research has been undertaken to develop scientifically sound application protocols or operational parameters that can enhance pesticide utilization under existing conditions.
      

Accordingly, he argues that, in light of the current state of outdated application technologies, it is essential to conduct in-depth fundamental research on the aerodynamic behavior of pesticide droplets, their deposition and drift patterns, and the relationships between pest‑behavioral responses and these droplet dynamics. Such efforts would elevate China’s capabilities in pesticide‑application technology, thereby enhancing pesticide use efficiency, safeguarding the ecological environment, and reducing pesticide residues in agricultural products. Furthermore, he proposes adopting scientifically sound application practices to improve pesticide utilization under existing conditions, advancing research into precision‑application technologies, building robust technological reserves, and developing new plant‑protection machinery that aligns with the evolving trends in application technology.
　　

“We must conduct training on pesticide application techniques and the use of plant protection machinery to bridge the ‘last mile’ in achieving efficient pesticide use,” noted Song Bao’an. He emphasized that pesticide spraying represents the final stage in the journey toward efficient pesticide utilization. Because pesticide application is a highly technical task that involves safety considerations related to agricultural products, the environment, crops, and human health, many countries require farmers to complete training and pass an examination to obtain a certification before they can purchase pesticides or operate plant protection equipment. At present, in China, farmers often apply pesticides in an arbitrary manner and employ improper methods, which are major contributors to excessive pesticide use, environmental pollution, and residue levels exceeding regulatory limits. Therefore, drawing on international experience, we should vigorously strengthen specialized and vocational training in pesticide application techniques. In areas with suitable conditions—particularly in production bases for pollution‑free agricultural products—we should establish a training system for pesticide‑application personnel and pilot a model that mandates obtaining a professional certificate through training prior to taking up employment. In addition, we need to foster and expand professional pest‑control organizations, promote specialized control measures, and implement integrated, coordinated management. We must also provide robust support to these specialized plant‑protection entities by offering comprehensive services, including personnel training, technical guidance, and the dissemination of new technologies, while promptly supplying information on pest and disease outbreaks and optimal timing for intervention.
　　

Finally, it is essential to strengthen research and development in pesticide formulations to reverse the backwardness of imitation. While pesticide formulations do not directly enhance control efficacy, they can reduce the amount of pesticide used and mitigate environmental pollution. Compared with the imitation of active ingredients, formulation imitation tends to be simpler and more rudimentary, relying heavily on trial-and-error and empirical experience, with insufficient systematic theoretical underpinning. “In the future, pesticide formulations should be guided by sound scientific theory, with dedicated research into both foundational principles and processing technologies,” recommends Academician Song. “They should evolve toward water-based, granular, slow-release, highly efficient, environmentally friendly, labor-saving, and multifunctional designs, while developing microcapsule formulations, labor‑saving formulations, seed treatments, dry suspensions, oil suspensions, nano‑pesticide formulations, biopesticide formulations, and specialized formulations for aerial application.”

The safety of pesticides requires a sound regulatory system.

“The problems posed by pesticides do not stem from the chemicals themselves, but rather from their improper use,” stated Song Bao’an. He proposed establishing a pesticide‑safety‑use regulatory system tailored to China’s national conditions, thereby enhancing the safe and rational application of pesticides. In particular, during the pesticide registration and review process, three key measures should be taken to ensure pesticide safety: strengthening and refining the dietary risk‑assessment mechanism; aligning domestic dietary consumption data and reporting with international standards to accelerate the internationalization of China’s pesticide‑residue limits; and ensuring that the life‑cycle approach—encompassing standard setting, registration approval, dietary risk assessment, and the establishment of maximum residue limits—is effectively implemented.
　　

It is also necessary to accelerate the development of domestic technical capabilities and a standardized framework for environmental fate studies of pesticides. Efforts should be made to refine pesticide‑related environmental risk assessment models, including the rapid establishment of predictive models for surface‑water exposure in upland areas, drone‑based spray drift, and surface‑water exposure in southern upland ecosystems. “Of course, this will be a long‑term, ongoing endeavor that requires the gradual creation of a comprehensive model‑based database,” said Song Bao’an.
　　

Finally, accelerate the advancement of research on pesticide health risk assessment. Based on China’s typical application scenarios and application equipment, develop health risk assessment models for applicators and occupational exposure assessment models for pesticides that are tailored to national conditions. This includes risk assessment models for backpack sprayers under different application methods, seed‑treatment applications, and public‑health insecticide applications, among others.

Pesticide companies should pursue a path of clean and sustainable development.

In Song Bao’an’s view, the green development of agrochemicals is reflected not only in high efficiency and low risk but also in clean production. At present, China has more than 2,000 agrochemical enterprises; however, most of them have limited production capacity, low levels of clean‑production implementation, and insufficient innovation capabilities.
　　

How can the pesticide industry achieve clean and sustainable development? Song Bao’an argues that, on the one hand, resource allocation should be optimized, and preferential policies should be implemented to encourage the relocation of active‑ingredient production to industrial parks. On the other hand, enterprises should be encouraged to intensify research and development of cleaner production technologies, particularly new processes that deliver high yields and minimize pollutant generation. Existing continuous and automated production lines should be upgraded and modernized to enhance operational stability and reduce emissions of the “three wastes.” Furthermore, environmentally friendly technologies tailored to the specific characteristics of pesticide manufacturing—such as advanced treatment methods for characteristic pollutants, technologies for handling high‑concentration, high‑salinity wastewater, and resource‑recovery techniques—should be developed, along with innovative equipment for managing the “three wastes.” In particular, effective measures must be taken to address the disposal challenges associated with by‑product salts generated during pesticide production. With regard to packaging materials, an efficient recycling system should be established, while the use of eco‑friendly packaging is encouraged to mitigate potential environmental impacts.

Source: Agricultural Materials, People’s Daily