Pesticide Registration and New Pesticide Varieties in 2020 (Excerpt)

In 2020, a total of 795 agricultural products received formal registration in China, marking a significant rebound compared to the 264 registrations in 2019. However, this figure remains far below the levels recorded in previous years—4,326 in 2018, 3,358 in 2017, 1,627 in 2016, and 2,669 in 2015 [1]. The new Regulations on the Administration of Pesticides and the revised Requirements for Pesticide Registration Documents have introduced numerous additional safety‑related requirements. As a result, many pesticide manufacturers moved their registration applications forward to before 2019, leading to a sharp decline in registrations that year. Against the backdrop of profound market changes and soaring registration costs, most pesticide companies adopted a cautious approach to product registration. Over time, however, agricultural enterprises gradually adapted to the new regulatory framework, and the number of registered products has since begun to recover. This paper analyzes the registration status of the 795 products approved in 2020 and provides an overview of the newly registered pesticide varieties.

1 Pesticide Registration Status

Among the 795 products registered in 2020, there were 11 original active ingredients: 14‑hydroxy‑brassinolide, indole‑3‑butyric acid, benzyladenine, 24‑epibrassinolide, gibberellic acid, naphthaleneacetic acid, glufosinate‑ammonium, bromoxynil, tetrazolinone, allantoin, and quinclorac. There were 4 parent active ingredients: brodifacoum, difenacoum, fenoxaprop‑P‑ethyl, and Bacillus subtilis. A total of 780 formulated products were registered, including 320 single‑ingredient formulations and 460 mixed‑ingredient formulations. Of the 795 registered products, 672 were classified as low‑toxicity, 84 as slightly toxic, and 39 as moderately toxic.

1.1 Pesticide Registration Categories

According to category, among the pesticide products registered in 2020, there were 300 herbicides (including 2 with plant growth regulator activity), 203 fungicides, 179 insecticides, 59 plant growth regulators, 19 fungicidal–insecticidal seed‑treatment suspensions, 17 acaricides (6 of which also have insecticidal activity), 7 nematicides, 4 molluscicides, 3 rodenticides, 3 plant resistance inducers, and 1 insect sex pheromone. Herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides accounted for the top three categories in terms of quantity.

1.2 Pesticide Registration Formulations

Based on the registered pesticide formulation types, there are 227 suspension concentrates, 153 soluble concentrates, 109 emulsifiable concentrates, 69 dispersible oil‑in‑water suspensions, 58 water‑dispersible granules, 55 granular formulations, 37 seed‑treatment suspension concentrates, 30 wettable powders, 19 aqueous emulsions, 18 microemulsions, 12 suspension‑emulsion formulations, 10 soluble powders, 10 soluble granules, 7 microcapsule suspension concentrates, 4 pastes, 3 microcapsule suspension–suspension formulations, 3 fumigants, 3 dust formulations, 2 volatile cores, 2 seed‑treatment microcapsule suspension–suspension formulations, 1 ultra‑low‑volume liquid formulation, 1 bait formulation, 1 soluble tablet, 1 effervescent granule formulation, 1 tablet, 1 oil emulsion, 1 seed‑treatment dispersible formulation, 1 seed‑treatment emulsion, and 1 seed‑treatment microcapsule suspension concentrate.

Environmentally friendly water‑based suspensions top the list, with 227 registrations; owing to the large number of registrations for the non‑selective herbicides glyphosate and glufosinate, the corresponding soluble concentrates also total 153; emulsifiable concentrates account for 109 registrations. Overall, the range of formulated products registered is extensive, spanning 29 distinct types, reflecting the ongoing innovation by pesticide manufacturers in formulation development to address specific crop targets and application technologies.

1.3 Registration of New Mixture Products

As the discovery of new active ingredients becomes increasingly challenging, pesticide companies are placing great emphasis on innovating in the area of active‑ingredient mixtures to broaden the spectrum of control, slow the development of resistance, and enhance efficacy. Among herbicides, 38 mixture products received formal registration for the first time, accounting for 12.67% of all registered herbicide formulations; paraquat dichloride, a single‑active‑ingredient product, also secured its first formulation registration. For insecticides, 17 mixture products were granted formal registration for the first time, representing 9.50% of all registered insecticide formulations. In the fungicide category, 45 mixture products obtained registration for the first time, making up 22.17% of all registered fungicides; one acaricide mixture was registered for the first time, accounting for 5.88% of all registered acaricides. Six plant growth regulator mixtures were registered for the first time, constituting 10.17% of all registered plant growth regulators. Lastly, 13 seed‑treatment mixtures received their first registration, representing 30.95% of all registered seed treatments.

As the above data indicate, new formulated products account for a substantial share of registered formulations, particularly seed‑treatment products, which comprise 30.95% of all registered seed‑treatment varieties. This reflects both the significant investment that companies are making in this segment and the fact that seed‑treatment products can encompass both insecticides and fungicides, thereby providing considerable scope for innovation in formulation development. Among the new formulated products, fungicides, herbicides, and plant growth regulators each represent more than 10% of the total, underscoring their popularity as key areas for new product development.

1.4 Hotspots of Registered Products

Among the products registered in 2020, those containing pyraclostrobin were the most numerous, with 44 formulations, followed by glyphosate at 41. Thiamethoxam and clothianidin each accounted for 40 products, ranking third. Subsequently, oxaziclomefone numbered 32, glufosinate‑ammonium 29, fludioxonil 25, cyhalofop‑butyl 23, abamectin 22, dinotefuran 20, and bifenthrin 19.

This indicates that pyraclostrobin remains a key focus of registration in recent years; the non-selective herbicides glyphosate and glufosinate also continue to account for a high number of registrations; and as mainstream insecticides, thiamethoxam and clothianidin—thanks to their favorable cost‑performance ratio—are the first choice for many agrochemical manufacturers when controlling piercing‑sucking pests.

Source: Li Yang. “Pesticide Registration and New Pesticide Varieties in 2020.” World Pesticides, 2021, 43(03): 10–15.