Thiamethoxam: Why is it so popular in the agrochemical and fertilizer market?

Release Date:

2021-09-20

Thiamethoxam is a new class of highly effective, safe, and highly selective insecticide that acts similarly to nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, exhibiting contact, stomach‑poison, and systemic activity. It is characterized by low toxicity, a low application rate, high efficacy, unique target specificity, and versatile modes of application.

Advantages of Thiamethoxam

The second-generation nicotinic insecticide possesses unique chemical and biochemical properties.
Its site of action on insects is entirely distinct from that of other insecticides, and therefore no cross-resistance exists.
It exhibits strong systemic activity; after uptake by the root system, it is rapidly translocated to the entire plant, effectively controlling foliar pests.
It exhibits excellent control efficacy against underground pests, thrips, leafhoppers, aphids, and other piercing-sucking pests, with a long residual activity.
It has a robusting effect on plants, promoting crop growth and enhancing their stress resistance, particularly under adverse conditions, thereby ensuring high yields and superior quality.

Advantages of thiamethoxam in the rhizosphere of crops:

① It is resistant to leaching and degradation, resulting in a longer residual efficacy.

The lipid solubility of thiamethoxam is comparable to that of imidacloprid, but its water solubility is the lowest, indicating that thiamethoxam is less prone to leaching in soil. This results in slower degradation underground, higher utilization efficiency, and a longer residual activity compared with clothianidin and imidacloprid, leading to improved efficacy.

② Exhibits higher affinity for the receptor and possesses potent insecticidal activity.

Thiacloprid exhibits higher affinity for insect acetylcholine receptors and greater insecticidal activity than the hydroxylated metabolites of imidacloprid. When used directly, thiacloprid should also demonstrate superior activity compared to clothianidin and imidacloprid, and it is effective against chewing‑type pests as well.

③ Low usage and low resistance development

Because thiacloprid was introduced relatively recently, its resistance development is comparatively lower than that of imidacloprid, clothianidin, and other neonicotinoids.

Therefore, thiamethoxam is poised to become the trend of the future, whether used for seed treatment or incorporated into fertilizer‑pesticide products.

Advantages of thiamethoxam‑based fertilizer:

1. Saves labor and effort. Fertilization and pesticide application are handled in a single step, reducing both labor and time. In an era of rapidly rising labor costs, labor savings represent the most cost-effective investment in agriculture.

2. Thiamethoxam can deliver “dual action—both systemic and contact” (stomach toxicity, contact kill, and systemic uptake):

Traditionally, foliar applications of thiamethoxam are effective only against above‑ground pests. However, when applied as a soil‑applied fertilizer, thiamethoxam can control underground pests such as blackhead maggots, wireworms, grubs, click beetles, mole crickets, cutworms, and crickets. At the same time, its systemic translocation allows it to also manage above‑ground pests, including aphids, leafhoppers, thrips, rice stem borers, planthoppers, and whiteflies.

3. Using specialized fertilizers as the carrier, it offers more comprehensive functionality.

It can effectively stimulate root growth, improve soil health, promote stronger plant vigor, reduce disease incidence, and deliver higher yields and superior quality.

4. Pesticides and fertilizers enhance each other’s efficacy.

In general, pesticides can enhance efficacy by 10%, while fertilizers can boost it by 6–8%. Pesticide‑fertilizer combinations align with the national strategy of achieving negative growth in the application rates of both pesticides and fertilizers by 2020.

5. Thiamethoxam‑based fertilizer is both preventive and curative, delivering superior results.

If pest outbreaks are managed only after they have already occurred, the losses are already substantial. The primary advantage of using both pesticides and fertilizers is that they enable early‑stage pest control, resulting in more effective outcomes.

Agricultural Inputs Herald Pesticide

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