Recommendation: Innovative pesticides created by China in recent years

China's pesticide innovation started with imitation, that is, creating new, highly bioactive pesticides with existing pesticides as lead compounds together with a creative design, which can also be referred to as “follow-up innovation” or “me-too”.

At present, more than 50 pesticide products have been created by Chinese companies and universities, many of which have been developed under the “me-too” strategy. However, most of these products see lower sales than those of multinational companies in the market, and none have international influence so far. This is mainly because the R&D institutions in China have a big gap in terms of research methods, research levels, management levels, innovation culture and the like compared to multinational corporations and leading overseas institutions.

To realize the high-quality development of China's pesticide industry, improve competitiveness of enterprises and avoid homogeneous competition, it is a must to constantly innovate so as to develop new varieties and products. Supported by national development policies and driven by new problems and needs emerging from food security and pest control of agriculture, some compounds with good performance have been created in China in recent years.

In this article, we select and introduce some typical pesticides that have been officially registered in the Ministry of Agriculture of China in the last 10 years and have received good feedback in the market. Such pesticides include Phenamacril, which plays a key role in controlling wheat scab and rice bakanae disease; Phenazine-1-carboxylic acid, a biopesticide that controls various diseases of economic crops and field crops in a broad-spectrum, effective and green manner; as well as Huanbifucaotong and Shuangzuocaotong, which solve the problem of herbicide-resistant weeds in wheat fields. In addition, they also include Tetrachlorantraniliprole and Cyetpyrafen, which are created with the “me-too” strategy and have good economic benefits in China.

By introducing these products, overseas readers can get more knowledge about the development of pesticides creation in China. Besides, we also hope to help these products explore the international market, so that more markets around the world can benefit from the progress in agricultural science and technology and better agricultural harvest brought about by "Creation in China".

Phenamacril

Structural formula:  

Phenamacril is a highly effective, low toxic and environmentally-friendly fungicide with a focused control spectrum discovered by Jiangsu Pesticide Research Institute Company in 1998. Among the over 50 new pesticides created in China, Phenamacril is the only compound with a brand new mechanism of action, for which it falls into an independent category (B6, Group 47) by the Fungicide Resistance Action Committee (FRAC), and is the only compound in this category, thus having no cross-resistance with other fungicides.

Phenamacril is not only a fungicide that can effectively control wheat scab and rice bakanae disease, but can also greatly reduce the gibberella toxin and improve the stress resistance of crops. As a specialized fungicide for the fusarium spp, Phenamacril can strongly inhibit the mycelial growth of pathogens, such as fusarium graminearum and fusarium oxysporum in the fusarium spp. Phenamacril is a myosin-V inhibitor with an action mechanism of inhibiting the mycelial growth by destroying the cytoskeleton and motor protein and disturbing the transportation of nutrients in the cells. By specifically inhibiting the activity of myosin-I ATP hydrolase, Phenamacril inhibits the organelle "toxinsome" formed by the gibberella saubinetii in the synthesis process of toxins, thus reducing the synthesis of mycotoxins.

Phenamacril can be absorbed by the roots and leaves of plants, and transported upwards in the conduits or xylems of plants in short distances, and it is resistant to rainwash. It can effectively control diseases caused by fusarium, such as wheat scab, rice bakanae disease, banana Panama disease, watermelon fusarium wilt and cotton fusarium wilt. When Phenamacril is used for controlling the wheat scab, the scab occurrence and mycotoxin level can be reduced by more than 80%, and the toxin content in the grain is in complete conformity with national and world standards.

By now, Phenamacril has obtained six patents and has been granted several awards. The relevant six patents cover various aspects, such as compounds, compositions, preparation methods, compounding and the application of Phenamacril.

In 2007, 95% Phenamacril TC and 25% of Phenamacril SC (trade name: Jinhu®) were temporarily registered in China; in 2012, the two products were officially registered; in 2014, 48% Phenamacril-Tebuconazole SC (trade name: Jinxing®) was officially registered in China, thus making a breakthrough in the specialized application of Phenamacril; and in 2016, Jiangsu Pesticide Research Institute launched "Liangdi®", a brand product specially for soaking rice seeds to control bakanae disease.

Now, four Phenamacril product series including the TC have been formed. With annual sales of over 100 million yuan, Phenamacril (Jinghu® and Jinxing®) is making a great contribution to guaranteeing the high yield of wheat and food safety, and playing a key role in controlling wheat scab and rice bakanae disease, thus becoming one of the best-selling wheat fungicides in China. In the coming days, the company will further expand the registration of crops and the scope of application, so as to improve the market position of Phenamacril in a better and faster manner.

Product Contact:

Tao Dehua

Sales Director, Jiangsu Pesticide Research Institute Company

1564608163@qq.com

Fluopimomide

Structural formula: 

As a new benzamide fungicide containing fluorine, fluopimomide was synthesized by Shandong Sino-Agri United Biotechnology Co., Ltd. in 2010 in an innovative manner, and obtained the national first-class invention patent. This compound has the characteristics of novel structure, high activity and broad fungicide spectrum. Fluopimomide belongs to the same category of fluopyram from Bayer, but contains fluorine atoms with high activity in the structure. In terms of fungicide spectrum, it is more active and more specific than like products. With the success of Fluopimomide, China has also achieved a leading status in creating new fungicides.

Fluopimomide has significant inhibiting effects on the asexual reproduction process, cell membrane permeability and tricarboxylic acid cycle of the pathomycete. It acts on the respiratory chain of the mitochondria of fungi, inhibits the activity of succinate dehydrogenase, and blocks electron transfer, so as to inhibit the main growth and reproduction stages of fungi, such as spore germination, germ tube elongation, mycelial growth and sporoblast formation. Fluopimomide is mainly used for controlling cucumber downy mildew, grape downy mildew, phytophthora capsici, litchi downy blight, potato late blight, rice sheath blight, cotton rhizoctonia solani and the like.

This product, as the first commercialized new compound of Sino-Agri, had its Chinese generic name approved by the National Technical Committee on Pesticides of Standardization Adiministration of China in 2012 and its English common name (fluopimomide) approved by the ISO in 2017. Fluopimomide was granted the national invention patent in 2012, and six other invention patents in the following application and development process.

The 98% Fluopimomide TC and related formulations obtained the official registration certificate issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People's Republic of China in 2017, wherein the formulation includes 50% fluopimomide WDG, 40% fluoroether-hexaconazole SC, and 40% fluoroether-enoyl SC. These products have obtained excellent control results in the main rice production regions in South and Northeast China, as well as in the main potato production regions, such as Inner Mongolia, Gansu and Shandong.

Product Contact:

Sara Wang, Assistant General Manager

Shandong Sino-Agri United Biotechnology Company

wangwenli@sdznlh.com

Phenazine-1-carboxylic acid

Structural formula:

Phenazine-1-carboxylic acid is a novel microbial pesticide (agricultural antibiotic) developed independently by the School of Life Science and Biotechnology of Shanghai Jiaotong University and Shanghai Nongle Biological Products Co., Ltd. Now, Jiangsu Good Harvest-Weien Agrochemical Company is responsible for the promotion of this product at home and abroad by buying into Shanghai Nongle.

Phenazine-1-carboxylic acid is a bio-pesticide product registered exclusively in China. It is a new original bio-pesticide and has two invention patents in China. Developed based on the phenazine-1-carboxylic acid (PCA), a natural product of pseudomonas fluorescens (M18) that can inhibit pathogens and promote plant growth, this product effectively inhibits the wilting diseases caused by the pathomycetes in the soil, with an average control effect over 80% on wilting, blight, gummy stem blight and root rot, promotes seedlings to grow stronger with more roots, and features high efficiency, low toxicity and environmental friendliness.

Featuring broad spectrum and high efficiency, the phenazine-1-carboxylic acid effectively controls a variety of diseases in rice, wheat, vegetables and other crops. In 2011, 95% phenazine-1-carboxylic acid TC was registered with the Ministry of Agriculture. In March 2016, 1% phenazine-1-carboxylic acid SC was registered for the control of cucumber downy mildew, botrytis cinerea, pepper blight, watermelon fusarium wilt, rice false smut, rice blast, rice sheath blight, wheat take-all and wheat scab.

The cucumber and watermelon fusarium wilt, gummy stem blight of melon, pepper blight, and peanut root rot are diseases difficult to be radically cured, leading to a great economic loss in China every year. The average control effect of the phenazine-1-carboxylic acid on wilting, blight, gummy stem blight and root rot is over 80%. Being safe for crops and environment friendly, along with being moderately priced, it has virtually no competitors in the market, thus having great value and the potential for promotion.

Product Contact:

Wang Zhong

Vice President, Jiangsu Good Harvest-Weien Agrochemical Company

wang.zhong@good-harvest.cn

Zinc thiazole

Structural formula:

Researched and developed by Zhejiang Xinnong Chemical Co., Ltd., Zinc Thiazole is a new pesticide containing heterocyclic organic zinc, and a safe and highly effective agricultural fungicide for controlling the bacterial diseases in crops. This product offers high activity, broad fungicide spectrum and has curative and protective effect of disease control, with also the activity of strengthening the health of the plant. 

The structure of zinc thiazole consists of two active groups, one of which is the thiadiazole group, which has a highly effective therapeutic effect inside the plant. This active ingredient works in the pore conduit of the plant, under the effect of which the cell wall of the bacteria becomes thinner and then collapses, causing the bacteria to die. The other is zinc ion, which has both fungicidal and bactericidal effects. The zinc ions in the agent exchange with the cations (H+, K+, etc.) on the surface of the cell membranes of the pathogenic bacteria, causing the protein on the cell membrane of the bacteria to coagulate, thus killing the bacteria. And some zinc ions permeate into the pathogen cells and are combined with certain enzymes, which also affects the activity of pathogens and leads to dysfunction; the pathogens will fail and die. The joint effect of these two active groups leads to a more thorough pathogen killing, better control effect, and broader control objects.

Zinc thiazole has a good control effect on bacterial diseases of more than 50 crops, such as rice, fruit trees and vegetables. Zhejiang Xinnong Chemical Company contributes to the large-scale production and promotion of this innovative pesticide in the overseas markets. In the past eight years, this company launched a series of zinc thiazole formulation products such as "Bisheng" and put them into application, which offer a good control effect and field performance. Furthermore, zinc thiazole has also successfully entered the international market. Since its successful creation in 2004, zinc thiazole has obtained 14 invention patents in relevant technologies, and patents in countries such as Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Egypt, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Until now, 10 products related to zinc thiazole have been officially registered as pesticides, and are widely used for controlling diseases in more than 40 crops such as rice, fruit trees and vegetables. They have a remarkable effect, are safe for crops, and increase yield, generating significant economic and social benefits.

The constantly expanding area affected by bacterial diseases, the elimination of agricultural streptomycin and the shrinking market share of copper preparations have created a significant market opportunity for zinc thiazole. As a model of original compounds in China, zinc thiazole will offer greater market performance.

Product Contact:

Mike Woo

Sales Director, Zhejiang Xinnong Chemical Company

wuxd@xnchem.com

Benziothiazolinone

Structural formula:

Developed by a research team of the Northwest University in 1984, benziothiazolinone is a heterocyclic compound of isothiazole. It is a highly effective, low toxic and broad-spectrum fungicide and bactericide industrially applied and promoted by Xi’an Hytech Agrochemicals Company’s team.

Benziothiazolinone features a mechanism of action that it combines with anion on the surface of the cell membrane of bacteria or fungus, or reacts with sulfhydryl to destroy the synthesis system of protein and cell membrane, so as to inhibit the proliferation of bacteria and fungus, interfere with the cellar metabolism of pathogens, and cause physiological disturbances, thus leading to the death of pathogens.

With a good control effect on crop diseases caused by bacteria and fungi, benziothiazolinone is mainly used for controlling cucumber downy mildew, pear scab, apple scab, citrus anthracnose, grape black pox, etc. It has a special effect on various bacterial and fungal diseases and is safe for crops.

Benziothiazolinone, developed and produced by Xi’an Hytech Agrochemicals team, was officially registered by the Ministry of Agriculture in 2008, and has been promoted and applied extensively. Until now, the company has established specific technologies and solutions for controlling bacterial diseases, fungal diseases and fungal-bacterial diseases with benziothiazolinone at the core, and has created several products with sales worth over 10 million yuan, among which 3% Benziothiazolinone WP has achieved a 50% annual increase in sales for five consecutive years, thus becoming the single bactericidal medicine product with annual sales of over 40 million yuan.

Xi’an Hytech Agrochemicals has accumulated rich experience in controlling diseases such as bacterial canker of citrus and kiwifruit; mango bacterial angular leaf spot; wheat scab; blast, foot rot, sheath blight and bacterial leaf streak of rice; black shank, tar spot, scab, early blight and late blight of potato; pepper bacterial wilt; Erwinia carotorora; and rot disease, moldy core and early defoliation of fruit trees. In the future, the company will continue to improve the vitality of benziothiazolinone with an increasingly richer product line.

Product Contact：

Wang Peng

President, Xi’an Hytech Agrochemicals Co.,Ltd.

 Info@htteam.com

Cyetpyrafen

Structural formula:

Cyetpyrafen is a patented acaricide developed independently by Shenyang Sinochem Agrochemicals R&D Co., Ltd. With a novel structure and a unique mechanism of action, it is a compound with high acaricidal activity. As a shining star among the products in the acaricide market of China, it has received a favorable reception and recommendation from experts within the industry for its excellent control effect on acarid.

Cyetpyrafen is a non-systemic acaricide, which kills acarid mainly through contact toxicity and stomach toxicity. With a brand new structure, it has no cross resistance with existing acaricides. Cyetpyrafen has a wide acaricidal spectrum and has an excellent control effect on common acarid such as carmine spider mite, two-spotted spider mite and red spider mites in fruits trees, vegetables and field crops. As this product has a long-lasting effect and can kill both acarid and eggs, the frequency of using acaricides per season is lowered. Moreover, it is less affected by temperature and precipitation, is safe for crops and environment friendly, and has almost no impact on beneficial organisms, so it can meet the needs of comprehensive pest management.

Until now, 15 compound patents, two process patents and 16 preparation patents have been applied for cyetpyrafen. Among them, compound patents have been obtained in many countries and regions such as China, the United States, Japan, Europe and Brazil. One process patent and three formulation patents have been obtained in China, and the compound patent will expire in 2030.

In December 2015, cyetpyrafen was first registered in China, with the products 98% TC and 30% SC registered separately. The registered crops and control objects of the formulation products are citrus tree red spider, apple spider mite and cotton spider mite. By means of 10 years of research and development and five years of field trials, Shenyang Sinochem Agrochemicals R&D collected a large amount of data about the effect of 30% cyetpyrafen suspension concentrate on cotton, apple, red dates, eggplant, strawberry, citrus, flowers and other crops, based on which the effect was analyzed. The results of trials have fully demonstrated the excellent control and safety of the products. In April 2017, 98% cyetpyrafen TC and 30% cyetpyrafen SC were officially registered with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. In the same year, 30% cyetpyrafen SC was launched in the market. By now, this product has been applied in nearly 20 million mu of fields in China with positive overall feedback on the controlling effect. And its annual peak sales are expected to be 50 million yuan.

Product Contact：

Zhang Zonglei

Director of registration Sinochem Agro Co., Ltd

zhangzonglei@sinochem.com

Tetrachlorantraniliprole

Structural formula:

Tetrachlorantraniliprole is developed by Shenyang Research Institute of Chemical Industry (SYRICI, the predecessor of Shenyang Sinochem Agrochemicals R&D Co., Ltd.), with the R&D code being SYP-9080. This compound is the first commercialized bisamide insecticide product with independent intellectual property rights in China.

SYRICI discovered the compound tetrachlorantraniliprole with high insecticidal activity with chlorantraniliprole as the lead compound by performing structural modification on the benzene ring substituents and pyrazole substituents in its structure. Tetrachlorantraniliprole is a ryania receptor agonist insecticide. Its mechanism of action is to open calcium channels by binding with the ryania receptors of the insects to release the calcium ions stored in the cells into the sarcoplasm continuously, which will be bound with matrix proteins in the sarcoplasm, thus causing constant muscle contraction of the pests. The pests show symptoms of convulsions, refusal to eat and, ultimately, death. By now, this compound has obtained patents in China and the US, and more than 10 patents have been applied for its synthetic methods, formulations, compositions and the like.

Tetrachlorantraniliprole has high activity against lepidopteran pests such as rice leaf roller, pink rice borer, asiaticrice borer and yellow rice borer, and can also be used for controlling lepidopteran pests such as diamondback moth and cabbage caterpillar on vegetables, so it has been applied to many crops such as rice, corn, vegetables and cotton. It has many advantages as follows: it has excellent effects on a variety of lepidopteran pests with a broad insecticidal spectrum; stomach toxicity together with contact toxicity leads to high activity; acting quickly to enable the pests to stop feeding after a few minutes of application; and it has good conductivity and resistance to rain, etc.

In 2013, SYRICI (Nantong) Chemical Technology Development Co., Ltd. obtained the repacking registration of 10% tetrachlorantraniliprole SC; and in 2014, Shenyang Sciencreat Chemicals Co., Ltd. obtained temporary registrations of 95% tetrachlorantraniliprole TC and 10% SC.

Until now, the actual application area of tetrachlorantraniliprole has exceeded 40 million mu in China, indicating a good application prospect and development value.

Product Contact：

Zhang Zonglei

Director of registration, Sinochem Agro Co., Ltd

zhangzonglei@sinochem.com

Huanbifucaotong and Shuangzuocaotong

Structural formula:

Huanbifucaotong

Shuangzuocaotong

Huanbifucaotong and Shuangzuocaotong were created by Qingdao KingAgroot Resistant Weed Management Co., Ltd. Huanbifucaotong is the first product in the world to introduce HPPD inhibitors into the control of resistant grass weeds in wheat fields. Shuangzuocaotong is the first one in China to introduce HPPD inhibitors into the control of resistant broadleaf weeds in wheat fields. These two innovative products perfectly address the resistance and multiple resistance problems of ALS and ACCase inhibitors, providing solutions with a brand new mechanism of action for resistant weeds in wheat fields.

Huanbifucaotong is a new HPPD herbicide. By inhibiting the activity of HPPD, it blocks the convertion process of p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate into homogentisic acid, due to which the tocopherol and plastoquinone cannot be synthesized normally, thus affecting the synthesis of carotenoids in the target body and resulting in whitish leaves. With such a unique mechanism of action, Huanbifucaotong has no cross-resistance with herbicides commonly used in wheat fields now, such as fenoxaprop-p-ethyl, clodinafop-propargyl, pinoxaden, tralkoxydim, pyroxsulam, flucarbazone and isoproturon, so it is effective on grass weeds of resistance and multi-resistance, such as Alopecurus aequalis sobol and Alopecurus japonicus steud. and some broadleaf weeds.

With the same mechanism of action as that of Huanbifucaotong, Shuangzuocaotong is also an HPPD inhibitor, and has no cross-resistance with herbicides commonly used in the wheat fields now, e.g., ALS inhibitor herbicides including florasulam, tribenuron-methyl, bensulfuron methyl and thifensulfuron methyl; PPO inhibitor herbicides including carfentrazone-ethyl and fluoroglycofen-ethyl; and auxin herbicides including MCPA-Na and 2,4-D. So it is effective on broadleaf weeds of resistance and multi-resistance such as Descurainia Sophia, Capsella bursa-pastoris, Sinapis arvensis, Stellaria media, Malachium aquaticum and Lithospermum arvensis.

Huanbifucaotong and Shuangzuocaotong were officially named by the National Technical Committee on Pesticides of Standardization Administration of China in 2015. In August 2018, 95% Huanbifucaotong TC and 6% OD, as well as 25% Huanbifucaotong-isoproturon OD were officially registered by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. At present, these two compounds have been patented in more than 50 countries around the world, and will enter Europe, America, South Asia, Oceania, Africa and other markets in the future.

Product Contact：

Eric Liu

Brand manager, Qingdao Kingagroot Company

liusuqiang@kingagroot.com