China Pesticide Product Watch 2019: Further raised registration thresholds, domestically-created products frequently emerging in terminal market

 

The annual registration of new pesticides always receives the attention of the market. Although the total number of pesticide registrations declined in 2019, new pesticides registered for the first time have showed vitality. According to incomplete statistics from AgroPages, a total of 26 pesticide ingredients were registered for the first time in China in 2019 (See Table 4), an increase of 62.5% over the 16 in 2018 that are mainly fungicides. Among the new pesticide ingredients registered for the first time, 17 are owned by Chinese companies. The number of first-time registrations by Chinese companies is increasing.

 

Most active ingredients first registered by multinational companies are patented new compounds. Relatively speaking, these ingredients are mainly fungicides with higher market profits. In the context of global registration and the market placement of these compounds, registration in China is necessary.

 

Benzovindiflupyr 96% technical concentrate registered by Syngenta is one of the most promising SDHI fungicides, has a broad spectrum and is effective and long-lasting. Foliar spraying or soil treatment using benzovindiflupyr can prevent foliar and soil diseases in many crops, lawns, and flowers. It has become Syngenta's best-selling fungicide, and its annual peak sales are expected to reach $1 billion.

 

Japanese companies with a reputation for research and development have registered two new fungicides, penthiopyrad 99% technical concentrate and cyflufenamid 98%. Penthiopyrad was successfully developed by Mitsui Chemicals and was jointly developed with multinational companies, such as Corteva and Syngenta. Penthiopyrad is a SDHI fungicide, has broad spectrum and is effective. At present, penthiopyrad has become one of Corteva’s key fungicides, with an annual peak sale up to $100 million to $500 million.

 

Fluensulfone 95% technical concentrate, Adama’s new registered product, is a new broad-spectrum, non-fumigant nematicide with a novel structure. It can prevent and control a variety of plant parasitic nematodes and displays non-target low biological toxicity. It is a green alternative to many carbamates and organophosphorus nematicides. After its first registration in China, the influence and market development potential of fluensulfone are promising.

 

Among the first-registered products of domestic companies in 2019, some are reserved off-patent technical concentrates, especially solutions for the most pressing agriculture problems, including Shandong Hailir’s prothioconazole 95% and Anhui Jiuyi’s prothioconazole 97%, which control pests that threaten current agricultural production. 

 

Prothioconazole’s patent in China expired in 2015. It is one of the top ten fungicides in the world, but has not been registered since 2015 by domestic companies. In recent years, wheat scab, rust, powdery mildew and other diseases broke out in China. Resistance to available formulations and other reasons resulted in huge losses. Prothioconazole can efficiently control the above diseases and is environmentally-friendly, low toxic and has little residue. The domestic registration of prothioconazole will, therefore, help broaden its global market.

 

Mites are recognized as hard-to-control pests, and the continuous development of new effective acaricides with unique mechanisms of action is an urgent matter for agricultural production. Nissan Chemical’s cyenopyrafen 95% was registered in China for the first time. This compound has a novel structure, and its t-butyl ester has displayed considerable inhibitory effects on mitochondrial respiratory chain complex II after hydrolysis. It also has no cross-resistance with existing acaricides and is safe on non-target organisms, making it an ideal acaricide. In 2016, sales of cyenopyrafen were close to $20 million.

 

The general pesticide registration situation reflects the industry's compliance with the concept of green and sustainable development. Pesticide registration in China is now under structural optimization and quality improvement. The use of biological pesticides, such as microbial, botanical, and biochemical pesticides, has been steadily growing.

 

Table 4. Pesticide ingredients registered for the first time in China in 2019 

 

Although the number of pesticide registrations fell sharply in 2019, the market’s enthusiasm for new products continues to increase. In 2019, new product launch meetings and new product promotion meetings held by companies across the country were still increasing in number. According to incomplete statistics from AgroPages, the product launch/promotion meetings held by multinational and domestic companies across China in 2019 as of 30th November are shown in Table 5. It can be seen that the major products of domestic companies are still made up of vigorous old products and sub-new compounds, but there are also some new ingredients and new formulationtypes. 

 

Multinational companies have made their significant innovations mainly in formulationtypes and applications based on their own patented compounds. In addition, they also cooperate with domestic companies that specialize in regional markets in licensing products.

 

As the largest non-patented pesticide leader in China, Adama has been exploring the market potential of off-patent pesticides through product combination or innovation based on new product development. In 2019, Adama launched and promoted its latest nematicides Nimitz® (fluensulfone), AGIL® (10% propaquizafop EC), and Lingshan® (40% buprofezin SC) to the market.

 

Nimitz® is a new generation nematicide developed by Adama and has considerable expectations. It has been registered and sold in over 20 countries and regions around the world. Due to its low toxicity, high efficiency, long-lasting effect, environmental friendliness, and ease of use, Nimitz® will help solve the bottleneck and difficulty of controlling meloidogyne in vegetable production. Propaquizafop occupies an important position in Adama's product line. 

 

The successful launch of AGIL®, whose active ingredient is propaquizafop, marks the entry of Adama into the market of herbicides that counter grass family weeds affecting broad-leaved crop fields. Launched by Adama, Lingshan® is a pesticide suitable for aerial control. Buprofezin is one of the most successful insect growth regulators in the world and can effectively control homoptera pests. Through the formulation optimization by Adana’s Nanjing R&D Center, the long-term effect and high selectivity of buprofezin are further improved, resulting in its greater practicality for aerial control and miscibility with other conventional pesticides.

 

Corteva's Zorvec Enibel® is the first premix product in its Zorvec® series. The active ingredient of Zorvec® series is oxathiapiprolin, the first piperidinyl thiazole isoxazolines fungicide developed by Corteva. With unique targets and novel mechanism of action, the product has good control effect at extremely low doses. Famoxadone, the compounded ingredient of Zorvec Enibel®, broadens its fungicide spectrum and can effectively control late blight and early blight. Zorvec Enibel® has a superior formulation type and can be easily used for aerial control.

 

By cooperating with multinational giants to attain agency and development rights for internationally-patented compound products, domestic pesticide companies have continuously improved the level of their new products. Biogen, a subsidiary company of Noposion, jointly developed and launched the bi-patented compound, Qintianzhu® (23% triflumezopyrim + cyantraniliprole SC), with Corteva. The product is regarded as the "nuclear weapon" against resistant pest in rice fields. The core ingredient of Qintianzhu® is triflumezopyrim developed by DuPont, a cross-generation product with new structure and new mechanism of action. It has no cross-resistance to neonicotinoids and pymetrozines. Cyantraniliprole is a compound patented by FMC. It is also an upgrade of chlorantraniliprole, has broader insecticidal spectrum, and can efficiently control rice stem borer and rice leaf roller.

 

By leveraging channel advantages, Japanese companies also explored their patented products. In 2019, Mitsui Chemicals licensed its patented compound, penthiopyrad, to Sino-Agri and Sipcam, to launch products under the names, Aifeite® and Kebina®, to markets in northern and southern China. Penthiopyrad is aSDHI fungicide with permeable and systemic activities, which can provide preventive and therapeutic effects and has low cross-resistance to currently available fungicides. It not only effective against diseases such as powdery mildew and gray mold, but it is also safe to beneficial microorganisms and their natural enemies. The above two products contain high-purity technical concentrates produced by Mitsui Chemicals and have scientific formulas, good miscibility, and are more stable and safer.

 

Controlling major agricultural pests control is key to launching new products and it can bring better market profits for companies. In 2019, with the first registration of prothioconazole in China, three companies launched four prothioconazole-based formulations to control wheat scab that seriously threatened China's wheat production in the past two years. Anhui Jiuyi launched JiuYaoJiu (30% prothioconazole dispersible oil suspension concentrate), whose most important feature is that it can be sprayed at ultra-low dose using drones, as well as manually after diluting with water. When sprayed at ultra-low dose using drones, JiuYaoJiu shows rapid sedimentation, high permeability, high droplet coverage, high pesticide availability, and good control effects. It is also very environmentally-friendly.

 

Hailir launched two prothioconazole-based mixture products, which are Lijian® (40% prothioconazole plus tebuconazole SC) and Liangjie® (28% prothioconazole plus carbendazim SC), to control major wheat diseases, such as wheat scab, rust and powdery mildew. Lijian® has a comprehensive mechanism of action, broad fungicidal spectrum, strong systemicity, radical control effect, and long-term effectiveness, therefore, showing excellent prevention and control. Liangjie® is also proven to achieve an optimal control effect and cost effectiveness through a reasonable ratio of prothioconazole and carbendazim. The above two products are suitable for a variety of application equipment, such as large machinery for spraying and drones for aerial control.

 

 Liyang Zhongnan also launched a product named Lemaibao®, which is 40% prothioconazole plus tebuconazole SC. This product is supplemented with Liyang Zhongnan’s independent intellectual property product, which is a high-efficiency surfactant 9708. Its properties include strong adhesiveness, high permeability and resistance to rain erosion, which greatly increases the amount of target residual, extends the effective duration, and improves the control effect.

 

As one of the most active companies engaged in pesticide creation in China in recent years, KingAgroot launched 11 new herbicides, including DaoGuYing®, DaoYu®, JingJie®, JinYuYing®, and JinWenYu®, based on its patented compounds, such as tripyrasulfone(三唑磺草酮)  and fenpyrazone(苯唑氟草酮)  in China in 2019. Tripyrasulfone is the world's first HPPD inhibitor that can be safely used for post-emergence control of grass weeds as stem and leaf treatment herbicide in paddy fields. It can effectively control Echinocloa species that are resistant to ALS inhibitors and ACCase inhibitors, as well as Leptochloa chinensis, which is resistant to ACCase inhibitors, thus being of extraordinary significance for improving global rice yields. Fenpyrazoneis the third-generation cornfield HPPD inhibitor herbicide. Compared with previous generations of HPPD inhibitors, its herbicidal spectrum is more balanced and the control effect is more stable. These products bring innovative solutions to farmers who suffer from resistant weeds. With the vision of "reinventing herbicides again", KingAgroot will also launch six new patented compounds in the next five years.

 

In addition to its three major plant protection products, Chengdu Kelilong has also launched a blockbuster plant growth regulator. Through more than ten years of research and innovation, the company has developed the latest generation compound with the global patent -- iron chlorin e6, a pure natural substance extracted from silkworm excrement. It can improve photosynthetic efficiency, accumulate active photosynthate, promote crop growth and increase the biological yield of crops. It can also improve resistance to cold, salinity and alkalinity resistance of crops by promoting the growth of roots, stems and leaves. In 2019, FengCuiLu®, with this active, was introduced in the market. This is the latest generation of botanical growth regulator in the Chinese market, indicating that China's agricultural chemical control technology has entered a new era.

 

Table 5. Product launched/promotedacross China in 2019

Category	Product Name	Ingredients	Uses	Company
Fungicides	Shuangjia®	Metalaxyl-M + Flumorph	Downy mildew	Hailir
	Duomitiliang®	Flumorph + Cyazofamid	Downy mildew, blight, late blight
	Lijian®	Prothioconazole + Tebuconazole	Wheat scab, rust, powdery mildew
	Liangjie®	Prothioconazole + Carbendazim	Head blight,blight, rust,powdery mildew, root rot
	Jiuyaojiu	Prothioconazole	wheat scab	Anhui Jiuyi
	Lemaibao®	Prothioconazole + Tebuconazole	Wheat scab, powdery mildew, rust	Mid-South Chemical
	Zorvec Enibel™	Oxathiapiprolin + Famoxadone	Late blight, early blight	Corteva
	Evito® T	Fluoxastrobin + Tebuconazole	Powdery mildew	UPL
	Routine Start	Isotianil + Trifloxystrobin	Rice blast	Bayer
	Aifeite®	Penthiopyrad	Powdery mildew,grey mold, Sclerotinia stem rot	Sino-Agri Leading Biosciences + Mitsui Chemicals
	Kebina®	Penthiopyrad	Powdery mildew, grey mold	Sipcam + Mitsui Chemicals
	Ynhua Yeliqing®	Tebuconazole + Thiophanate-methyl	Leaf fungal diseases such as powdery mildew, brown patch and alternaria leaf spot	Yanhua Yoloo
	Yanhua Dianliang®	Pyraclostrobin + Mancozeb	Most fungal diseases
	Yanhua Jincancan®	Pyraclostrobin + Tebuconazole	Citrus melanose, anthracnose, scab, apple alternaria leaf spot, brown spot
	Yanhua Youguo®	Pyraclostrobin + Tetraconazole	Various powdery mildew pathogens
	Priaxor®	Fluxapyroxad + Pyraclostrobin	Northern corn leaf blight	BASF
	Maitian ®	Pydiflumetofen	Wheat scab	Syngenta
	Youmeiyan®	Epoxiconazole + Validamycin	Rice sheath blight, false smut	Lier plant
	Youmeisui®	Epoxiconazole + Tricyclazole	Rice sheath blight, false smut, blast
	Woruo®Kapa®	Epoxiconazole + Pyraclostrobin	Difficult diseases of field fruit and vegetable crops	Sentay Chemical
Insecticide	Qingtianzhu®	Triflumezopyrim + Cyantraniliprole	Striped rice borer, rice planthopper	Biogen + Corteva
	Aijia®	Triflumezopyrim + Chlorantraniliprole	Striped rice borer, rice leaf roller, rice planthopper	Noposion
	Lingshan ®	Buprofezin	Homoptera pests such as rice planthopper, whitefly, scale insect	ADAMA
	Leize®	Spirotetramat	Piercing-sucking mouthpart pests such as aphids, scale insects, mealybugs, mites, thrips, woodlouse, and greenhouse whitefly	UPL
	Jinlanrui	Emamectin benzoate + Indoxacarb	Rice leaf roller	Veyong
	Zongqin	Emamectin benzoate	Rice leaf roller, striped rice borer
	Jinteng	Pymetrozine + Dinotefuran	Piercing-sucking and rasping-suckingmouthpart pests such as rice planthopper, aphides, whitefly, tea lesser leafhopper, mired, thrips
	wenlong®	Cycloxaprid	Rice planthopper	Shanghai Shengnong
	Shanchun®	Pyriproxyfen	Pnyxia scabiei Hopkins	Shandong Sino-Agri United
Herbicides	AGIL®	Propaquizafop	Grassy weeds	ADAMA
	Zidianqingshuang	Glufosinate ammonium	Many types of weeds	Veyong
	Jinzaoguangguang	Glufosinate ammonium	Many types of weeds
	Jiujiuhong®	Halosulfuron-methyl + Ametryn	Destructive weeds such as sugarcane fieldnutgrass, bermuda grass	Kesaijinong
	Qiuyi®	Isoproturon + Pretilachlor + Halosulfuron-methyl	Wheat field resistant and destructive weeds such as Beckmannia syzigachne, Alopecurus japonicus, amur foxtail, Aegilops tauschii	Jiangsu Polychem
	Daoguyying®、Daoyu®、Jingjie®	Tripyrasulfone (三唑磺草酮)	Barnyard grass, Leersia hexandra, resistant Euphorbia lathyris	KingAgroot
	Jinyuying®、Jinwenyu®	Fenpyrazone (苯唑氟草酮)	Grass weeds and broadleaf weeds
	Weiyang®、Zaoling®	Penoxsulam	Paddybarnyard grass
	Ruifengtian®、Fengbile®	Pretilachlor	Annual grass weeds,sedge family, dicotyledon weeds
	Fengbilie®、Yutianfeng®	Isoxaflutole	Annualgrass weeds and broadleaf weeds in corn fields
	Maiyu	Florasulam+ Carfentrazone-ethyl	Broadleaf weeds in wheat fields	Chengdu Kelilong
Fungicides / pesticides	Dugong®	Chlorpyrifos + Lambda-cyhalothrin	Wheat diseases and pests	Lier plant
	Tengshou	Fenaminstrobin + Difenoconazole + Thiamethoxam	Wheat aphides, sheath blight, etc.	Sinochem
	Huaxitian®	Clothianidin + Fludioxonil + Thifluzamide	Peanut southern blight, aphides	Hailir
Acaricides	Youmeigan®	Epoxiconazole	Citrus red mites	Lier plant
	Muhu®	Bifenazate + Spirotetramat	Pest mites such as citrus red mites, yellow mites, Tetranychus cinnabarinus, two-spotted spider mites	Yanhua Yoloo
Bio-stimulant	N-Energy-X6®、K-Energy-X6®、Woojar®	Bio-stimulant, organic carbon	Soil fertilizers	Chengdu Newsun
	Qiaonongbao®	Oligosaccharides, botanical extracts, marine biological extracts, etc.	Nematode	Shandong Qiaochang
Plant growth regulator	Fengcuilu®	Iron chlorin e6	Regulate plant growth	Chengdu Kelilong
	Biyi®	Brassin	Regulate plant growth	Mindleader
Nematicide	Nimitz®	Fluensulfone	Nematode	ADAMA
Soil conditioner	Sega Yibao	Fungi	Improve soil flora ecology	Zhejiang Sega
Nematicide / bacterial fertilizer	Xianfei	Organic matter, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, potassium fulvate, etc.	Nematode	Guangdong ZhenGe