SHERIDAN, Wyo., Oct. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The global agrochemical market is projected to reach US$ 387.7 billion by 2031, driven by evolving crop protection needs, changing regulatory requirements, and the growing adoption of precision agriculture technologies, including agricultural drones, according to a new report by Wissen Research.

Farmers are applying more crop protection every year. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported global agricultural pesticide use of 3.92 million tonnes of active ingredients in 2024, up 5% from 2023 and 18% over the preceding decade. The pressure behind it is biological: pests, fungal diseases, and weeds that cut yields and quality, and invasive pests such as fall armyworm spreading into growing regions that never had to deal with them.

The same pressure creates the next problem. Repeated use of identical active ingredients can select resistant weeds, insects, and pathogens and reduce treatment effectiveness, which pushes farmers toward alternative modes of action and rotation strategies. The report finds that resistance, regulation, and new application technology are now shaping what the agrochemical industry sells and how farmers use it.

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Resistance Is Rewriting the Product Pipeline: New Modes of Action, Multi-Active Herbicides, and Biologicals

When familiar chemistry stops working, demand shifts to products that work differently. In October 2026, Syngenta Group partnered with Kyoyu Agri to commercialize Cyclopyranil-based herbicides across selected Asian rice markets. The herbicide offers broad-spectrum weed control, including resistant weeds, through a novel Group 14 mode of action. In the same month, BASF received U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registration for Ridivex, a three-active-ingredient herbicide for post-emergence weed control in corn, planned for launch in 2027, with rapid knockdown and residual control for up to eight weeks. The report notes that sustained demand for differentiated crop protection products comes from exactly this need for resistance management.

Biological crop protection is the other half of the response. The EPA recognizes microbial pesticides based on bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other microorganisms, and identifies biopesticides as components of integrated pest management (IPM) programs, where they can complement conventional pesticides. The EPA also states that new biopesticides are often registered in less than a year, compared with an average of more than three years for conventional pesticides, although the report cautions that registrations alone do not guarantee farmer acceptance. The ambition is reaching nutrition as well: Bayer Crop Science is working with Switch Bioworks on biological nitrogen-fixation products that use genetically engineered microbes designed to produce nitrogen on plant roots, with field trials underway across the U.S. Midwest. Further out, the FAO has singled out RNA interference, peptides, and nanotechnology as techniques that could boost plant health and suppress plant diseases.

Precision Spraying Moves from Demonstration to Data

Agricultural spraying drones are changing how crop protection reaches the field. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research reported that drones sprayed products in just 7â8 minutes per acre during crop protection demonstrations. A 2024 study of 455 rice-farming households in Jiangxi Province, China, linked the use of plant-protection drones to a decrease in pesticide use intensity of about 24.9%. The report is careful to note that results vary by crop and application conditions, but the trend creates opportunities for formulations, specialized equipment, and services.

Formulation science is moving in parallel. Suspension concentrates and water-dispersible granules improve product stability and application efficiency, while nano-agrochemicals are expected to offer targeted delivery, albeit in limited commercial use so far. The report adds that efficiency in practice and regulatory acceptance matter as much as the technology.

What's Fueling Growth in the Agrochemical Market

- Pest and disease pressure: Infestations and fungal outbreaks push farmers to apply herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides to protect yield, prevent quality loss, and minimize harvest losses.

- Large-scale farming: Extensive acreage requires efficient weed control, and herbicides reduce dependence on manual weeding where labor is scarce or costly.

- Invasive pests: Species such as fall armyworm create new crop protection requirements when they spread into unaffected regions, prompting adoption of targeted insecticides and IPM solutions.

- Resistance: Repeated use of the same active ingredients selects resistant pests and weeds, sustaining demand for differentiated products with alternative modes of action.

- High-value and export crops: Fruit, vegetable, and export-oriented producers must control insects, fungal infections, and blemishes that reduce saleable yield or cause shipment rejections, supporting crop-specific fungicides and insecticides.

- Integrated programs: IPM combines field monitoring, pest thresholds, biological controls, and selective pesticides, creating demand for both targeted chemical treatments and complementary biological products.

Challenges Facing the Agrochemical Market

Regulation is the most constant pressure. In the European Union, active substances go through approval and renewal under Regulation (EC) No. 1107/2009, renewal applications must be submitted no later than three years before an approval expires, and approvals can be renewed for periods not exceeding 15 years. An unsuccessful renewal can affect every product that depends on that active ingredient. In the United States, the EPA evaluates proposed registrations for risks to human health and the environment, including pesticide residues in food and feed, which can require additional studies, product changes, or restrictions on approved uses. Differences in registration procedures, approved uses, and label requirements across jurisdictions add to the complexity of launching and maintaining the same product in multiple markets.

Commercial pressures run alongside the rules. Resistance reduces the effectiveness of the active ingredients farmers use most, and farmers' buying decisions depend on input costs, crop prices, and seasonal income, particularly where credit is limited. Improper application of herbicides and the sale of counterfeit products add risks to product efficiency, farmworker safety, and the environment.

Recent Strategic Developments in the Agrochemical Market

In October 2026, Bayer Crop Science of Germany collaborated with Switch Bioworks of the United States to develop biological nitrogen-fixation products using genetically engineered microbes designed to produce nitrogen on plant roots. The collaboration combines Bayer's formulation, field-testing, and commercialization capabilities with Switch Bioworks' programmable biology technology, and field trials are underway across the U.S. Midwest.

In October 2026, Syngenta Group of Switzerland partnered with Kyoyu Agri Co., Ltd. of Japan to commercialize Cyclopyranil-based herbicides across selected Asian rice markets. The herbicide offers broad-spectrum weed control, including resistant weeds, through a novel Group 14 mode of action, and the collaboration aims to widen weed-management options and help rice farmers protect yields.

In October 2026, BASF SE of Germany received U.S. EPA registration for Ridivex herbicide, a three-active-ingredient solution for post-emergence weed control in corn. Planned for launch in 2027, the product offers rapid weed knockdown and residual control for up to eight weeks, addressing resistant weeds and supporting yield protection.

In October 2026, Corteva, Inc. of the United States approved the distribution of Vylor Inc., its seed and genetics business, as an independent publicly traded company. One Vylor share is distributed for each Corteva share held by eligible shareholders, with regular trading scheduled to begin on October 1, 2026.

The four moves point in different directions: biological nitrogen, resistant-weed herbicides, a multi-active corn herbicide, and a separation of seed and genetics from crop protection.

Key Insights from Agrochemical Market Analysis

- Fertilizers held a leading position by product type in 2025. The International Fertilizer Association (IFA) reported that global fertilizer use recovered for a second consecutive year in 2024/25, with consumption of 121.5 million tonnes of nitrogen, 49.6 million tonnes of phosphate, and 41.9 million tonnes of potash.

- Nitrogenous fertilizers held the largest share by fertilizer type in 2025, at approximately 57% of combined nitrogen, phosphate, and potash consumption in 2024/25 based on IFA figures. Nitrogen consumption grew 5% that year, compared with 6% for phosphate and 11% for potash, and nitrogen remained the largest category despite the faster growth of the other two.

- Asia-Pacific is the leading region and a key demand centre. East Asia accounted for 54% of the global increase in nitrogen use, 88% of phosphate-use growth, and 63% of potash-use growth in 2024/25, with China accounting for all of the growth in East Asian nitrogen use. IFA projects East Asia to contribute 26% of the global increase in fertilizer consumption between 2023/24 and 2025/26, with South Asia contributing 19%. The report notes that pesticide demand is less uniform: FAO data show Asia used about 1.06 million tonnes of pesticides in 2024, a 1% decline from 2023.

- Concentration is high at the top. Syngenta Group, Bayer AG, BASF SE, and Corteva, Inc. collectively accounted for 56% of commercial pesticide sales in 2024.