SHERIDAN – October 29, 2026 -- The global agrochemical market will reach US$387.7 billion by 2031, according to a new Wissen Research report. It attributes the growth to crop protection demand, shifting regulation and wider use of precision technologies such as agricultural drones.
Farmers are applying more product each year. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported global agricultural pesticide use of 3.92 million tonnes of active ingredients in 2024. That is 5% above 2023 and 18% above the level a decade earlier. Repeated use of identical active ingredients also selects for resistant weeds, insects and pathogens, pushing growers toward alternative modes of action and rotation strategies.
Resistance is driving new herbicide launches in Asia and the U.S.
In October 2026, Syngenta Group partnered with Japan's Kyoyu Agri to commercialize Cyclopyranil-based herbicides in selected Asian rice markets. The products use a novel Group 14 mode of action against broad-spectrum weeds, including resistant ones.
In the same month, BASF SE received U.S. EPA registration for Ridivex, a three-active-ingredient post-emergence herbicide for corn. Launch is planned for 2027, with rapid knockdown and residual control for up to eight weeks.
Biologicals gain a faster registration path, but farmer acceptance is unproven
The EPA states that new biopesticides are often registered in less than a year, against an average of more than three years for conventional pesticides. The report cautions that registration alone does not guarantee farmer uptake.
Bayer Crop Science is working with U.S. firm Switch Bioworks on biological nitrogen-fixation products. They use genetically engineered microbes designed to produce nitrogen on plant roots, and field trials are underway across the U.S. Midwest. The FAO has also named RNA interference, peptides and nanotechnology as techniques that could suppress plant diseases.
Spray drones cut pesticide intensity by about 24.9% in a Chinese rice study
A 2024 study of 455 rice-farming households in Jiangxi Province, China, linked plant-protection drones to a roughly 24.9% decrease in pesticide use intensity. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research reported that drones sprayed products in 7-8 minutes per acre during demonstrations. The report notes that results vary by crop and application conditions.
Suspension concentrates and water-dispersible granules are improving product stability and application efficiency. Nano-agrochemicals promise targeted delivery but remain in limited commercial use.
EU and U.S. approval rules add cost and risk to every launch
In the European Union, active substances are approved and renewed under Regulation (EC) No. 1107/2009. Renewal applications are due no later than three years before expiry, and approvals can run for up to 15 years. An unsuccessful renewal can affect every product that depends on that active ingredient.
In the United States, the EPA assesses risks to human health and the environment, including residues in food and feed. That can require additional studies, product changes or use restrictions. Differences in registrations, approved uses and label requirements across jurisdictions complicate multi-market launches. Farmer purchasing also depends on input costs, crop prices and seasonal income, particularly where credit is limited.
Corteva approves spin-off of seed business Vylor Inc.
Corteva, Inc. approved the distribution of Vylor Inc., its seed and genetics business, as an independent publicly traded company. Eligible shareholders receive one Vylor share for each Corteva share held.
Four companies hold 56% of commercial pesticide sales
Syngenta Group, Bayer AG, BASF SE and Corteva, Inc. together accounted for 56% of commercial pesticide sales in 2024. Fertilizers led by product type in 2025. International Fertilizer Association data show 2024/25 consumption of 121.5 million tonnes of nitrogen, 49.6 million tonnes of phosphate and 41.9 million tonnes of potash.
Nitrogen took about 57% of combined nitrogen, phosphate and potash consumption. Its use grew 5%, against 6% for phosphate and 11% for potash. East Asia accounted for 54% of the global increase in nitrogen use, with China responsible for all of the East Asian growth. Pesticide demand is less uniform: FAO data show Asia used about 1.06 million tonnes in 2024, a 1% decline from 2023.