In recent years, the role of pesticides has expanded far beyond traditional agricultural use. Once seen solely as tools for farming, these chemicals now play a critical role in various non-agricultural sectors, from public health to industrial applications. This shift has opened up new opportunities for growth and innovation within the pesticide industry. At the 6th National Pesticide Exchange Conference in Nanjing, Zhang Yibin, a senior engineer at the Shanghai Institute of Pesticide Research, emphasized that focusing on non-agricultural applications is becoming a key direction for future development. His perspective was widely supported by experts at the event.
Globally, the market for non-agricultural pesticides is estimated to be around $12 billion annually, making up approximately 40% of the total pesticide market. Historically, when people thought of pesticides, agriculture was the first association. However, over the decades, their use has extended into areas like termite control, rodent management, public health, and wood preservation. Since the 1990s, the application of pesticides has grown steadily in home gardening, lawns, industrial settings, aquaculture, and even in the maintenance of cables, computers, and precision instruments.
According to data from relevant authorities, non-agricultural pesticide sales reached billions of dollars globally. In 2004 alone, $2.07 billion was spent on household, garden, lawn, nursery, ornamental plant, and public health uses, accounting for 47.2% of the non-agricultural market. Industrial applications, such as wood preservation and material protection, totaled $1.23 billion, or 26.3% of the non-agricultural sector. These figures do not include additional areas like roads, railways, airports, forestry, animal husbandry, fisheries, and pet markets—each of which also requires specific pesticide solutions.
Zhang Yibin highlighted that nearly half of all pesticide products can be used in non-agricultural fields such as roads, railways, forestry, and fisheries. For example, herbicides like pyrimid sulfuron are used for lawn maintenance, while cyclohexazone targets weeds in forestry. Insecticides like trichlorfon are applied in fisheries to eliminate parasites, and pyrethroids are widely used in households for pest control. Fungicides such as chlorothalonil and carbendazim are also extensively used in industrial and non-agricultural settings, including food preservation.
Despite this growing demand, Zhang pointed out that in China, many companies have not yet fully recognized the potential of non-agricultural pesticide applications. One major barrier is the lack of communication between different industries. Currently, only a few fungicides like chlorothalonil, carbendazim, benomyl, and thiabendazole are used in non-agricultural antibacterial and antifungal applications. In contrast, triazole-based fungicides, which are widely used abroad for bacterial and mildew prevention, are almost nonexistent in China.
Although China has developed numerous new bactericides, it still lacks sufficient innovation in this area. Additionally, due to limited product options, resistance has become a serious issue with existing formulations. The need for new, effective alternatives is urgent.
Zhang concluded that most pesticide products are still underutilized in non-agricultural applications. Approximately 60% of industrial antibacterial and antifungal agents have not been applied in agriculture. This presents a significant opportunity for cross-market testing and expansion, allowing both agricultural and non-agricultural sectors to benefit from each other’s innovations.
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