Soybean is one of the most important grain and oil crops. It is high in protein and low in fat, and it is one of the important protein sources for human beings. In addition, soybean oil is one of the most commonly used edible oils in the world, accounting for 27.4% of the total global vegetable oil consumption in 2019. The occurrence rules of common soybean diseases and insect pests are complex and various, which have seriously affected the yield and quality of soybeans, and the market demand for soybean pesticides is relatively large. In 2019, the soybean pesticide market ranked second among all crop pesticide markets, second only to the fruit and vegetable pesticide market.
PART.01 General Situation of Soybean Pesticide Market
In 2019, the global soybean area decreased by 2.3% year-on-year. The soybean acreage in Brazil, Argentina, India, and China maintained growth, while the soybean acreage in the United States and Canada decreased. China's soybean planting area is smaller than that of India, but its total soybean production has almost doubled. Unlike other crops, the unit yield of soybean in major producing countries such as Brazil, the United States, and Argentina has little difference, all exceeding 3 tons/ha.
In 2019, the global sales of soybean pesticides climbed to US$9.337 billion, a year-on-year increase of 2.7%, accounting for 15.6% of the global crop pesticide market. The increase in sales was mainly due to the increase in demand for insecticides. In particular, the pesticide markets for soybeans in Argentina and Brazil grew strongly, with an increase of 15.9% and 9.8% respectively. From 2014 to 2019, the compound annual growth rate of the global soybean pesticide market was -0.5%. Biotechnology is widely used in soybeans. In 2019, the global sales of herbicide-resistant and insect-resistant GM soybean seeds were US$6.319 billion, second only to corn.
PART.02 Leading Pesticide Varieties for Soybeans
2.1 Leading Varieties of Soybean Herbicides
In 2019, the sales of soybean herbicides were US$4.401 billion, a year-on-year increase of 0.1%, accounting for 47.14% of the global soybean pesticide market. Since 2014, the proportion of soybean herbicide sales has remained basically stable. The top ten herbicide products for soybean are: Glyphosate, Clethodim, Glufosinate-ammonium, Sulfentrazone, Paraquat, Flumioxazin, Dicamba, Haloxyfop, Imazethapyr, Fomesafen.
2.2 Leading Varieties of Soybean Fungicides
In 2019, the market sales of soybean fungicides were US$2.602 billion, a year-on-year increase of 3.8%, accounting for 27.87% of the global soybean pesticide market, and the compound annual growth rate from 2014 to 2019 was 0.2%. Asian soybean rust (Phakopsora pachyrhizi) occurs frequently in Latin America. Therefore, the Latin American soybean fungicide market generally maintains a steady upward trend; in 2019, the soybean acreage in Brazil and Argentina increased, driving the sales of soybean fungicides in Latin America It increased by 6.7% to US$2.339 billion, accounting for 89.89% of the global soybean fungicide market. The top ten fungicide varieties for soybeans are: Azoxystrobin, Prothioconazole, Benzovindiflupyr, Trifloxystrobin, Pyraclostrobin, Flufapyroxad, Picoxystrobin, Cyproconazole, Mancozeb, Epoxiconazole.
2.3 Leading Varieties of Soybean Insecticides
In 2019, the global sales of insecticides for soybeans were US$2.276 billion, a year-on-year increase of 6.8%. Despite the increasing trend of soybean acreage, the global soybean insecticide market has a CAGR of -1.8% from 2014 to 2019. The downward trend in sales is mainly due to the reduction in the occurrence of insect infestation and the gradual increase in the application of genetically modified technology, especially in the main soybean producing countries in Latin America. The top ten insecticides used in soybeans are: Thiamethoxam, Chlorantraniliprole, Imidacloprid, Fipronil, Acephate, Bifenthrin, Lambda-cyhalothrin, Chlorpyrifos, Flubendiamide, Spinosad.
PART.03 Newly listed soybean pesticide varieties
In order to adapt to the ever-growing needs of agricultural production, and to solve the problems of traditional pesticide resistance and environmental impact, major pesticide companies have invested a lot of manpower and material resources in the development of new pesticides, and new products have come out continuously. Newly launched pesticides for soybeans include: Sumitomo Chemical’s inpyrfluxam, BASF’s chlorofluconazole, afidopyropen, and broflanilide, Dongfang Hannong’s flufluxafen-methyl, and Nissan Chemical’s fluxametamide.
3.1 Newly launched insecticides for soybean
(1) Afidopyropen
Afidopyropen is highly effective and broad-spectrum, and has a good control effect on aphids, whiteflies, leafhoppers, psyllids and other piercing-sucking mouthpart pests. It is also environmentally friendly and has low toxicity to pollinators and natural enemies; It can make insects stop feeding quickly, which not only reduces the direct damage of insects to crops, reduces the loss of nutrients, but also reduces the infection of crops by viral diseases and bacterial diseases transmitted by insects as mediators; the duration of effect is long, under the recommended scheme The control effect against pests lasts up to 21 days, and it is effective against different stages of target pests, including nymphs and adults.
(2) broflanilide
broflanilide is highly effective, has a wide insecticidal spectrum, rapid action, and long-lasting effect. It is mainly used in fruit trees, vegetables, soybeans, cotton, corn, rice, grains, potatoes and non-crop fields, etc. Coleoptera and thrips pests are also used for the control of sanitary pests.
(3) Fluoxazolamide
Fluoxazolamide is also an allosteric modulator of γ-aminobutyric acid-gated chloride ion channels. Fluoxazolamide has a wide control spectrum and can be used in many crops. It can be used in vegetables, fruit trees, cotton, soybeans and tea trees. Spider mites, rust mites and other pests and harmful mites. Fluoxazolamide has a novel mechanism of action, and has a remarkable control effect on resistant pests; it acts quickly, can kill pests before crop damage, and lasts for up to two weeks.
3.2 Newly launched soybean fungicides
(1) Inpyrfluxam
Inpyrfluxam is a succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor (SDHI) fungicide, which inhibits the function of mitochondria by interfering with complex II in the respiratory electron transport chain of pathogenic bacteria, preventing them from producing energy, and eventually causing their death.
Inpyrfluxam is high-efficiency and broad-spectrum for soybeans, and it is highly effective against Asian soybean rust and leaf blight. In addition, inpyrfluxam is also used to control rice sheath blight, wheat leaf rust, barley net spot, apple scab, potato black mole, and sugar beet root rot.
(2) mefentrifluconazole
Mefentrifluconazole is a C14-demethylation inhibitor (DMI) in sterol biosynthesis, which inhibits the growth of bacterial cells by preventing the biosynthesis of ergosterol, resulting in the collapse of cell membranes.
Mefentrifluconazole is an important tool in disease control and resistance management. It is highly efficient, broad-spectrum, and has protective, therapeutic, and eradicating effects. It is suitable for more than 60 crops such as grains, soybeans, corn, rice, potatoes, fruit trees, vegetables, rape, green peppers, grapes, and coffee. Can effectively control many fungal diseases. Such as rust, leaf spot, scab, flower rot, brown rot, powdery mildew, and diseases caused by Septoria, Ramularia, Alternaria and Cercospora.
3.3 Newly launched soybean herbicides
Tiafenacil
Tiafenacil is a new type of protoporphyrinogen oxidase (PPO) inhibitor herbicide. It works by inhibiting protoporphyrinogen oxidase in the process of chlorophyll biosynthesis.
Tiafenacil is a non-selective herbicide with a broad herbicidal spectrum and rapid onset of action. Used in many crops such as soybean, rape, rice, corn, wheat, etc., to control broad-leaved weeds and grass weeds, such as velvetleaf, amaranth, barnyardgrass, etc. before planting, pre-emergence, and post-emergence; Resistant weeds such as amaranth, ragweed, iron amaranth, and commelina also showed excellent control effects.
Source：AgroPages
