1216 companies have newly registered 3913 pesticides in 2017 and 30 pesticides using 17 new active ingredients were initially approved. It was also the first time biopesticides outnumbered conventional pesticides.

By the end of 2017, 37888 pesticides registered by 2213 companies were within their validity, of which 3913 pesticides of 1216 companies were newly approved in the past several years. China promulgated a new pesticide regulation and revoked temporary registration. Applications which were being processed at the time of promulgation of the new regulation are still being reviewed and approved based on requirements of the previous regulation: 3365 were full registration for field use, 385 were temporary registration for field use, 153 were full registration for hygienic pesticide and 10 were temporary registration for hygienic pesticide.

418 registrations were technical grade active ingredients and the end-use formulations consist of 976 SCs(aqueous suspension concentrates), 413 AS/SLs(aqueous solution/soluble concentrate), 385 WDGs(water dispersible granules), 300 WPs(wettable powders), 292 ODs(Oil-based suspension concentrates), 206 ECs(emulsifiable concentrates), 136 GRs(granules), 134 EWs(emulsion, oil in water), 116 FSCs(suspension concentrates for film-coating of seed), 97 MEs(micro-emulsion), 60 SEs(aqueous suspo-emulsion) and 380 products of other formulation types.

Herbicide was the top registered product category and 1424 herbicides were registered, followed by fungicide (1176), insecticide (935), plant growth regulator (124) and other categories (91). Pyraclostrobin continued to grow after its patent expiry in 2015 and the number of new registration was 216 followed by gloufosinate, atrazine and mesotrine.

Top 10 Active Ingredients Registered under Chinese Pesticide Registration in 2017

30 new pesticides using 17 new active ingredients were approved and it was found for the first time biopesticide outnumbered conventional pesticide. 12 of the active ingredients were developed and submitted by Chinese domestic companies, of which 4 were variants of Bacillus thuringiensis and Sphaerotheca amyloliquefaciens, as well as 2 derivations of brassinolide.

China immediately terminated the renewal of temporary registration after the promulgation of new regulations and some of the temporary registrations approved in the beginning of the year have now become ineffective. Natural enemies are also exempt from pesticide registration.