On 4 June, the Chinese Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs invited a 30-day consultation on the list of Class I agricultural pests, which was drafted as per the “Regulation for the Prevention and Control of Agricultural Pests”.

The regulation was enacted earlier this year, aimed to clarify the responsibilities of government departments at all levels and entities engaged in agricultural production and pest control service, as well as standardize the practices of pest monitoring, forecast, prevention and control.

The Class I agricultural pests are perennially pests impacting an extremely large area which may lead to an extremely serious loss in agricultural production. The development and occurrence of these pests and diseases are monitored and treated under a special response program developed by MoARA.

A total of 16 pests and diseases will be identified as the Class I agricultural pests, some of which are invasive pests and only a few pesticides have registered the targeted uses.

1. Spodopterafrugiperda

Spodopterafrugiperda is an invasive pest firstly detected in late 2018, which has taken a heavy toll on China’s maize production and no pesticide has obtained the registration targeting this insect.

2. LocustamigratoriaLinnaeus

Only 5 pesticides have been approved targeting against LocustamigratoriaLinnaeus and the major insecticidal ingredients are Beta-cypermethrin, Deltamethrin and Metarhizium anisoplia.

3. Riceplanthopper

Over 1600 pesticides have been registered targeting against Riceplanthopper and the major insecticidal ingredients registered are Dinotefuran, Thiamethoxam, Pymetrozine, Clothianidin, Cycloxaprid, Flonicamid, Thiacloprid, Nitenpyram and Metarhizium anisopliae CQMa421.

4. Cnaphalocrocismedinalis

Over 1000 pesticides have been registered targeting against Riceplanthopper and the major active ingredients used are Indoxacarb, Abamectin, Chlorantraniliprole, Clothianidin, Spinosad, Profenofos, Cartap and Beauveria bassiana, etc.

5. Chilosuppressalis

800 more pesticides have been registered targeting this insect and the major effective ingredients are Methoxyfenozide, Dinotefuran, Chlorantraniliprole, Diazinon, Metarhizium anisopliae CQMa421, Profenofos, Cartap, Beauveria bassiana, Triazophos and Monosultap.

6. Mythimna separate

Only a dozen of pesticides have obtained the registration and the major active ingredients used are Chlorantraniliprole, Beauveria bassiana, Sulfoxaflor, Chlorpyrifos, Cyantraniliprole, Thiamethoxam, Bacillus thuringiensis, Lambda-cyhalothrin, Acephate and Deltamethrin.

7. Loxostegesticticalis L.

Only 2 pesticides have been registered targeting against Loxostegesticticalis L, composed of Emamectin benzoate and Triazophos.

8. Pucciniastriinformis West f.sp. triticiEriks. et Henn.

Only a dozen of pesticides targeting this disease have obtained pesticide registration and the major active ingredients used are Flutriafol, Tebuconazole, Triadimefon, Hexaconazole, Diniconazole, Isofenphos-methyl and Propiconazol.

9. Fusarium graminearum Schw.

Over 300 pesticides have registered targeting this disease and the major fungicidal ingredients used are Prochloraz, Tebuconazole, Pyraclostrobin, Metconazole, Prothioconazole, Trifloxystrobin, Epoxiconazole, Azoxystrobin, Thiram, Paenibacillus polymyxa KN-03, Pydiflumetofen, Oligosaccharins, Thiophanate-methyl, Hexaconazole and Kresoxim-methyl.

10. Magnaporthe oryzae B. C. Couch

Almost 1000 pesticides have obtained the registration and the major active ingredients used are: Isoprothiolane, Bacillus subtilis, Kasugamycin, Rhodopseudomonas palustris PSB-S, isobavachalcone, Prochloraz， Polyoxin, Tricyclazole, Trifloxystrobin, Paenibacillus polymyxa KN-03, Pydiflumetofen, Azoxystrobin, Pyraclostrobin, Probenazole, Propiconazol and Bacillus amyloliquefacien

11. SRBSDV

The number of pesticide registered targeting SRBSDV was only 11 and the major active ingredients used are Dufulin, Oligosaccharins,Β-sitosterol, Oligosaccharins, isobavachalcone, Xinjunan, Moroxydine hydrochloride, Fungous proteoglycan, Chltosan, Paenibacillus polymyxa KN-03, Enadenine, Oxyenadenine and Ningnanmycin

12. Phytophthorainfestans( Mont.) de Bary

Over 200 pesticides have registered targeting the disease and the major active ingredients include Metalaxyl, Cyazofamid, Trifloxystrobin, Fluazinam, isobavachalcone, Famoxadone, Azoxystrobin, Metalaxyl-M, Mancozeb, Paenibacillus polymyxa KN-03, Dimethomorph, Oxathiapiprolin, Mandipropamid and Bacillus subtilis.

13. Leptinotarsadecemlineata( Say)

Only 2 microbial pesticides, Bacillus thuringiensis G033A and Beauveria bassiana have been registered targeting the insect.

14. CandidatusLiberobacterasiaticumJagoueix et al.

Up to the present, no pesticide targeting the disease has been registered in China.

15. Cydiapomonella( Linnaeus)

7 pesticides have been registered targeting the insect and major active ingredients used are Lambda-cyhalothrin, Chlorantraniliprole and Deltamethrin.

16. Erwiniaamylovora( Burrill) Winslow et al. Erwiniapyrifoliae Kim，Garden，Rhim et Geider

Up to the present, no pesticide targeting the disease has been registered in China.

From the factors mentioned above, these pests are serious and frequent pests that heavily dependent on crop protection products and some of the pests with a smaller number of registered products would offer a broader market space.