Summary：Plant growth regulators (PGRs) in the pesticide industry,
once misunderstood and facing challenges, have become core to modern
agriculture. Despite a small market share, they have high entry barriers due to
strict registration in China. The industry now focuses on systematic solutions.
Technological innovations like plant elicitors and "growth - regulation -
nourishment" products drive efficiency and eco - friendliness. PGR
application is complex, requiring careful local validation. Future development
hinges on integrating product innovation and application breakthroughs, with
the agrochemical industry shifting towards green and biological methods.
In the intricate
landscape of the pesticide industry, plant growth regulators (PGRs) have long
been mired in cognitive misconceptions and developmental challenges. For years,
they were erroneously conflated with fertilizers due to a lack of clear
understanding and faced unwarranted skepticism because of the
"hormone" label attached to them. However, after years of
technological advancements and widespread knowledge dissemination, PGRs have
undergone a remarkable transformation from being mere auxiliary components in
agricultural production to becoming indispensable core elements within the
modern agricultural framework.
When compared to
traditional pesticide categories such as herbicides and insecticides, the PGR
sector operates in a far more demanding environment. It grapples with
formidable obstacles, including the high complexity of technological research
and development, intricate application scenarios, and stringent industry access
barriers. The journey of PGRs' development stands as a testament to resilience
and innovation within the realm of agricultural technology.
Despite their
relatively modest market share within the pesticide industry, PGRs face
exceedingly high entry thresholds. China enforces a rigorous registration
management system for PGRs, with the registration process for both active
ingredients and formulations spanning an extended period of 3 - 4 years. The
registration cost for a single product typically ranges from several million to
tens of millions of yuan. This high - cost, long - cycle market - entry
mechanism directly determines a company's market influence. In the current
competitive landscape, the industry has evolved from a mere product - based
competition to a battle of systematic solutions. Enterprises are now compelled
to establish comprehensive service capabilities encompassing research and
development, production, and application guidance to gain a competitive edge in
the market.
Technological innovation
serves as the cornerstone of maintaining competitiveness in the PGR industry.
In recent years, a plethora of new categories and technologies have emerged
within the PGR field, such as plant elicitors and the integrated "growth -
regulation - nourishment" trinity products. These innovations have
injected fresh impetus into the industry's development. Rather than simply
enhancing the efficacy of individual products, they are propelling the PGR
industry towards a trajectory of high efficiency, precision, and environmental
friendliness.
For instance,
plant elicitors work by activating the crop's innate defense mechanisms,
achieving the dual benefits of pest and disease control as well as growth
regulation, thereby reducing the reliance on chemical pesticides. The
"growth - regulation - nourishment" trinity products focus on root -
related issues, integrating functions such as nutritional regulation, growth
promotion, and resistance enhancement to form an integrated solution that
caters to the demands of modern intensive agricultural production.
The essence of
PGR application lies in the precise regulation of crop growth rhythms, a
process fraught with complexity. The activity and performance of PGRs vary
significantly across different crop varieties and geographical environments.
The optimal dosage and application timing require meticulous verification and
fine - tuning. A PGR may exhibit vastly different effects in the hot and humid
southern climate compared to the arid northern regions. As a result, PGRs are
introduced into new markets with great caution, undergoing a relatively lengthy
and meticulous local validation process. This process not only involves
verifying the appropriate dosage and its alignment with the crop's phenological
stages but also requires a systematic assessment of environmental factors such
as soil and climate on the product's efficacy. Consequently, the technical
promotion in the PGR industry is characterized by high practicality, a
substantial workload, and a lengthy duration.
Healthy plant
growth and a favorable growing environment are the foundations for PGRs to
fully exert their effects. The scientific application of PGRs, the improvement
of the growing environment, and the regulation of crop health need to form a
synergistic trinity for enhanced efficiency. This is undoubtedly the inevitable
direction for the future development of the PGR industry.
In the upcoming
agricultural technology competition, the PGR industry must focus on the deep
integration of "product innovation" and "application
breakthroughs." On the one hand, efforts should be directed towards
product upgrades and breakthroughs, intensifying research and development in
cutting - edge technologies such as "regulator +" (incorporating
nanomaterials, DNA - based biological regulation technologies, etc.) to create
high - efficiency, safe, and environmentally friendly products. On the other
hand, it is crucial to strengthen professional technical service teams,
enabling them to work closely with farmers in the fields. By optimizing and
refining integrated "regulator +" technical solutions, these teams
can provide standardized and digitalized production technical guidance to
growers.
As the degree of land
intensification continues to rise, the agrochemical industry is undergoing a
transformation towards green and biological approaches. Enterprises that excel
in product innovation and application breakthroughs will set the new benchmarks
for defining industry leaders.
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