Agrochemicals and Biocides

Agrochemicals and biocides encompass synthetic and natural agents applied to protect crops, control pests, manage unwanted vegetation and sanitize surfaces in agricultural and associated environments. Major pesticide classes include herbicides for broadleaf weeds and grasses; insecticides targeting sap-suckers, caterpillars and soil pests; fungicides to suppress fungal pathogens; rodenticides for rodents; molluscicides against slugs and snails; and algicides in aquaculture and water infrastructure. Biocides extend to wood preservatives, antifouling paints and disinfectants. Their modes of action range from enzyme inhibition (acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, auxin mimics) to receptor binding (nicotinic acetylcholine, photosystem II) and membrane disruption. Agrochemicals have delivered yield gains and disease control but can persist, volatilize or drift, raising concerns over non-target toxicity, bioaccumulation, resistance evolution and ecosystem disruption. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) promotes judicious use, combining biological controls, cultural practices and precision application technologies (e.g. variable-rate spraying, drone deployment) to minimise environmental load. Emerging approaches include nano-enabled formulations for controlled release, essential‐oil–based biopesticides and real-time sensing for early damage detection. Global trends show plateauing overall pesticide use but rising per-hectare intensity in many regions and an expanding portfolio of biopesticide alternatives. Safeguarding human health, pollinators and soil–water systems demands robust risk assessment, post-approval monitoring and resistance-management frameworks alongside innovation in eco-friendly chemistries.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Temperature-responsive polymer nanoparticles have been engineered to encapsulate a systemic fungicide, dramatically improving leaf adhesion and rainfastness while reducing off-target toxicity. Trials demonstrated a 37 % increase in anti-wash efficiency and a 25-fold reduction in acute aquatic hazard compared with commercial suspensions. In parallel, fluorescent-tracer studies under field conditions quantified spray drift from unmanned aerial systems, revealing that downwind exposure decreases sharply with distance and height but that dermal uptake by bystanders can exceed inhalation. These insights support refined buffer-zone guidelines and regulatory risk models. Separately, caraway-oil-loaded nanoemulsions stabilised with bio-surfactants have shown selective damage to weed seedlings while sparing maize, indicating potential for crop-safe bioherbicides with dual-mode mechanical and biochemical activity.

Agrochemicals and Biocides publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in agrochemicals and biocides across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Auxinic herbicide: A synthetic herbicide that mimics the plant hormone auxin, disrupting cell growth and vascular function.

Thermoresponsive nanoparticle: A polymeric carrier that changes solubility or structure at defined temperatures to control active-ingredient release.

Hyperspectral imaging: A sensing technique capturing reflectance data across many narrow spectral bands for early stress detection in plants.

Buffer zone: A mandated pesticide-free strip adjacent to sensitive areas designed to limit spray drift.

Dermal uptake: Absorption of chemicals through the skin, a primary route of exposure for bystanders near treated fields.

References

1. Practical Knowledge of Injuries Caused by Simulated Herbicide Drift in Young Tomato Plants. Agrochemicals (2023).
2. Early Detection of Dicamba and 2,4-D Herbicide Drifting Injuries on Soybean with a New Spatial–Spectral Algorithm Based on LeafSpec, an Accurate Touch-Based Hyperspectral Leaf Scanner. Remote Sensing (2023).
3. Off-target pesticide movement: a review of our current understanding of drift due to inversions and secondary movement. Weed Technology (2020).
4. Deposition and water repelling of temperature-responsive nanopesticides on leaves. Nature Communications (2023).
5. Environmental, bystander and resident exposure from orchard applications using an agricultural unmanned aerial spraying system. The Science of The Total Environment (2023).
6. The effect of caraway oil-loaded bio-nanoemulsions on the growth and performance of barnyard grass and maize. Scientific Reports (2024).
7. Recent advances in stimuli-response mechanisms of nano-enabled controlled-release fertilizers and pesticides. Eco-Environment & Health (2023).
8. Phytotoxicity of Essential Oils: Opportunities and Constraints for the Development of Biopesticides. A Review. Foods (2020).
9. Long-term trends in the intensity and relative toxicity of herbicide use. Nature Communications (2017).
10. Agrochemicals in Soil and Environment: An Overview.