The Evolution of Insecticide Markets and a Rising Star: Pyriproxyfen

Lepidopteran pests have long dominated the insecticide market, but due to climate change, rising CO₂ levels and GMO technology, they will find it increasingly difficult to harm plants. In contrast, piercing-sucking pests are expected to benefit, exhibiting increased feeding efficiency, shorter reproduction cycles, and substantial population growth.

Some of these sucking pests—such as whiteflies, scale insects, flea beetles, thrips, spider mites, and aphids—pose a significant challenge. They inflict significant damage by extracting plant sap while transmitting viral diseases. The difficulty in controlling them stems from several factors: their small size and high mobility, rapid reproduction, and propensity for developing resistance.

As a result, targeting sucking pests with ovicides has become a rising trend. Ovicides can either be applied early to prevent outbreaks or combined with adult-targeting insecticides during peak infestations to disrupt pest generational cycles.

However, few insecticides for sucking pests have egg-killing activity. This is the context in which we recommend Pyriproxyfen. Though not a new ingredient—having been introduced over 30 years ago as a hygienic insecticide— Pyriproxyfen has recently found its place in crop protection due to the growing need for ovicides to manage resistant sucking pests. It offers the following advantages:

Mechanism of Action: Pyriproxyfen is a Juvenile Hormone analogue that inhibits chitin synthesis, delivering egg-killing, larvae-killing, and reproductive suppression effects in adult pests.
Spectrum: Against both chewing and sucking pests. However, its egg-killing performance against Lepidopters is inferior to Lufenuron, leading to its primary market position as an ovicide for sucking pests. Brazil, its largest market, primarily registers Pyriproxyfen for use against thrips and whiteflies.
Strengths: Pyriproxyfen combines contact and ingestion activity, systemic action, and long residual effects, making it effective against hidden pests.
Weaknesses: Its action depends on larvae molting, which slows its effectiveness, thus making its mixtures with fast-acting ingredients necessary and promising.
Formulation development: To address i ts limitation, Bioagriland’s formulation strategy is twofold: on the one hand combining Pyriproxyfen with NEOs or Pyrethroids insecticides for cost- efficiency and aim for high volume; on the other hand pairing it with new AIs such as Flonicamid and Triflumezopyrim to target resistant pests and aim for profit.For details on our formulations, please refer to the table below.