From fast‐follower to emerging innovator: a critical review of 68
ISO
‐approved pesticides developed in China (2002–2025), resistance‐management potential and translational barriers
Hai‐Jun Tan, Jing Zhang Abstract
BACKGROUND
China has emerged as a major source of innovative crop‐protection chemistry, yet the international applicability of its domestically developed agrochemical pipeline has not been critically evaluated. We systematically identified and analyzed 68 China‐developed insecticides, acaricides, nematicides, fungicides and herbicides that received ISO common names between 2002 and 2025, and assessed their structural evolution, resistance‐management potential and translational progress.
RESULTS
The portfolio comprises 18 insecticides, 6 acaricides, 3 nematicides, 20 fungicides and 21 herbicides, showing a shift from early pyrethroid and strobilurin modifications to heterocyclic scaffolds such as meta‐diamides, pyrazolecarboxamides and benzoylpyrazoles. On the basis of publicly available data, no compound has a confirmed first‐in‐class binding site. As of 30 April 2026, none had achieved Codex maximum residue limit (MRL) establishment, EU active‐substance approval, or Japan registration; only 11 (16.2%) had been listed/classified by Resistance Action Committee (RAC). The China Translational Attainment Index (TAI) (0.040) was therefore driven solely by RAC listing, versus 0.444 for the non‐China comparator ( P < 0.001). Additionally, only 18 compounds (26.5%) had publicly available baseline‐sensitivity data.
CONCLUSION
These 68 compounds are a valuable resource for global resistance management, but their international use is constrained by translational deficits. Absence of Codex MRLs, limited baseline‐sensitivity data, and incomplete resistance and environmental fate data are core barriers to registration and stewardship. Prioritized data generation is needed to bridge this gap and support international registration and stewardship. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.