A comprehensive review of new pesticides developed between 2015 and 2025

Abstract

General trends and strategies for the development of new pesticides are summarized. From 2015 to 2025, 156 chemical pesticides were launched or are under development: 47 fungicides, 54 insecticides/acaricides, 9 nematicides, and 46 herbicides. Most are safe to humans and environmentally friendly. The most developed fungicides are succinate dehydrogenase inhibitors, quinone outside inhibitors, quinone inside inhibitors, and demethylation inhibitors. The general trend of insecticide development is in the progress of four major classes of insecticides: nicotinic insecticides, diamide insecticides, GABA-gated chloride channel allosteric modulators, and insect behavior or growth regulators. Due to the development of resistance to fungicides and insecticides with existing modes of action, many compounds possessing various novel modes of action have been developed. Peptide pesticides and RNAi-based insecticides have been put into practical use. Although no herbicides with novel modes of action appeared for approximately 30 years before 2018, since then eight herbicides with five novel modes of action have emerged, including those for existing herbicides. The development of useful acaricides and nematicides is also progressing.