Sustainable Crop Protection Ingredients: 7 Types Compared

Sustainable crop protection ingredients are the active ingredients, delivery systems and methods that control pests and diseases with less harm to people, pollinators, soil and water. The seven main types are microbial biopesticides, plant extracts, biostimulants, insect pheromones, other biological control agents, biodegradable delivery systems and integrated pest management (IPM). In the US, IMARC Group sized the crop protection chemicals market at USD 17.9 billion in 2025 and, in a separate report, biopesticides at about USD 2.3 billion (IMARC Group, US biopesticides market).

This guide explains what each ingredient type is, how it works, where it fits and what it cannot do. It covers how to read the label of any crop protection product, a side-by-side table of all seven types, dated market and pesticide-use figures, and a cost-per-acre calculator that compares a biological program with a conventional one using your own prices. Always follow the product label and your local rules, and ask an extension adviser or a licensed crop adviser before you change a spray program.

Sustainable crop protection ingredients at a glance

The table sums up the seven types. Each has its own section below with the source behind it.

What goes into a crop protection product

Every registered pesticide product in the US, synthetic or biological, has two kinds of ingredients on its label. Active ingredients do the work. They kill, repel or disrupt the pest or disease. On a biological product this might be a strain of Bacillus thuringiensis, neem oil or a codling moth pheromone.

Inert or “other” ingredients are everything else that is added on purpose. The EPA inert ingredients overview lists emulsifiers, solvents, carriers, aerosol propellants, fragrances and dyes as examples. They affect how a product mixes, sticks to the leaf and stores. Two products with the same active ingredient can behave quite differently in the tank because of them.

EPA groups biopesticides into three classes: biochemical pesticides (naturally occurring substances), microbial pesticides (microorganisms) and plant-incorporated protectants. Its public biopesticide active ingredient list lets you check whether an ingredient on a label is registered as a biopesticide.

How to compare crop protection products on the label

• Read the active ingredient and its percentage, not the brand name.
• Check the crops, pests and rates the label allows. The label is the legal limit.
• Look at the re-entry interval and the pre-harvest interval. They set labour and harvest timing.
• Note the resistance group number (IRAC for insecticides, FRAC for fungicides) so you can rotate modes of action.
• If you farm organically, confirm with your certifier that the whole product, including its inert ingredients, is allowed.

The same steps work in Canada, the UK, the EU, Australia and New Zealand, though each has its own regulator and approved list. A product registered in one country is not automatically legal in another.

The crop protection products market in numbers

IMARC Group puts the US crop protection chemicals market at USD 17.9 billion in 2025 and USD 18.6 billion in 2026, and projects USD 25.3 billion by 2034, a growth rate of 3.88% a year for 2026 to 2034 (IMARC Group, US crop protection chemicals market). The same report says herbicides held 43.7% of that market in 2025. Other research firms use different product scopes, so their totals differ.

Chart

US crop protection market: 2025 vs 2034 projection

USD billion, market-research estimates and projections

Biological products are a smaller but faster-growing slice. IMARC Group sizes the US biopesticides market at USD 2,297.4 million in 2025 and projects USD 6,140.5 million by 2034, a growth rate of 11.54% a year for 2026 to 2034. These are market-research estimates and projections, not government statistics, and they measure sales value, not acres treated.

Volume tells a different story from value. FAO reports that world agricultural pesticide use was 3.73 million tonnes of active ingredients in 2023, 2% lower than in 2022, 14% higher than a decade earlier and about double the 1990 level (FAO, Pesticides use and trade 1990–2023). Use per hectare of cropland was 2.40 kg worldwide, 1.59 kg in Europe and 5.64 kg in Oceania, the highest of any region.

At country level, the FAO Statistical Yearbook says the United States was the largest pesticide user in 2020, with 0.41 million tonnes or 15% of the world total, slightly ahead of Brazil (0.38 million tonnes) and China (0.27 million tonnes) (FAO Statistical Yearbook 2022). That scale is one reason small changes in how US growers choose crop protection products add up.

Chart

Pesticide use per hectare of cropland, 2023

kg of active ingredients per hectare, world and selected regions

1. Biopesticides

Biopesticides are pesticides made from natural materials such as animals, plants, bacteria and certain minerals. EPA splits them into microbial pesticides, biochemical pesticides and plant-incorporated protectants. EPA’s page on what biopesticides are says they are usually less toxic than conventional pesticides, generally affect only the target pest and closely related organisms, and often work in very small quantities.

Best for: growers who need control of a specific pest with short re-entry and pre-harvest intervals, residue limits for export, or an organic program.

How biopesticides work

Microbial pesticides such as Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) produce proteins that are toxic to specific insect groups once eaten. Biochemical pesticides work by non-toxic means. They may disrupt mating, repel pests or stop feeding. Plant-incorporated protectants are substances a plant makes from added genetic material, such as the Bt protein in Bt corn and cotton. EPA regulates the protein and its genetic material, not the plant itself.

Bt is one of the oldest biological tools. The National Pesticide Information Center says Bt has been registered for use in pesticides by US EPA since 1961 and is used against the larvae of moths, mosquitoes and black flies, as well as some beetles (NPIC, Bacillus thuringiensis fact sheet).

Where biopesticides fit and where they struggle

• They often need the pest at the right life stage. Bt must be eaten by young caterpillars to work well.
• Many break down quickly in sunlight, so timing and coverage matter more than with long-lasting synthetics.
• Shelf life and storage temperature can be strict for live products. Check the label.
• They work best as part of a program, alongside monitoring and cultural control, not as a straight swap for a broad-spectrum spray.

Research from Cornell suggests that growers protecting tomatoes from bacterial speck and spot could replace some copper applications with a biopesticide (Cornell Biocontrol Bytes). Results like this come from specific trials, crops and seasons, so test on a small block before you change a whole program.

Biological programs pair well with good records of inputs and emissions; see how carbon footprint tracking supports sustainable crop management.

Chart

The three largest pesticide users, 2020

million tonnes of active ingredients used in agriculture

2. Plant extracts

Plant extracts are concentrated substances from seeds, bark, leaves, flowers or oils. They act as insecticides, fungicides or repellents. Some, such as neem oil, are registered as biopesticides; others, such as pyrethrins, are regulated as conventional pesticides. Many are allowed in organic systems, depending on the full formulation.

Best for: soft-bodied insects such as aphids, mites and whiteflies, and growers who need short intervals before harvest.

Common plant extracts used on farms

• Neem oil. Pressed from the seeds of the neem tree. NPIC says azadirachtin is its most active part for repelling and killing pests, and neem oil and its purified parts are used in over 100 pesticide products (NPIC, neem oil fact sheet). It can be formulated as granules, dusts, wettable powders or emulsifiable concentrates.
• Pyrethrins. Taken from chrysanthemum flowers. They knock insects down fast by acting on the nervous system, but break down quickly in light. Do not confuse them with pyrethroids, which are synthetic and last longer.
• Essential oils. Products based on oils such as clove, rosemary, thyme or garlic repel or kill some insects and suppress some fungi. Most need repeat applications.

How plant extracts are used

Plant extracts act in three main ways. They repel pests with strong smells or bitter tastes. They upset the insect nervous system or its growth and moulting. And some suppress fungal spores on leaf surfaces. Because most break down fast, good coverage and the right timing matter. Spray in the cool part of the day where the label allows, and watch for leaf burn on sensitive crops at high temperatures.

Some plant extracts are toxic to bees or fish when wet. “Natural” does not mean harmless. Read the environmental hazard section of the label and keep sprays off flowering plants when bees are working.

3. Biostimulants

Biostimulants are products such as seaweed extracts, humic and fulvic acids, protein hydrolysates and beneficial microbes. They are not pesticides in themselves. Instead they help the plant take up nutrients, grow roots and cope with stress such as heat, drought or transplant shock. A plant that is less stressed may tolerate pest and disease pressure better.

Best for: fields with weak root growth, stress-prone seasons, or growers who want to support crop health alongside a protection program.

Key types of biostimulants

• Seaweed extracts: applied as foliar sprays or through irrigation to support growth under stress.
• Humic and fulvic acids: used to support nutrient uptake and root and shoot growth.
• Beneficial microbes: root bacteria and mycorrhizal fungi that form partnerships with roots and help with nutrient uptake.

Biostimulants are a separate category from biopesticides. A product that claims to kill or control a pest must be registered as a pesticide in the US; a product that claims only to supply nutrients or improve soil generally is not, but claims to regulate plant growth can count as plant-regulator claims that need registration. Treat any biostimulant claim about pest control with care, and ask for independent trial data from your region.

The IMARC biopesticides figures above do not include biostimulants, so the two markets should not be added together.

4. Pheromones

Pheromones are chemical signals insects use to find mates, raise alarms or gather. Synthetic copies released in a field can confuse male moths so they cannot find females. This is called mating disruption. Pheromones are also used in traps to monitor or remove pests.

Best for: orchards, vineyards and some field crops with moth pests, especially where blocks are large and neighbours cooperate.

Mating disruption in practice

UC IPM’s codling moth guidelines for apples say an IPM program combines insecticides, mating disruption and cultural controls. They call mating disruption the preferred tool because of its low toxicity to people, natural enemies and the environment, but say it may need to be supplemented with insecticide sprays, especially in the first few years (UC IPM, codling moth in apples). Where insecticides are still the main tool, the same guidelines advise rotating products with different mode-of-action group numbers to avoid resistance.

Benefits and limits of pheromones

• High specificity: each pheromone targets one pest or a few close species, so pollinators and natural enemies are spared.
• Resistance management: pheromones do not kill the pest, so they add a different pressure to a spray program.
• Limits: they work best over large, uniform blocks. Edges, small blocks and high pest numbers can let mated females fly in.
• Monitoring is still needed: traps baited with pheromones show when pressure is building and when a backup spray is due.

Watching crop vigour from above helps here too. The video below shows how satellite maps reveal stressed patches across a whole farm, so scouts can check the right rows first.

▶ How satellite crop health maps show stressed patches across a large farm so scouts can check them first. · 4:09

5. Microbial and biological control agents

Biological control uses living organisms to keep pests below damaging levels. This includes microbial products sprayed like a pesticide and larger natural enemies such as predatory mites, lady beetles and parasitic wasps that are released or encouraged.

Best for: greenhouses, high-value vegetables and fruit, and any crop where natural enemies can build up.

Core examples of biological control agents

• Bacteria: Bt strains kill caterpillars; some Bacillus strains suppress fungal and bacterial leaf diseases.
• Fungi: Beauveria bassiana infects insects such as whiteflies and thrips through their skin; it needs suitable humidity to work well.
• Viruses: insect viruses called NPVs and granuloviruses attack specific caterpillars, such as codling moth granulovirus in orchards.
• Beneficial insects and mites: predators and parasitoids that feed on or lay eggs in pests.

Making biological control agents work

Living products are sensitive to heat, sunlight and some tank partners. Many fungicides can harm fungal biocontrol agents, and some insecticides kill beneficial insects. Check compatibility charts from the supplier, apply at the pest stage named on the label, and keep a written record of what you released or sprayed and when. Broad-spectrum sprays can wipe out natural enemies that took weeks to build, so plan them carefully.

On large operations with many fields and crews, an agro admin app for large-scale farm management helps keep spray, release and scouting records in one place.

6. Biodegradable delivery systems

How a product is delivered matters as much as what it contains. Biodegradable delivery systems change how both natural and synthetic actives reach the target.

• Encapsulation: the active ingredient is enclosed in a biodegradable polymer shell for slower, longer release.
• Controlled-release dispensers: used for pheromones, these release a steady dose over weeks.
• Nano-scale and adjuvant systems: still mostly at the research and early market stage; they aim to lower doses and drift.

Best for: reducing the number of passes and the amount lost to drift, runoff or breakdown in sunlight.

Advantages and open questions

Slower release can mean fewer passes, which saves fuel and labour. Breaking down after use reduces the material left in soil and water. Open questions remain on how some novel carriers behave in soil, and regulators in the US, EU, UK and Australia review new formulations, including inert ingredients, before approval.

Data tools help schedule these products well. The satellite and weather API lets developers and agribusinesses bring field data into their own spray-planning systems, and the API developer documentation shows how to start. For machinery, fleet management tracking helps keep sprayer routes and timing on plan.

7. Integrated pest management (IPM)

IPM is not a single product. It is a way of deciding when and how to act, using biological, cultural, physical and, when needed, chemical controls. EPA describes IPM as a four-tiered approach: set action thresholds, monitor and identify pests, prevent problems, and then control them (US EPA, introduction to IPM). It notes that sighting a single pest does not always mean control is needed.

Best for: every farm. IPM is how the other six ingredient types are used well.

Key elements of integrated pest management

• Action thresholds: the pest level at which damage costs more than control.
• Monitoring and identification: scouting, traps and correct pest identification so the right tool is chosen.
• Prevention: crop rotation, resistant varieties, clean seed, planting dates and good field hygiene.
• Control: the least risky effective method first, such as pheromones or biologicals, then targeted sprays if needed.

FAO’s integrated pest management guidance sets out the same idea for farms worldwide: grow a healthy crop with as little disruption to farm ecosystems as possible and encourage natural pest control.

IPM in practice: putting the ingredients together

A typical sequence looks like this. Choose a resistant variety and rotate crops. Hang pheromone traps and scout weekly. When counts pass the threshold, use the most selective effective option, such as a Bt spray for young caterpillars. Keep broad-spectrum products as a backup and rotate their resistance groups. Record what you did and how well it worked, so next season starts from your own data.

Good records also help with finance. Some lenders and insurers ask for field evidence; see how crop loan and insurance verification uses satellite records.

Cost of biological crop protection products per acre

There is no national, government-published price list for biological crop protection products, and prices vary by product, crop, region and volume. Biologicals may cost less per pass than a synthetic product but need more passes, or the reverse. The fair comparison is cost per acre per season, including the number of passes.

The calculator below lets you enter your own rates, prices and passes for a biological program and a conventional one. The defaults are examples only, set close to break-even, and are not benchmarks. Use the rates on your product labels and today’s dealer prices.

Things the calculator leaves out: adjuvants, application labour and fuel, equipment wear, and any yield or quality difference between the two programs. If your biological program needs one more pass, add the cost of that pass in fuel and time. If it lets you harvest sooner or sell into a market with strict residue limits, that value counts too.

Try the numbers for your own farm below.

Sustainable crop protection and carbon footprint

Reducing the carbon footprint of crop protection products starts with two facts. Making synthetic active ingredients uses energy, and so does every pass of a sprayer. Published estimates of the manufacturing footprint differ widely by active ingredient, so no single average is reliable.

Biological and biodegradable ingredients can lower this footprint in two ways. Fermenting microbes or extracting plant oils may need less industrial processing than making some synthetic actives. And slow-release delivery can reduce the number of passes. The size of the saving depends on the product, the rate and the number of passes, so a product-by-product life-cycle comparison is the sound way to put a number on it.

At farm level, the most practical cuts are fewer passes, spraying only where and when a threshold is crossed, and keeping sprayers well calibrated. Carbon footprinting tools track farm emissions over time, so a change in your crop protection program shows up in your own numbers rather than a borrowed industry average.

The video below covers seven simple sustainable farming practices, several of which, such as rotation and soil cover, also lower pest pressure.

▶ Seven simple sustainable farming practices, including rotation and soil cover. · 4:34

How to choose sustainable crop protection ingredients for your farm

1. Identify the pest or disease correctly. Use your extension service or a diagnostic lab. Many biologicals work on a narrow group of pests.
2. Know the threshold. Find the action threshold for that pest and crop in your state or regional guidelines.
3. Match the ingredient to the life stage. Bt for young caterpillars, pheromones before moth flights, Beauveria when humidity allows.
4. Check registration and certification. Confirm the product is registered for your crop in your country and, if organic, approved by your certifier.
5. Plan for resistance. Rotate modes of action, including between biological and synthetic products.
6. Compare cost per season, not per jug. Use the calculator above with your own numbers.
7. Trial and record. Leave an untreated or standard-treated strip and compare. Your own field data is the best evidence you will have.

For a wider view of farm planning, see these guides to crop management for sustainable agriculture and the farming system for sustainable agriculture. If aphids or mealybugs are your main problem, our guide to aphids vs mealybugs covers how to tell them apart.

Using satellite monitoring with sustainable crop protection

Biological products work best when they go on at the right time and in the right place. Satellite crop health maps can show patches of a field where plant vigour is dropping, which tells scouts where to walk first. They do not identify the pest; a person in the field still has to confirm what is causing the stress.

The Farmonaut Satellite + AI Farm Monitoring System gives vegetation and moisture maps for fields you draw once, through the season, on web, Android and iOS. Growers can use these maps to target scouting and record where products were applied. Buyers that ask for proof of inputs can be shown records through product traceability tools.

The video below gives six plain steps to start precision farming, from field maps to satellite monitoring.

▶ Six plain steps to start precision farming, from field maps to satellite monitoring. · 4:18

Challenges and what is still not measured

Gaps in the public data

• Adoption rate: market-research firms size biological sales in dollars; there is no regular national survey of the share of US acres treated with biopesticides.
• Price per acre: no government source publishes a standard per-acre cost for biological versus synthetic programs, which is why the calculator uses your own numbers.
• Efficacy across crops: university extension programs publish regional trial results, but these cover specific crops, sites and seasons.
• Carbon payback: life-cycle studies exist for some products, but there is no national dataset that covers biologicals as a group.

Practical challenges for growers

• Variable results: efficacy changes with weather, humidity, crop variety and pest pressure.
• Resistance: pests can adapt to biologicals too if one mode of action is used again and again.
• Slower action: many biologicals take days to show results, so they need earlier decisions.
• Registration and supply: new products take time to register and reach dealers in each country.
• Training: staff need to know storage, mixing and timing rules that differ from synthetic products.

How to keep your figures current

Market figures change every year. Check the latest IMARC Group pages for US biopesticides and crop protection chemicals, and the FAOSTAT pesticides use release, which FAO updates once a year. The ingredient science in this guide changes slowly; the dollar and tonnage figures do not.

FAQ

What are sustainable crop protection ingredients?

They are active ingredients and methods that control pests and diseases with less harm to people, beneficial insects, soil and water. The main types are biopesticides, plant extracts, biostimulants, pheromones, biological control agents, biodegradable delivery systems and IPM.

What counts as a crop protection product beyond synthetic chemicals?

Crop protection products include synthetic pesticides, biopesticides (microbial, biochemical and plant-incorporated protectants), plant extracts, pheromone products and biological control agents. IMARC Group sizes the US crop protection chemicals market at USD 17.9 billion in 2025, with biopesticides at about USD 2.3 billion.

Are there EPA-registered biological crop protection products?

Yes. EPA registers biopesticides in three classes and publishes a searchable list of biopesticide active ingredients. Bt, for example, has been registered by EPA since 1961, according to NPIC.

How do biopesticides differ from chemical pesticides?

EPA says biopesticides are usually less toxic than conventional pesticides, generally affect only the target pest and close relatives, and often work in very small amounts. Many break down quickly, so timing and coverage matter more.

Are sustainable crop protection methods cost-effective?

It depends on the product, the number of passes and the value of shorter harvest intervals or residue limits. Compare cost per acre per season with your own prices using the calculator above, and run a side-by-side strip trial.

Which crop protection products help most with resistance?

Products with a different mode of action from the ones you already use, such as pheromones for mating disruption or microbial products, help slow resistance when rotated inside an IPM program. Check the IRAC or FRAC group on each label and get advice from your local extension service.

Related pages on our site: crop monitoring app · why crop protection matters