Characteristic minor crops refer to a class of crops with a small planting area, high economic value, and low use of pesticide, involving more than 100 varieties of specialty vegetables,
fruits, Chinese herbal medicines, edible fungus, cereals, and oil crops. Due to the diversity species, prominent local characteristics, less use of pesticide, complicated situation of
diseases and pests, many of the minor crops in China are still within the state of “No-pesticide-available”. The survey showed that all of the 911 pesticide products used on 249 minor
crops, only 190 were registered on them. The phenomena of using non-registered pesticide, over-scale-use registered pesticide, not according to the label etc. are very common, which
can easily cause the residue exceed MRL in crops, more seriously, the quality and safety of agriculture products cannot be guaranteed.
Since the promulgated of the new registration regulation, both the cost and the difficulty of the registration have increased greatly. Considering the pesticide market, only a few
producers will choose to do the expensive research and development work needed for registration on such crops. In order to reduce the cost, improve the enthusiasm, accelerate the
pace of registration of minor crops, solve the problem of “no-pesticide-available”, the government has adopted a series of measures to encourage the registration of pesticide on such
crops. The "Pesticide Registration Data Requirements" specifically formulated the "Pesticide Registration Data Requirements on Minor Crops", which is limited to the products those have
already obtained registration，for expansion.
Comparing with the general expansion, the advantages for minor crops are as follows
1. No need to provide toxicological information
2. Efficacy trail can be finished within one year, the test sites should be no less than 3. And the efficacy test can be performed on the representative crop and target in the same cluster in accordance with the requirements of the cluster management of efficacy test for minor crops. No need to submit resistance risk evaluation data.
3. The test sites should be no less than 4 for residue test, and it also can be performed on the representative crop in the same cluster in accordance with the cluster management of residue test for minor crops. It’s unnecessary to provide residue test in processed agricultural products.
4. The test can be conducted jointly.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs successively promulgated the "List of Specialty Minor Crops with Shortage of Pesticide (2019 Edition)", "List of Efficacy Test Cluster for
Pesticide Registration on Minor Crops (2019 Edition)"," List of Residue Test Cluster for Pesticide Registration on Minor Crops (2019 Edition) ", which has perfected the directory of minor
crops, and simultaneously, provided a theoretical basis for the cluster management of pesticide registration for minor crops. The field efficacy test guidelines for 13 characteristic crops
have been issued successively, and 633 MRL values for 132 pesticides on 87 minor crops have also provided technical support for the registration of characteristic minor crops.
The favorable of policy along with the support from theory and technology will gradually change the chaos of pesticide use on minor crops in China. Although the planting area is small
and the market is scattered, correspondingly, the market gap is relatively large and the competitive pressure is relatively small. Under the background of strategic adjustment of
agricultural structure, advancing the pesticide registration of minor crops provides a new direction for the promotion of products and a huge space for the later development of
enterprises. Registration of pesticide under standardized guidance will be also conducive to the sustainable development of pesticide products and the industry, and further realize the
economic value of characteristic minor crops.
