Agricultural Pheromones Market Size, Share, Opportunities, And Trends By Type (Sex Pheromones, Aggregation Pheromones, Repellent Pheromones, Others), By Product Type (Pest Control, Others), By Species (Moths, Beetles And Bugs, Armyworm, Butterflies, Others), By Crop Type (Field Crops, Orchard Crops, Fruits And Nuts, Vegetable, Tea Plants, Flower, Others), By Function (Detection And Monitoring, Mating Disruption, Mass Trapping, Others), And By Geography - Forecasts From 2024 To 2029

The agricultural pheromones market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 15.84%, from US$ 2.701 billion in 2022 to US$ 7.563 billion in 2029.

The pheromones are used by all insects to communicate to alarm for impending danger, finding ways, to disperse, aggregate, or attract a mating partner. They are now being utilized as a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative to conventional pest control methods in agriculture.

Organizations and governments around the world are encouraging Sustainable practices for more profitability and environmental concerns and enhance the quality of life of farmers, such as, NIFA (National Institute of Food and Agriculture) promotes sustainable agriculture through grants programs, professional development programs, programs for leadership development, and funding for research. It works with the USDA Sustainable Development Council.

The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare by the Government of India is promoting organic agriculture in a phased manner with ICAR, all India Network Project on organic farming has developed an organic package of practices for 68 cropping systems to provide technological backup to farmers.

Agricultural pheromones offer a highly targeted and species-specific approach to pest management. By mimicking the pheromones emitted by insects, farmers can disrupt the mating behaviour of pests, preventing reproduction and reducing pest populations without harming beneficial organisms or the environment. This targeted approach minimizes broad-spectrum insecticides and reduces the risk of developing pesticide resistance in pests, contributing to sustainable agricultural practices.

Agricultural pheromones market segmentation by function into detection and monitoring, mating disruption, mass trapping, and others. Detection and Monitoring are used as trap bait for early detection of pests, pest monitoring for action decision support, mapping pest distribution, etc. Mating Disruption disrupts the reproduction of insect pests by saturating the environment with synthetic pheromones. Mass Trapping, is used to capture large numbers of insect pests. Others included the estimation of population dynamics, attracting beneficial insect species, etc.

Market Drivers:

• Government support for organic and sustainable farming-

Governments across the world are pushing for more sustainable farming practices to reduce erosion, salinization, and other forms of degradation, minimizing the use of pesticides and herbicides, and improving habitats for wildlife.  Consultative Group on International Agriculture Research, a strategic alliance of members of international agricultural centers to implement their research initiative in a sustainable and climate-resilient world. They worked on the project for pheromone trapping to monitor and control the legume pod borer, Maruca vitrata for small-scale farmers in West Africa.

Under PKVY by the government of India, farmers of various states of the country are provided with financial assistance of Rs 50000/ha for 3 years. Rs 31000/ ha / 3 years is provided directly to farmers through direct benefit transfer for organic inputs. Rs 20 lakh/ cluster of 1000 ha for 3 years is financially assisted with the value addition and infrastructure creation.

Under the Atal New India Challenge (ANIC) Showcase, Barrix Agro Sciences Private Limited, headquartered in Bengaluru, is a startup operating within the agricultural sector. The company innovated an eco-friendly crop protection method based on pheromones, leveraging cutting-edge dispersion technologies.

Additionally, backed by a supply chain and committed staff, Barrix supports farmers and contributes positively to society and ecology. The Barrix Innovation Centre, endorsed by the DSIR (Department of Scientific and Industrial Research), Government of India, is dedicated to advancing pheromone-based product development.

• Advancement in technology and innovations-

The innovation and new product developments lead to more affordable, effective, and easier to apply, enabling wider adoption. Thus having a greater contribution to sustainable crop protection. Product launches, such as xarvio® SCOUTING, developed by BASF Digital Farming GmbH in March 2022, are a new instant pheromone trap analysis capability to aid European growers of grapes, pome fruit, and stone fruit during this growing season.

This precision feature is now available in the Xarvio SCOUTING smartphone app, which can be downloaded and used for free. It employs advanced image recognition technology, machine learning, and algorithms to precisely detect and count codling moth, grape moth, and oriental fruit moth populations in pheromone traps used by growers. 

Similarly, in March 2022, Provivi and Syngenta Crop Protection jointly introduced Nelvium™, a pheromone-based solution for controlling harmful rice pests. This new mating disruption technology offers a safer and more effective approach to pest control in rice fields. The advantages of incorporating pheromones into integrated pest management programs include their precise targeting of specific pests and their mode of action, which prevents rather than eliminates pests. This approach supports biodiversity conservation and the thriving of non-target species.

Market Restraint:

• Limited accessibility and high cost to deter the market-

Despite the promising potential of Agricultural pheromones, the market faces a few challenges, such as the limited availability of specific pheromone formulations for certain pests for particular crops, higher upfront costs compared to conventional pesticides, and the need for precise timing and application techniques. However, with ongoing research and development efforts, increasing awareness among farmers, and support from regulatory bodies, the agricultural pheromones market is expected to overcome these hurdles and witness continued growth in the coming years.

• Agricultural pheromones market by type into sex pheromones, aggregation pheromones, repellent pheromones, and others.

The agricultural pheromones market is categorized into different types including sex pheromones, aggregation pheromones, repellent pheromones, and other varieties. Sex pheromones are used to disrupt the mating of insect pests, while aggregation pheromones attract insect pests to traps. Repellent pheromones are employed to deter insects from specific areas or plants. Other types of pheromones include alarm pheromones and marking territory.

APAC is anticipated to hold a significant share of the agricultural pheromones market

The Asia Pacific will lead the market for the agricultural pheromones market, as the countries of Southeast Asia, India, and China are the leading agricultural producers as well as consumers of agricultural produce. In 2022, the US exported a record $40.9 billion to China (PRC), an increase of 14.5% from the previous year.

India, a leading exporter of agricultural products globally, recorded agricultural exports of US$ 19.74 billion in April-August 2023, compared to US$ 22.72 billion during the same period of the previous fiscal year. These markets and producers of agriculture will lead to the large-scale demand for sustainable agriculture practices for the people, and the corresponding demand for the agriculture pheromones demands.

Market Developments:

• January 2023-   Bayer and the French business M2i Group announced their collaboration to bring pheromone-based biological crop protection solutions to fruit and vegetable producers worldwide. By the agreement, Bayer will hold the sole distribution rights for a subset of M2i products that target lepidopteran pests in crops, including tomatoes, grapes, stone, and pome fruits.
• June 2022- FMC Corporation has entered into a definitive agreement to purchase BioPhero ApS, a pheromone research and production company based in Denmark. This acquisition expands FMC's product portfolio and research and development pipeline with advanced, biologically produced pheromone insect control technology.
• May 2022- Syngenta Crop Protection introduced EXPLOYO™ Vit, a pheromone-based technology developed by M2i, to assist wine growers in France. This natural and sprayable solution aims to enhance grape quality and yield while managing pests. EXPLOYO™ Vit is certified for organic farming and protects against harmful pests that pose a threat to vineyard productivity.

Company Products:

• Delta white trap-  It is designed for monitoring small to medium-sized Lepidoptera offered by Novagrica, featuring lateral openings to enhance trapping efficiency. Constructed from durable plastic, ensuring longevity across multiple growing seasons. Dimensions of 25x20x15 cm.

Market Segmentation:

• By Type
  • Sex Pheromones
  • Aggregation Pheromones
  • Repellent Pheromones
  • Others
• By Product Type
  • Pest Control
  • Others
• By Species
  • Moths
  • Beetles and Bugs
  • Armyworm
  • Butterflies
  • Others
• By Crop Type
  • Field crops
  • Orchard Crops
  • Fruits and Nuts
  • Vegetables
  • Others
• By Function
  • Detection and Monitoring
  • Mating Disruption
  • Mass Trapping
  • Others
• By Geography
  • North America
    • USA
    • Canada
    • Mexico
  • South America
    • Brazil
    • Argentina
    • Others
  • Europe
    • Germany
    • France
    • UK
    • Spain
    • Others
  • Middle East and Africa
    • Saudi Arabia
    • UAE
    • Israel
    • Others
  • Asia Pacific
    • China
    • Japan
    • India
    • South Korea
    • Indonesia
    • Thailand
    • Others