Chlorothalonil, also known as 2,4,5,6-tetrachloro-1,3-benzenedonitrile, is a broad-spectrum protective fungicide, belonging to organochlorine pesticides, mainly used to control fungal foliar diseases on various fruits, vegetables, ornamental plants and lawns. It was first registered in 1966 and was mainly used for turf and later for the food crop industry. Chlorothalonil can interact with glyceraldehyde triphosphate dehydrogenase in fungal cells, and bind to the cysteine-containing protein in the enzyme, thereby destroying the activity of the enzyme and causing the metabolism of fungal cells to be damaged and lose its vitality.
Chlorothalonil has no systemic conduction effect, but after spraying on the surface of plants, it is not easy to be washed away by rain because of its good adhesion, so it has a long period of effect. Secondly, chlorothalonil has a lower Henry's law constant and vapor pressure, so the volatilization loss is also smaller. Although chlorothalonil has low water solubility, studies have shown that it is highly toxic to aquatic species and moderately toxic to mammals, with side effects such as tumors, eye irritation, and weakness. While there is no indication that chlorothalonil is carcinogenic to humans, there is already enough evidence from animal studies to classify it as a carcinogen.
Chlorothalonil can be divided into two main types in the market: TC and WP (wettable powder). TC has a high purity, typically 90% and above, and most WP, SC, WDG/WG are produced based on this type of product. WP is produced from TC as a raw material and has a purity of 75%, which is the most widely used type due to its lower price compared to TC.
From the perspective of downstream application fields, chlorothalonil is mainly suitable for vegetables, peanuts and grains, fruits, golf courses and lawns. In the prevention and control of fungal diseases of crops, chlorothalonil can be mainly used for the prevention and control of Alternaria leaf blight and fruit rot on tomatoes, tomato late blight, asparagus purple spot and so on. In addition to these disease examples, chlorothalonil is also effective in combination with fungicides against downy mildew. When it comes to golf course and lawn maintenance, chlorothalonil is the number one fungicide used on residential turf, and while chlorothalonil is very powerful, it is considered to pose a high risk to aquatic ecosystems due to frequent and repeated use.
Analysis of the market development prospects of chlorothalonil industry by region
The leading companies of chlorothalonil are mainly from China, Europe and India, and the industry concentration is relatively high. The top three companies are Syngenta, JiangSu Suli and SDS Biotech K. K., with a revenue market share of 36.93%, 25.22% and 13.84% in 2016, respectively. Currently, China is the largest revenue market for the industry, with a market share of 44.44% in 2012 and 46.39% in 2017, a year-on-year increase of 1.95%. In 2016, Europe ranked second with a market share of 15.18%.
North America, Europe, Japan and other developed countries and regions, high-end brands, steady growth, talent and technology advantages. In Europe, a major downstream consumer region, chlorothalonil is used in combination or alternating with SDHI fungicides in wheat cultivation as an alternative to certain triazoles and mancozeb fungicides. In Japan, it is mainly oriented to the high-end market, and local manufacturers mainly produce WP, SC, WDG/WG products.
In recent years, emerging economies such as China, India, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam are expected to see further growth due to the increasing demand for chlorothalonil market due to the increase in plantation area. China, as a major production and downstream consumption region, has a very good market prospect, but in recent years, changes in environmental protection policies have led to significant price fluctuations. Although India has an imperfect industrial development foundation, it has great market potential and is also one of the main production areas, and its products are mainly focused on the low-end market. As a result, the Asia-Pacific and South America region is expected to be the most promising market for growth.
At present, the chlorothalonil market has matured, driven by many parties, and the market of this industry will become more and more broad
According to our research, the total sales of the global chlorothalonil market was $184.81 million in 2012, which increased to $358.66 million in 2017. It is estimated that by 2022, the market value of chlorothalonil can reach $479.74 million. The compound growth rate from 2016 to 2022 is 7.31%.
The growth of the chlorothalonil market is mainly driven by downstream consumption. With the gradual increase in environmental pressure and the shutdown of excess capacity, the price of chlorothalonil has increased by nearly 30% in the past few years. The difficulty and cycle of export certification of products in developed countries in Europe and the United States have increased, and prices will continue to rise in the short term, and inter-regional product circulation will be more frequent. Due to the high level of drug use in the European and American markets, experts have clearly recognized the importance of protective fungicides, so the future growth potential of chlorothalonil is greater. In addition, due to the restrictions on mancozeb, chlorothalonil has a broad market as an alternative.
With the reduction of production costs, the development of the domestic market, the expansion of the scope of use and the increase of exports, the competition of similar substitute products and the adjustment of national pesticide management policies, after more than 20 years of production exploration, the production cost control of chlorothalonil is basically mature, and there will be no big ups and downs. With the continuous promotion of domestic manufacturers' technology, pesticide drug technology is also improving. In addition, more attention is paid to scientific drugs, which makes protective fungicides such as chlorothalonil favored. In recent years, the protection of the basic farmland area by the state has also ensured the effective utilization of the area of crops, which has led to the development of the chlorothalonil industry.