Agricultural Insect Pheromones Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Product Type (Sex Pheromones, Aggregation Pheromones, Others), By Mode (Monitoring & Detection, Mating Disruption, Mass Trapping) And Regional Forecast, 2024-2032

The adoption of advanced technologies in agriculture in recent years has given rise to new methods and products to improve crop yield. With the implementation of integrated pest management programs, the adoption of sustainable methods to combat pests in the fields has also increased. As insect pheromones don't use any harmful elements responsible for affecting the environment, the adoption of these products has also risen in recent years.

Pheromones refer to the chemical produced as messengers responsible for affecting the behavior of other insects.  Insects use them to attract males and warn others about the presence of predators nearby. There are two types of pheromones in insects, namely releasers and primers. Releaser pheromones are those pheromones that initiate an immediate behavioral response in insects when they receive them. Primer pheromones are responsible for causing a psychological reaction in insects, causing a behavioral response. There are three different types of chemically identified releaser pheromones; one that causes sexual attraction, one for alarm behaviors, and the other for recruitment.

The use of insect pheromones helps to reduce harmful effects on the environment as it helps in the early detection of pests. Agricultural insect pheromones are used widely in various traps to monitor and identify the population of pests nearby. These traps are affordable and easier to install. Proper installation of these traps helps to detect even low numbers of insects that might be present in the vicinity. As the specific insects release specific pheromones, these traps can also be helpful to collect specific species.

The usage of pheromones requires proper technical knowledge regarding the product deployment and insect lifecycle. In addition, the active ingredients used in these products are costly when compared with chemical substances. Thus, the high application cost and maintenance act as restraints for the growth of the pheromones market.  

Key Players Covered:

Koppert Biological, Isagro, and Shin-Etsu Chemicals are key players operating in the global insect pheromones market. Other key players include Active IPM, AgBiTech, Agrichembio, Agrochem, ATGC Biotech, Atlas Agro, SemiosBIO, Sumi Agro France, Russell IPM, and Suterra LLC.

Mating disruption is anticipated to exhibit substantial growth due to their wider use of pheromones to manage the pest population. Among all the methods used for managing pests, it is considered the most effective method. It disrupts the mating and multiplication of insect larvae in different crops and trees. Sex pheromones are extracted mainly from female insects, which are used for attracting their male counterparts. Other pheromones, such as alarm pheromones, help prevent the insects from reaching the food source.

Companies need to register new product formulations they have developed and want to launch them in the market. Regulatory bodies such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), US Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Organic Program (NOP) are some of them where the companies register the products.  

Regional Analysis:

The market for insect pheromone in North America is expected to grow in the upcoming years significantly. This can be attributed to the initiatives undertaken by the government to boost agriculture and use scientific methods to control the pest population in their fields. Integrated pest management policies are undertaken to ensure that the population of pests can be controlled. As the U.S. is one of the major exporters of agricultural products, the demand for pest management products such as insect pheromones is expected to increase in this region.

Asia Pacific is projected to exhibit promising growth owing to the increasing demand for high-quality agricultural produce. Asia is one of the largest exporters of rice, sugarcane, and the loss of crops due to insect manifestation. This is one of the major reasons behind the increasing utilization of pest management solutions such as insect pheromones.

Segmentation

Key Industry Developments

• In 2021, insect pheromone company Biophero raised USD 16.5 million in Series A funding, which was led by DCVC bio. The company aims to produce biological insect pheromones of better quality to control pest in various row crops.


• In 2021, crop protection startup firm Provivi received USD10 million investment to develop pheromone based insect control technology from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. They aim to develop products to protect crop loss from rice stem borer and corn fall armyworm.