Kairomones Market Size, Share & COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Mode of Application (Dispensers and Traps), By Crop Type (Orchard Crops, Vegetables, Field Crops, and Other Crops), and Regional Forecast, 2023-2030

The global kairomones market size was valued at USD 633.65 million in 2022 and is projected to grow from USD 713.88 million in 2023 to USD 1,785.06 million by 2030, exhibiting a CAGR of 13.99% during the forecast period.

Kairomones are inter-specific semiochemicals that mediate interactions beneficial to organisms that detect them. Using kairomones, researchers can manipulate insect behavior by luring male insects away from females, which disrupts their mating behavior and reduces the pest population. Synthetic kairomones can also be developed to target specific pest species and are environmentally friendly, as they do not harm non-target organisms. Further, these semiochemicals show great promise as a natural alternative to chemical pesticides for controlling pest populations in a targeted and sustainable way.

The market growth is further driven by the rising product application in the agricultural sector owing to the rising popularity of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) across the globe and the growing demand for organic, clean-labeled, natural food and crops. Furthermore, the growing environmental protection and sustainable agriculture practices are more likely to propel industry expansion over the forecast period.

COVID-19 IMPACT

Production and Transportation Delays Moderately Impacted the Market

The COVID-19 pandemic moderately impacted the agricultural sector. The pandemic led to supply chain disruptions, travel restrictions, and marketing disruptions, adversely affecting the agri-inputs market. The production of kairomones declined sharply in the initial stages of the pandemic owing to raw material and worker shortages. According to the American Chemistry Council, an industry trade association for American chemical companies, the production of global agricultural chemicals decreased by approximately 1.3% between January 2020 and February 2020.

Despite COVID-19 challenges, several companies expanded their business operations to improve their supply chain during the pandemic. For instance, in January 2020, Trece Incorporated, an American semiochemicals manufacturer, expanded its presence and strengthened its workforce on the West Coast to strengthen its business operations.

LATEST TRENDS

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Growing Popularity of Organic Farming to Fuel the Product Demand

The rising knowledge about the health benefits of organic products and growing consciousness regarding the harmful effects of chemical pesticides and fertilizers has significantly driven the demand for organic farming. Furthermore, the growing organic farming area across developed regions has also increased the demand for environmentally friendly and bio-based pest control management solutions. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) 2021 Organic Survey, there were 17,445 certified organic farms in the U.S. and recorded a 5% increase from 2019. The growing farmers’ awareness in developed markets of North America and Europe regarding sustainable approaches further drives the overall market growth.

DRIVING FACTORS

Increasing Demand for Sustainable Crop Protection Solutions to Drive Market Growth

The existing agriculture practices involve extensive utilization of chemical pesticides and insecticides, ensuring high productivity of crops and the elimination of harmful pests. However, the chemicals released from synthetic pesticides and insecticides negatively impact the beneficial insects and parasites, the environment, and human health. Therefore, there has been a rise in awareness about the detrimental effects of pesticides leading to the adoption of alternative crop protection techniques.

The market players adopt expansion strategies to gain a competitive edge in the sustainable crop protection business. For instance, in January 2020, Trécé Inc., an American Pheromones and Kairomones-based insect trap manufacturing company, appointed two agricultural experts to expand operations in two West Coast regions. It will impact its product sales, including semiochemicals and pheromones.

Surging Adoption of Integrated Pest Management Practices to Propel the Market Growth

The application of integrated pest management solutions possesses several benefits, which include their highly specific mode of action and target activity, preventing, flourishing non-target species, and supporting the preservation of biodiversity. The kairomones provide a foundation service in insect control, ensuring the natural technologies which can maximize the validity and scalability of pest management systems and significantly decrease the development of resistant populations.

Therefore, several market players are practicing research & development activities owing to rising integrated pest management practices. For instance, in September 2021, BioGlobal, an Australian company that manufactures sex pheromone lures, mating disruption dispensers, and various kinds of kairomone baits, conducted a field test for the advantage of RLF kairomone bait (″SemioLure-RLF″) for monitoring and controlling rice leaffolder.

RESTRAINING FACTORS 

Lack of Product Awareness and High Cost to Hamper the Market Growth

One of the major limitations of biological pesticides is the absence of knowledge about kairomone-based products among farmers in developing markets in the Middle East, Asia Pacific, and Africa. The high susceptibility of active ingredients to unfavorable environmental conditions can also hinder product efficiency. The high cost of active ingredients also discourages small-scale farmers from incorporating these biological methods into their agricultural practices, affecting the kairomones market growth.

SEGMENTATION

By Mode of Application Analysis

Dispenser is the Preferable Mode of Application owing to Easy Usage and Higher Convenience

Based on mode of application, the market is divided into dispensers and traps.

The dispensers segment is expected to hold a significant market share. Dispensers are majorly preferred in the applications of kairomone as these products incur less cost to produce, have less active ingredient wastage, and are non-toxic and easy to be applied in the field. The growing demand for dispensers in biological pest control led manufacturers to develop innovative products. For instance, in December 2021, Pherobank B.V., a Netherlands-based company, introduced a new attractant formulation Omnilure Thrips. The product is a controlled-release dispenser with a potent attractant attracting several species of thrips toward blue or yellow sticky cards.

The traps segment is expected to grow at a high CAGR in the forecast period. The trap efficiently captures and retains insects, propelling their demand in the market.

By Crop Type Analysis

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Orchard Crops to Hold Significant Market Share as they are Highly Susceptible to Pests 

Based on crop type, the market is classified into orchard crops, vegetables, field crops, and other crops.

The orchard crops segment is expected to hold a major market share as these crops have a high demand and are known to be high-value horticultural crops. Moreover, these crops are highly susceptible to pests and insects such as codling moth, oriental fruit fly, peachtree borer, and others. According to a Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI) report, in unmanaged orchards, fruit infestation by the codling moth can reach up to 80%, which leads to great damage to crops. Hence, the rising infestation of such crops significantly increases the application of kairomone-based products.

REGIONAL INSIGHTS

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The market is analyzed across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, South America, and the Middle East and Africa.

The market value of North America stood at USD 192.47 million in 2022 and is expected to hold a significant kairomones market share. In recent years, pest management practices in the region have drastically shifted from synthetic pesticides to more holistic, integrated, high-efficacy approaches. Environmental conservation, food safety and security, resistance management, and high input costs are major factors guiding current pest management policies and practices in commercial agriculture. The U.S. and Canadian governments are also encouraging sustainable agrochemicals against insect pest damage. For instance, in January 2023, the Secretaries of the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) and California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) joined leaders from a wide range of backgrounds to plan a roadmap of ambitious goals and actions to accelerate sustainable pest management practices in California.

Europe is expected to grow at a CAGR of 14.61% over the forecast period. Europe is the growing market for mass trapping products due to the prevalence of several pests in forestry and field vegetables. According to the European Food Safety Authority, the most serious pests in Europe include Xylella fastidiosa, the Japanese beetle, the Asian long-horned beetle, citrus greening, and citrus black spot. Furthermore, the rapid expansion of the horticulture sector in Europe, especially in countries, such as Italy, Spain, the U.K., and France, is expected to propel the utilization of agricultural semiochemicals across the region.

The Asia Pacific market is expected to grow at a stable pace in the forecast period. The rising demand for safe and high-quality food, the shift toward sustainable agriculture, and increasing awareness related to high-yield crops have been observed among consumers in the region. The region has been witnessing increased use of agri-inputs, such as a combination of pheromones and kairomones, in Asia economies, such as India and Japan, to obtain higher yields in fruits and vegetables. The players in the market are formulating products that act upon several species of pests and their physiological responses to reduce pest damage on crops such as maize, wheat, and others. For instance, in December 2021, Fuji Flavors, a Japanese tobacco-based company, developed a new product Torios Multi, which is a combination of pheromones and kairomones. The new product has the ability to monitor seven species of crawling insects with one lure in milled wheat, food flour, and processed foods.

South America is expected to grow at a low pace in the global market. The agricultural sector in the region is characterized by poor infrastructure in research and extension systems with limited human resources. Therefore, several initiatives and programs are being organized by the government to increase applications of Integrated Pest Management practices in order to improve agriculture systems, mainly those from subsistence agriculture, in South America. For instance, in February 2023, Better Cotton, a non-profit, multistakeholder governance group, collaborated with the Brazilian Association of Cotton Producers (ABRAPA) to organize an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) workshop in Brasilia, Brazil. The workshop aimed at sharing research and innovative initiatives regarding controlling pests and diseases in the cotton crop.

The growing crop pests, diseases, and weeds in the Middle East and Africa fuel the demand for integrated pest management solutions such as kairomones-based traps and dispensers in the region.

KEY INDUSTRY PLAYERS

Key Industry Players Consistently Focus on New Product Launches to Secure a Competitive Advantage

Technological advancements and innovation in agricultural techniques have allowed key market players and farmers to use kairomones as integrated pest management tools. The prominent players in the market have been consistently focusing on new product launches with mixed kairomone-pheromone formulations, which help effectively control pests and diseases sustainably. For instance, in February 2022, Suterra, a global manufacturer of sustainable pheromones and pest control products, launched a new product BioLure Combo CM to expand its product portfolio. The new product is a combination of pear ester kairomone and codling moth pheromone to control the pests in apple, pear, and walnut orchards. Such product launches contribute to escalating competition within the market, which will positively affect the kairomones market.

LIST OF KEY COMPANIES PROFILED:

• International Pheromone Systems (U.K.)


• Koppert Biological Systems (Netherlands)


• Novagrica Hellas S.A. (Greece)


• Russell IPM (U.K.)


• SANIDAD AGRICOLA ECONEX, LTD. (Spain)


• SEDQ Healthy Crops (Spain)


• Suterra LLC (U.S.)


• Synergy Semiochemicals Corporation (U.S.)


• Trécé Inc. (U.S.)


• Harmony Ecotech Pvt. Ltd. (India) 

KEY INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS:

• June 2022: Biobest Group launched a completely automatic IPM system named PATS-C. The system is specially developed to improve moth control and an expanding range of aphid controls in strawberry crops.


• October 2021:  Suterra LLC, one of the global leaders in agricultural biocontrol, partnered with Phytech, a digital farming platform with integrated plant health and irrigation Internet of Things (IoT) monitor and control service. The new partnership added Suterra’s Puffer aerosol pheromone mating disruption products to Phytech. This partnership would help growers optimize irrigation, nutrition, and pest control.


• July 2021: Pherobank, a pheromones and pest control product manufacturing company, introduced a trap and lure for the Black vine weevil Otiorhynchus sulcatus. The new product is kairomone formulated in ready-for-use lures, and the Ruffle traps are available through several online and offline sales channels.


• June 2021: Suterra LLC, one of the global leaders in agricultural biocontrol, launched BioAmp AA, the world’s first trail pheromone adjuvant, for controlling Argentine Ants (Linepithema humile) in the U.S.

REPORT COVERAGE

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The global research report includes quantitative and qualitative insights into the market. This report also offers a detailed regional analysis of the market size, Kairomones market statistics, regional market share, and growth rate for all possible market segments. The report provides various key insights on the market, an overview of related markets, the competitive landscape, recent industry developments such as mergers & acquisitions, regulatory scenario in critical countries, and key industry trends.

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