Overview in theories and technologies for pesticide application in China during the last two decades

Pesticide application technology is a comprehensive discipline to study the improvement of utilization rate and application efficiency of pesticides, reduce or eliminate the pollution of pesticides to the environment and the risk of pesticides to human, livestock and beneficial organisms. Great progress has been made in China during the last two decades, including uptaking and translocation of pesticides, controlled release of pesticides, research and development of pesticide formulations, labor-saving application technologies, movement of pesticide droplets, low volume spray technologies, high-efficiency equipments and intelligent precision application technologies. The relationship between the pesticide absorption and seed treatment dose model has been established. The sustained-release kinetics model has been developped and the biological mechanism for the improvement of the crop safety of the controlled release formulations has also been studies. Labor-saving formulations such as ultra low volume liquid, hot fogging concentrate, spreading oil, granule, dustable powder and the correponding labor-saving application technologies have been developed. The deposition and loss rules of pesticide droplets in crop canopy were investigated and the utilization rate model of pesticide was established. The theories of quantitative analysis and the calculation of pesticide application have been established, and the concept of "biocidal radius" of pesticide droplets was raised, which promoted the development of low volume spray technologies. A low volume spray system using plant protection unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was established, which initiated the research and application of the artificial intelligence (AI) pesticide application technology. And the artificial intelligence precision spray technology has been established thereafter. The application technologies of pesticides in China have gradually changed from simple and extensive to scientific, safe and intelligent precision, which has proved technical support for reducing the application and increasing the efficiency of pesticides.