# Herbicides

Weedkillers such as glyphosate, glufosinate, 2,4-D and atrazine: the largest crop protection class, mostly generic and mostly made in China.

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/herbicides/

Fine chemicals · Crop protection · No. 98

- Product family
- Feedstock: Minerals and salts
- about 1.8-2.0 Mt of active ingredient a year (indicative, basis: about half of world pesticide use of about 3.7 Mt a.i. in 2022, FAOSTAT)
- HS 380893
 Fine chemicals · Crop protection · Foundation · Matter

When a Chinese flood and power curbs hit in 2021, the price of the world's top weedkiller nearly tripled.

Chart: Illustration: Herbicides

##### Where it comes from

Chart: Map of where it comes from

Phosphate rock becomes yellow phosphorus in electric furnaces, then joins glycine and formaldehyde to make glyphosate; each tonne holds about 0.18 t of phosphorus.

##### Three things to know

1. Soybeans take about 25% of herbicide spending, as herbicide-tolerant crops in Brazil, the US and Argentina are sprayed with glyphosate.
2. Glufosinate, glyphosate's main rival, crashed from $50,162/t in November 2021 to $6,472/t after Chinese capacity tripled.
3. The EU renewed glyphosate in November 2023, allowing its use until December 2033.

##### The journey

1. 1 **Basic minerals**Phosphate rock, salt, gas or coal
2. 2 **Intermediates**Phosphorus chemicals, glycine, chloroacetic acid
3. 3 **Technical grade**Synthesised to 95-98% active ingredient
4. 4 **Formulation**Mixed into salts, liquids and granules
5. 5 **Farm fields**Sprayed on soybeans, maize, cereals, rice
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## Other sections

- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/herbicides/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/herbicides/correlation/index.md)
- [Production route](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/herbicides/routes/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/herbicides/production/index.md)
- [Feedstocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/herbicides/feedstocks/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/herbicides/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/herbicides/trading/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/herbicides/movement/index.md)
- [Regulation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/herbicides/regulation/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/herbicides/characteristics/index.md)
- [Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/herbicides/emissions/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/herbicides/links/index.md)