In 2026, the global crop protection industry is accelerating the development of formulations with lower solvent content, higher active ingredient concentrations and components capable of performing multiple functions at once. Manufacturers and formulation specialists are responding to changing environmental, regulatory and application requirements, but the shift also reflects something increasingly important in modern agriculture: product performance is determined by more than the active ingredient itself. How that active is formulated, stored, mixed, sprayed, deposited and ultimately delivered to its target can have a major influence on field performance.

The transition has been underway for years. Aqueous suspension concentrates (SC) gained considerable ground beginning in the early 2000s as alternatives to solvent-rich emulsifiable concentrates (EC). But reducing organic solvents introduced technical challenges for some active ingredients, particularly when formulators attempted to increase loading while maintaining physical stability. The industry's response now includes dispersible concentrates (DC), emulsions in water (EW), nano-SC systems and other low-solvent formulations designed to combine high efficacy with lower use rates and reduced formulation burden per acre.

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From adding ingredients to designing smarter formulations

One of the most significant changes is occurring within the architecture of the formulation itself. Traditional EC systems can require combinations of surfactants to achieve emulsification and adjuvancy. That approach works, but it increases the number of raw materials, formulation complexity and the potential for compatibility challenges.

Aromatic solvents such as solvent naphtha can provide strong solvency and competitive economics but contribute little adjuvant activity. As a result, some formulations require an additional adjuvant component. Technical data analyzed for this article indicate that in certain systems, the added adjuvant can account for as much as 20% by weight of the finished formulation.

A different approach is now emerging: dual-function surfactants capable of acting as both emulsifiers and adjuvants. In BASF trials involving Lutensol TO surfactants, the evaluated formulations maintained emulsion stability under different testing conditions without pressure increases or significant filter residues. The concept was also evaluated with chemically different solvent systems, including fatty-acid esters and amides, pointing toward potentially simpler formulations without sacrificing robustness.

How formulation architecture is changing

Reducing solvent use, however, is not as simple as removing liquid from a formulation. As products become more concentrated and chemically complex, maintaining stability can become increasingly difficult.

The technical studies reviewed identify challenges ranging from crystallization in high-load suspension concentrates stored at 5°C or 40°C, to dispersible concentrates struggling in hard water and mixtures that settle too rapidly. Dispersants, wetting agents, surfactants and other formulation aids are therefore moving from supporting roles toward becoming critical components in determining product stability and application performance.

This evolution is also encouraging the development of high-concentration solid formulations. Spray-drying technologies can reduce water content, packaging requirements and transportation needs while allowing selected adjuvants to be incorporated directly into the product.

Another technology highlighted in the research is the emulsifiable granule (EG). In this system, a liquid solution containing the active ingredient and solvent can be incorporated into a dry polymer matrix. Once added to water, the granule disintegrates and forms an oil-in-water emulsion.

Three pathways from liquid formulations to granules

The implications extend beyond manufacturing. More concentrated formulations can potentially reduce the amount of material that must be packaged, transported, stored and handled before reaching the farm. That makes formulation technology relevant not only to product performance but also to logistics and the broader sustainability discussion surrounding agricultural inputs.

Drones and ultra-low-volume spraying are changing formulation requirements

Another factor is accelerating the transition: more crop protection applications are being designed around lower carrier volumes. Technical work from Nouryon highlights the expansion of agricultural drones and ultra-low-volume (ULV) systems, where applications may operate in the range of only 10 to 50 liters per hectare, equivalent to roughly 1 to 5 gallons per acre. Drone tanks may also hold only around 45 liters, or approximately 12 gallons.

Under those conditions, issues that might be manageable in a conventional high-volume spray can become critical. Sedimentation, deposits, incompatibility, clogged filters or nozzles and uneven distribution can have a greater impact because the tank contains less water and components are present at higher concentrations.

Why low-volume applications raise the bar

This is particularly relevant as agricultural drones move beyond niche applications in global agriculture. A formulation developed for conventional ground equipment may face very different physical conditions when placed into a small UAV tank and applied with substantially less carrier water. The formulation itself therefore becomes part of the precision-application equation.

The charts and trials reviewed for this article point to another important trend: innovation is no longer limited to discovering new active ingredients. Formulators are also looking for ways to extract more performance from existing actives through better co-formulants and adjuvant systems.

One example is RA4, a benzyl alcohol-based technology evaluated as both a co-formulant and adjuvant. The studies report performance improvements when used with fungicides, herbicides, defoliants and some foliar nutritional products. In the United States, the technology received an EPA tolerance exemption for residues in 2023 for specified agricultural uses, according to the technical information reviewed.

RA4 is used at rates of 3 to 6 fluid ounces per acre and is described as having low volatility and reduced odor. Trials presented in October 2025 at the 44th ASTM Symposium on Pesticide Formulation and Delivery Systems included evaluations of RA4 with azoxystrobin against Didymella bryoniae. The underlying concept reflects the broader transformation occurring in formulation science: a relatively small amount of a carefully selected co-formulant may help improve how an existing active ingredient performs.

What next-generation formulations are targeting

For U.S. agriculture, the transition has particular relevance across corn, soybean, wheat and cotton production as well as high-value specialty crops. Large-acre operations increasingly rely on precise application windows, complex tank mixes and technologies designed to maximize field efficiency. At the same time, the growing interest in drones and other precision-application systems creates additional demands on formulation stability and spray behavior.

There is also an important distinction between reducing solvents and eliminating them. Solvents remain technically necessary in many crop protection formulations, and different active ingredients require different delivery systems. The emerging goal is therefore not a universal solvent-free product, but a more efficient formulation architecture that uses each component where it provides measurable value.

That distinction is critical when discussing sustainability. A formulation containing less solvent is not automatically more sustainable if it performs poorly, requires additional applications or creates stability problems. The relevant measure is the complete system: active ingredient loading, solvent requirements, application rate, water volume, packaging, transportation, field performance and product stability all matter.

The next generation of crop protection products may therefore be differentiated less by how much material is inside the container and more by how much of that material ultimately translates into agronomic performance. Lower solvent use, higher concentrations, multifunctional surfactants, built-in adjuvancy and low-volume application technologies are converging around the same objective: designing formulations that can do more with each application while maintaining stability, safety and efficacy under real-world farming conditions.