Processing Systems for Crop Protection
Produce high-performance crop protection products with tight control over particle size, flowability and safety. Hosokawa Micron supplies solids processing equipment for the production of herbicides, insecticides, fungicides and biopesticides—covering drying, milling, classifying, mixing, agglomeration and extrusion—engineered for reliable scale-up, regulatory compliance and consistent product quality.
From micronised actives to water-dispersible granules (WDG), crop protection products demand precise particle engineering, optimal bulk properties and safe handling of hazardous or sensitive ingredients. Hosokawa equipment supports every step of your production process—with flexible configurations tailored to your product, throughput and formulation requirements.
Integrated Solutions for Every Production Stage
Drying raw materials
Crop protection actives and intermediates often require careful drying to preserve quality and stability. Thermally sensitive or bio-based ingredients can be gently dried under vacuum using a Nauta® vacuum dryer, maintaining efficacy and minimising solvent risk. For non-thermosensitive materials, the DMR flash dryer provides rapid, continuous moisture removal with excellent energy efficiency.
Formulation and blending
Accurate premixing and conditioning are essential for achieving stable and effective crop protection formulations. Hosokawa’s Nauta® conical screw mixer enables low-shear homogenisation of multi-component recipes—ideal for buffering and feeding before micronising, blending active ingredients with fillers, or post-micronisation homogenisation. The gentle mixing action maintains particle size distribution and prevents segregation, ensuring uniformity throughout the batch.
Agglomeration & Extrusion for WDG Pesticides
WDG products combine the convenience of powders with the performance of liquids. Hosokawa offers complete lines combining Flexomix continuous agglomeration or humidification, Bextruder extrusion, fluid bed drying and final sieving. This produces porous, free-flowing granules (Ø ~0.7 mm) with excellent dispersibility and handling characteristics.
The Flexomix plays a central role in both agglomeration and extrusion processes, ensuring uniform moisture content, consistent granule size and high process efficiency.
Milling & Classifying
Performance of crop protection agents depends strongly on target particle size and surface area. Hosokawa Alpine milling and classifying equipment enable exact PSD control for different application methods, including dusting powders, sprayable actives and wettable powders (WP).
Ultra‑fine grades below 10 µm for high‑efficacy actives can be achieved with Hosokawa Alpine's AFG fluidized bed opposed jet mills and UPZ fine impact mills, while the ACM air classifier mill supports larger particle sizes (40-75 μm), typically required for WP products.
Designed for Safety, Reliability and Compliance
Our equipment is engineered to meet the challenges of crop protection production, including:
✅ ATEX-compliant, explosion-proof designs
✅ Advanced automation and process control
✅ Containment systems for safe handling
✅ Wear-resistant and CIP-compatible construction
✅ Custom features for sticky, cohesive or abrasive materials
Biopesticides
Biopesticides often contain heat-sensitive, biologically active components that require gentle processing. Our low-temperature vacuum drying and mixing technologies—developed in collaboration with experts at the University of Applied Sciences in Utrecht—are ideally suited for biopesticide production, supporting the fast-growing market for bio-based crop protection products.
Test Before You Invest
Run trials with your own materials on production-scale equipment at our 2,000 m² Test & Process Development Centre in the Netherlands. Our experienced process specialists work with you to determine the optimal process, equipment or plant setup. We offer lab and production-scale trials, each supported by a detailed technical report covering setup, process parameters and performance insights—helping you choose the best solution with confidence.
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Talk to our experts
Explore how Hosokawa Micron equipment can support your crop protection agent production. Talk to our specialists to find the optimal processing solution for your formulation, throughput and product goals.
Sustainable process technologies
Hosokawa Micron B.V. is committed to sustainable and responsible process technology. Our ISO 14001 certification covers key environmental aspects such as air, soil, energy, waste, water, noise and hazardous substances. With an EcoVadis Silver Medal, we rank among the top 3% of EcoVadis-rated companies in the special machinery industry.
