Laura Mahecha
Director, Agrochemicals
The Industrial Vegetation Management (IVM) landscape has shifted. We have moved beyond the post-pandemic supply chain shocks into a new era defined by regulatory rigor and predictive precision.
As we prepare to update our research on our flagship Industrial Vegetation Management Market U.S. Study for 2026, we are looking at how the 2022 baseline, our last comprehensive data release, compares to the market and its structural changes now. Here is what is driving the conversation today, and why your participation in our new study is critical to benchmarking the future.
The Regulatory Shift: Will the ESA Impact Vegetation Management?
The U.S. EPA’s Herbicide Strategy regarding the Endangered Species Act (ESA) is explicitly focused on conventional agricultural herbicides used in the lower 48 states for agricultural uses, where the majority of herbicide applications occur. However, because the Strategy builds a new ESA compliance framework intended to apply across “thousands of pesticide products” as they are reevaluated, any herbicide used for vegetation management that contains an active ingredient also used in agriculture may later receive ESA-related label mitigations.
The Challenge: With the new rules released in late 2024, the industry is navigating new strategies for compliance.
The Gap: How are applicators adapting? Are we seeing a shift toward non-chemical alternatives or highly targeted “spot-spray” technologies to meet these new label requirements? Our research, conducted directly with applicators in the forestry, range and pasture, utilities, roadways, and railroads sectors, seeks to understand changes that may be made with these new rules in mind.
Our Goal: To understand which active ingredients may be phased out and what alternatives are expected to fill the gap in the future.
Electric Utilities: From “Clearance” to “Resilience”
The Trend: Utilities are moving from cycle-based trimming to predictive risk modeling. The buzzwords are “Ignition Risk” and “Grid Hardening.”
Tech Evolution: It’s no longer just about drones for spraying; it’s about Digital Twins and AI-driven satellite monitoring to predict growth rates before a crew is ever dispatched.
The Question: Is the spend shifting from labor (crews) to data (software)?
Market Dynamics: The 2026 Reality Check
Our previous data captured the market at a peak of $758.7M in pesticide sales (2022). But the composition of that value is changing:
Volume vs. Value: While prices have stabilized since the 2023 spikes, labor costs have skyrocketed.
Formulation Shifts: Are we seeing a move away from broad spectrum “bare ground” solutions toward selective chemistries that preserve native grasses (and a social license to operate)?
The “Biological” Factor: With synthetic herbicides holding 94% of the market in our last read, have biologicals gained share?
Segment Spotlight: Rangeland Under Stress
Rangeland & Pastureland remains the volume powerhouse (46%+ of the market previously), but the drivers are evolving:
Drought Economics: Climate anomalies are forcing ranchers to make hard ROI choices on weed control.
Carbon Opportunities: Is the emerging market for soil carbon sequestration influencing herbicide choices?
Invasive Species: The battle against Palmer amaranth, cheatgrass, and leafy spurge is intensifying, driving demand for new modes of action to combat resistance.
Why This Study Matters Now
The “old rules” of looking at volume and price are no longer enough. The 2026 Industrial Vegetation Management Market Study will look beyond to answer:
How the market has changed, which products and ingredients are growing, and why.
Resistance issues and how they are evolving.
Adoption rates for autonomous application technology.
Market share shifts of major players like Corteva and Envu.
Looking Ahead: The Questions We Are Answering
What ingredients may be substituted for vegetation management in light of the EPA’s new mitigation requirements?
How will new digital tools and software impact field operations, including application timing?
