Division of Agricultural Chemicals was created in 1966 when Government of India was in the process of formulating pesticide policy and enacting Insecticide Act. Since then, the Division has generated substantial knowledge and information on agrochemicals in general and crop protection chemicals in particular, for reference and use by the national system. The Division has proved to be a trendsetter in planning and execution of basic and applied research of national importance in multifarious domains of development, formulation and safety aspects of agrochemicals viz. pesticides and pesticide adjuvants, essential oil based crop protection products, superabsorbent hydrogels and composites, nitrification inhibitors, hybridizing agents, nutraceuticals, plant growth regulators, smart agro-inputs delivery systems, nano formulations based on amphiphilic copolymers, nano products, new analytical methods for pesticide residues, etc.

Credited with nearly 30 industrial licenses of different technologies, Division’s work on synthetic pine oil, pesticide synergists, essential oil-based products, neem pesticides, nano formulations (crop protection), hydrogels and allied products (natural resource management) and nutraceuticals (human health) has won it wide national and international acclaim. Division has generated a rich wealth of leads on synthetic and natural molecules with wide activity spectrum. Several bench scale knowhow(s) at hand are under validation.

All India Network Project on Pesticide Residues (formerly called AICRP on Pesticide Residues) was created based on the leads generated by the Division. Society of Pesticide Science India founded by Division in 1987 is housed in its premises and publishes Pesticide Research Journal since last 36 years. The first ever NABL accredited Pesticide Referral Laboratory on Pesticide Residues was established in the Division to provide support to the country in international trade in agricultural produce and train human resource of excellence. The Division has also set up Honey Testing Laboratory with financial aid from National Bee Board (NBB) which has all state of art facilities required for testing the authenticity of honey.

Division has generated significant quantum of intellectual property (more than 50 national / international patents) in addition to quality research publications of high impact factor. The impact of scientific contributions is reflected through recognitions including Fellowships of the national academies (INSA, NAAS), prestigious awards by ICAR, NAAS, NRDC, ICFRE, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Societies and research funding from national (DBT, DST, NATP, NAIP, NFBSFARA, NBB, etc.) and international agencies (DBT-CDTI funded Indo-Spanish Project on plant products).

Division has been registered as a source of environmental information in the International Directory of Source of the United Nations. Divisional laboratories are well equipped with advanced instruments and various type of services offered besides research and teaching. From 1989, Division has been granted the status of an independent teaching discipline, and IARI has started conferring M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Agricultural Chemicals.