In agricultural production, the efficiency of pesticide and foliar fertilizer application has always been a critical factor affecting crop yield and the ecological environment. Surfactants, as additives, can reduce the surface tension of liquid formulations, enhancing their spreading, penetration, and adsorption on plant leaves, thereby improving pesticide utilization. However, traditional surfactants, such as fatty amines and ethoxylated alcohols, while improving the performance of liquid formulations to some extent, often cause crop burn, growth inhibition, or even yield reduction due to their high phytotoxicity, limiting their widespread use in precision agriculture. In recent years, the emergence of agricultural organosilicon surfactants has provided a new direction to address this issue. Their unique chemical structure and biocompatibility demonstrate significant advantages in reducing phytotoxicity, making them a major breakthrough in the field of green agricultural additives.

The core component of organosilicon surfactants is polyether-modified polysiloxane, whose molecular structure combines both hydrophilic and lipophilic properties while exhibiting extremely low surface tension. Compared to fatty amine surfactants, organosilicon types can rapidly reduce the surface tension of liquid formulations to below 20 mN/m at very low concentrations, far lower than the 30-40 mN/m of ordinary surfactants. This highly efficient spreading ability means the liquid can cover the leaf surface more quickly and evenly, even reaching hard-to-wet areas such as stomata and leaf edges, thereby reducing the amount of pesticide used per unit area. More importantly, organosilicon surfactants are chemically inert and less likely to interact strongly with plant cell membranes, significantly reducing irritation and damage to plant tissues. Studies have shown that at the same concentration, fatty amine surfactants may increase cell membrane permeability, decompose chlorophyll, and inhibit photosynthesis, whereas organosilicon types generally do not cause these toxic side effects.

The reduction in phytotoxicity is not only reflected at the morphological and physiological levels but also in the long-term growth and stress resistance of crops. Ordinary surfactants, such as ethoxylated alcohols, due to their strong permeability, may damage the leaf wax layer, leading to excessive water transpiration and easier pathogen invasion, particularly exacerbating crop stress under high temperatures or drought conditions. In contrast, organosilicon surfactants, due to the flexibility of their molecular chains and the compatibility of their hydrophobic ends with the plant wax layer, can enhance liquid adsorption while maintaining the integrity of the leaf structure. Field trials have shown that after using herbicides or fungicides containing organosilicon additives, no significant mottling or scorching is observed on crop leaves, and plant height and biomass show no notable difference compared to the blank control group, whereas treatment groups using traditional additives often exhibit growth delays and leaf damage. This low-toxicity characteristic makes organosilicon surfactants particularly suitable for seedlings, sensitive crops, or high-value economic crops such as vegetables, fruits, and flowers.

Furthermore, environmental compatibility is another major advantage of organosilicon surfactants. Fatty amine and ethoxylated alcohol surfactants degrade slowly in soil and may be toxic to aquatic life and microbial communities, whereas organosilicon compounds can gradually decompose into non-toxic silicic acid and carbon dioxide through hydrolysis and photolysis under natural conditions, reducing the risk of residue and ecological accumulation. This characteristic highly aligns with the concept of sustainable agriculture, not only improving the safety of agricultural products but also reducing the pressure of agricultural non-point source pollution.

Of course, the application of organosilicon surfactants also requires scientific rationality. Their strong spreading ability may lead to rapid evaporation or loss of the liquid formulation, necessitating appropriate application techniques and environmental conditions. However, overall, their advantages of low phytotoxicity and high efficiency have been widely validated. With the deepening transition toward green agriculture, organosilicon surfactants are expected to gradually replace traditional additives, becoming an important component in pesticide and foliar fertilizer formulations, providing strong support for ensuring food security and ecological health. In the future, through molecular design and the optimization of composite technology, these materials may also play a greater role in intelligent release and targeted drug delivery, further promoting the precision and sustainable development of agricultural production.