At first glance, 2025 may have seemed like a quiet year for TIPWG, yet beneath the surface there has been steady, determined progress. Much of this activity has taken place behind the scenes: research gaining traction, legislative changes demanding attention, and collaborative projects that continue to shape how the Forestry Sector approaches pesticide stewardship.

The headlines might be few, but the groundwork laid this year is preparing the Sector for significant advances in 2026.

A Quick Reminder of What TIPWG Does

TIPWG’s work sits at the intersection of science, sustainability and compliance. Its role is fourfold:

  1. Technical Support: Guiding the adoption of new pesticides, coordinating registration applications, and ensuring Integrated Pest Management (IPM) remains central to industry practice.
  2. Industry Collaboration: Facilitating cooperation across companies on research, approvals and best practices.
  3. Compliance: Helping the Forestry Sector navigate complex legislation, certification standards and international conventions.
  4. Guideline Development: Creating the tools, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and information resources to ensure pesticide use remains safe, responsible and transparent.

These pillars frame all that TIPWG does and 2025 has been a year focused on reinforcing those foundations.

Technical Support: Innovation in Action

Although regulatory delays have slowed new product registration, TIPWG has remained proactive.

  • Pelargonic acid (Katoun): The industry’s most promising paraquat alternative, unfortunately had its registration declined. Glyphosate therefore remains the only legal agro-chemical option for tracer belt preparation. While not ideal environmentally, this outcome highlights why TIPWG’s technical and research focus is so vital in finding effective, compliant and sustainable alternatives.
  • Constructive engagement with the Registrar’s Office: This has also been a major focus and following discussions with the Minister and Deputy Minister, confirmation was received that an online application portal will be launched in April 2026. The new system is expected to improve transparency, reduce backlogs and limit opportunities for corruption by making each application traceable from start to finish.
  • Research momentum has continued through TIPWG’s Sector Innovation Fund (SIF) partnership: The project, A Precision Forestry Approach to Modernising Pesticide Application in South African Forestry, explores UAV (drone) technology as an alternative to traditional knapsack and tractor applications. At the same time, studies on nursery diseases such as Quambalaria eucalypti and powdery mildew continue to strengthen pest management and, strengthening compliance and research compacity. With R1.5 million in SIF investment and R3.2 million in in-kind industry support, early results show improved application rates, scalability across 20% of industry hectares and tangible cost savings.

 Compliance: The Year’s Defining Theme

If one word defined 2025, it was compliance. From legislation to certification, the Sector has navigated a constantly changing and intensely regulated environment.

  • Restricted Use Remedies and the reclassification of certain actives have reshaped how Pest Control Operator (PCO) requirements are managed. TIPWG’s updated PCO Guideline now helps members adjust to these changes, particularly where restricted products intersect with essential field operations.
  • Good Experimental Practice (GEP) has also become a key focus. Since August 2023, all efficacy trials under Act 36 must be conducted to GEP standards. TIPWG has begun assessing the compliance status of current manufacturer-partnered trials, with training and accreditation expansion planned for 2026 to transition all TIPWG-supported trials to full GEP compliance.
  • On the certification front, TIPWG continues to align with the FSC Pesticide Policy. Product-specific, GHS-compliant Environmental and Social Risk Assessments (ESRAs) are nearing completion, with rollout planned for the beginning of 2026. The accompanying Stakeholder Engagement Guideline, slightly delayed to early 2026 will be introduced through a dedicated webinar to support implementation.

Guidelines, Training and the Tools that Simplify Compliance

With so many moving parts, 2025 had been about making sense of complexity and providing practical tools for forestry managers.

  • The forthcoming Pesticide Legislation Guideline will consolidate key Acts, regulations and certification expectations into a single accessible reference.
  • The PCO Guideline is complete and available on the TIPWG website.
  • The Training Needs Survey wrapped up midyear, revealed wide variation in company training capacity. The next step, planned for 2026, is to design modular and accessible training tools tailored to company size and operational maturity.

Communication and Outreach

Behind every technical or compliance update sits a communication plan, ensuring that information is not only available but also usable.

This year, the TIPWG website received a comprehensive upgrade. While retaining its familiar layout, it now includes blogs, video resources and improved search visibility. A rollout campaign will follow, featuring a new introductory video and infographic to guide users directly to key resources.

Beyond its digital presence, TIPWG maintained a strong profile through Industry platforms such as Forestry in Focus, Radius, News & Views and SGASA’s The Leaflet. Articles including From Application to Accountability, Understanding the Need for a PCO in South African Forestry and Reaching New Heights: How Drones are Transforming Pesticide Application in South African Forestry demonstrate TIPWG’s commitment to making complex regulatory topics clear and actionable.

The final event for the year, Innovation for Sustainable Forestry: UAVs (Drones), was hosted in November 2025, showcasing how drone technology is transforming pesticide application.

Key Challenges and Priorities for 2026

Several ongoing challenges will continue to shape TIPWG’s focus into 2026.

  • Herbicide Security: With paraquat banned, pelargonic acid unregistered, and glufosinate under review, forestry remains reliant on glyphosate for tracer belt preparation. This dependency poses both operational and environmental risks. TIPWG is engaging with the Registrar, Katoun and CropLife to advocate for expedited registrations and monitor derogation applications that may provide short-term relief.
  • FSC and ESRA Alignment: Updated ESRAs must be GHS-compliant and product-specific. TIPWG aimed to finalise and publish these by year-end, with stakeholder consultations extending into early 2026.
  • Stakeholder Engagement and Training: The rollout of the Stakeholder Engagement Guideline and webinar, now scheduled for early 2026 will ensure industry alignment and consistent audit evidence. New training resources for forestry managers will follow.
  • Digital Innovation and UAV Integration: UAVs (drones) and AI tools continue to show strong potential in improving precision, efficiency and environmental stewardship. Regulatory hurdles, however, still limit widespread adoption. TIPWG is supporting the development of UAV calibration SOPs, contributing to regulatory discussions and promoting case studies demonstrating drone applications within Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies.

Looking Ahead

If 2025 was the year of preparation, 2026 promises to be one of activation.

On the horizon are the launch of the Stakeholder Engagement Guideline and webinar, expanding training resources for forestry managers and contractors, continued collaboration with CropLife and SABO on biocontrol and stewardship initiatives and a more interactive online platform to keep the Sector informed and aligned.

TIPWG’s quiet work throughout 2025 had been about positioning the industry for what comes next. Real progress often happens behind the scenes, and in 2025 that’s exactly where TIPWG had been: building, aligning and preparing for a smarter, more sustainable future in forestry pesticide management.