Critical-thinking instruction is predicated on two assumptions: that

Vishnu

Just because the word 'if' is there, one cannot apply the tenets of conditional clauses automatically. The conditional clause rule applies only to a conditional clause that comprises conditional markers such as 'if' and more importantly a subject and a verb to make it a clause. For instance,

1. If they are recognized and applied, X will happen.
Here the first part is the conditional clause and the part after comma is the main clause. Now we can know what the tense of the clause is. This is conditional 1 structure.

On the contrary,
2. If recognized and applied, X will happen -- Here we do not have a conditional clause at the start. We have only a modifier phrase comprising a couple of past participles and the participles are only verbals with no indication of tense of their own.

For example, we can say as below and all of them are correct, as there is an identifiable conditional clause in each of them.

1. If they had been recognized and applied, X would have happened.

2. If they were recognized and applied, X would happen

3. If they are recognized and applied, X will happen

4. As such, " If recognized and applied' cannot be subjected to conditional clause rules.

Therefore, as you have rightly pointed out, one must rather go through the modifier split in this case.

Hope You see my point.