Enhanced post-emergent herbicidal compositions containing...

Details Enhanced post-emergent herbicidal compositions containing... Enhanced post-emergent herbicidal compositions containing...

2001-08-20

2003-01-07

Clardy, S. Mark (Department: 1616)

Plant protecting and regulating compositions

Plant growth regulating compositions

Plural active ingredients

C504S135000, C504S136000, C504S139000, C504S142000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06503869

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
A means of enhancing the effectiveness of post-emergent herbicides comprises the addition of an effective non-herbicidal amount of an ammonium salt of a C
7
-C
11
aliphatic monocarboxylic acid to a post-emergent herbicide.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Herbicides are generally classified into two groups—those having significant foliar use and those primarily applied into the soil. Herbicides with significant foliar use, generally described as post-emergent herbicides, are further divided into three major categories based on translocation patterns and initial plant symptoms: (a) translocated herbicides showing initial symptoms on new growth; (b) translocated herbicides showing initial symptoms on older growth; and (c) non-translocated herbicides showing initial localized injury. Each of these categories may further be subdivided according to herbicidal mode of action, i.e., auxin-type growth regulators; aromatic amino acid (EPSDS) inhibitors; branched-chain amino acid (ALS/AHAS) inhibitors; carotenoid pigment inhibitors; lipid biosynthesis (ACCase) inhibitors; organic arsenicals; “classical” photosynthesis inhibitors; “rapidly acting” photosynthesis inhibitors; Photosystem I (PSI) energized cell membrane destroyers; protoporphyrinogen oxidase [Protox (PPO)] inhibitors; and glutamine synthesis inhibitors. Of these, the most popular are glyphosate and salts of glyphosate including the monoammonium, diammonium and isopropyl ammonium salts disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,998,332; 4,507,250; 4,481,026; 4,405,531; 4,315,765; 4,140,513; 3,977,860; 3,799,580; and 3,853,530 (including the commercial products Roundup® and Touchdown®), sulfonylurea, (sold under the tradename Classic® by E.I. duPont de Nemours and Co.), glufosinate, first reported as a herbicide in Schwerdtle,: et. al. “Z. Pflanzenkr. Pfanzenschutz. Sonderheft IX. p. 431 (and now including the commercial product Finale®), oxyfluorfen, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,798,276 (and now commercially sold as Goal®), imazamox, discovered by American Cyanamid (now commercially available as Raptor®), clethodim, first reported by Kincade, et. al. in Proc. Br. Crop Prot. Conf. Weeds in 1987 (now commercially sold as Select®), sethoxydim, discovered by Nippon Soda in Japan (now commercially sold as Poast®), quizalofop, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,629,493 (now commercially sold as Assure®), fenoxaprop, first reported by Bieringer, et. al. in Proc. Br. Crop Prot. Conf. Weeds in 1982 (now commercially sold as Fusion® and Acclaim), fluazifop, disclosed in British Patent 1,599,121 (now commercially sold as Horizon 2000 and Fusilade DX) and bipyridilium salts first disclosed in British Patent 813,531 (commercially sold as Paraquat® and Diquat®) amongst others.
Post-emergent herbicides are generally slow-acting and usually take days or even weeks to show a visual effect on the weeds and grasses to which they have been applied.
This is undesirable from the user's standpoint.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide enhanced herbicidal compositions containing a post-emergent herbicide, methods for enhancing the activity of existing herbicides and methods of controlling plant growth in order to overcome the inadequacies of the prior art.
A recent advance is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,994,269 which is directed to the addition of a water soluble salt to glyphosate. However, the time to achieve the reported visual herbicidal effect is long. Along with the need to obtain a faster time for visualization of the herbicidal effect, it is further desired to develop a means which mandates less of the herbicidal active ingredient than is now employed. The reduction in the amount of the herbicidal active ingredient is desired since such chemicals are generally toxic and. non-biodegradable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It has been discovered that the herbicidal activity of post-emergent herbicides is enhanced by the addition, to the post-emergent herbicide, of an ammonium salt of an aliphatic carboxylic acid. Such salts permit utilization of reduced amounts of the active ingredient while still providing effective weed control. Additionally, use of the composition of the invention reduces the time required for systemic phytotoxic symptoms to appear on the target weed.
The ammonium salt is a compound of the formula:
R
1
COO
−
X
+
  (I)
wherein R
1
is a C
7
to C
11
hydrocarbyl group and X is ammonium (NH
4
+
). In the formula (I), any of the hydrogen on R
1
may be substituted with one or more hydroxyl or C
1
-C
5
hydrocarbyl group, such as an alkyl group. In a preferred embodiment, the compound of formula (I) is ammonium pelargonate, a highly water soluble salt which has low toxicity and high biodegradability.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The effectiveness of post-emergent herbicides is dramatically improved by addition of a compound of formula (I) to a post-emergent herbicide prior to its application to the vegetation. The compound of formula (I) is represented by the formula:
R
1
COO
−
X
+
  (I)
wherein R
1
is a saturated or unsaturated C
7
to C
11
hydrocarbyl group, X is ammonium (NH
4
+
) and any of the hydrogen on R
1
may be substituted with one or more hydroxyl or C
1
-C
5
hydrocarbyl groups.
The composition applied to the vegetation of the invention may further contain a diluent. Any solvent in which formula (I) is soluble may be employed as a diluent. As a post-emergent, the herbicidal compositions of the invention are preferably applied to the locus of the unwanted vegetation as an aqueous solution.
When a compound of the formula (I) is added to a post-emergent herbicidal composition
(a) either as a water solution or as a solid or
(b) by diluting a commercial herbicidal concentrate to a herbicidally effective concentration [with a water solution of formula (I)]
and the resulting mixture is applied to weeds according to the herbicide manufacturers recommendation, the weeds exhibit a visual phytotoxic effect in less time than would be obtained with the herbicide in the absence of the compound of formula (I). As an example, weed and grass necrosis may approach 100% within 24 hrs. with glyphosate in combination with ammonium pelargonate, compared to 3-4 days or longer without the ammonium pelargonate.
Furthermore, with the addition of a compound of formula (I) such as ammonium pelargonate to the post-emergent herbicide, less of the post-emergent herbicide than specified by the manufacturer can be used to achieve the same herbicidal result as would be obtained using the herbicide suppliers' recommended amount in the absence of ammonium pelargonate.
The herbicidal composition of the invention containing a compound of formula (I) may be applied to the locus of the unwanted vegetation in effective amounts in the manner normally used with the herbicide without the addition of the compound of formula (I). Concentrations of the post-emergent herbicide in the herbicidal composition of the invention will vary depending on the herbicide and the weeds to be controlled but the concentration of the compound of formula (I) in the final herbicidal composition is preferably between from about 0.10 to about 3.0% by weight of the herbicidal composition, preferably between from about 0.5% to about 1.0% by weight. The “final herbicidal composition” refers to the composition actually applied to the unwanted vegetation.
This preferred amount of compound of formula (I) is independent of the selection of post-emergent herbicide in the composition. Thus, regardless if. the post-emergent herbicide is a sulfonyl urea, which typically is used in amounts approximating 5 to 10 grams per acre, or glyphosate, which typically is used in agricultural sprays in amounts approximating 0.75 to 1.0 weight percent, the amount of compound of formula (I) in the final herbicidal composition is between from about 0.10 to about 3.0 weight percent of the herbicidal composition.
Any post-emergent herbicide, regardless of its mode of action, may be used in combination with the a

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