Plant protecting and regulating compositions – Plant growth regulating compositions – Aquatic plant regulator
Patent
1994-06-14
1995-12-12
Clardy, S. Mark
Plant protecting and regulating compositions
Plant growth regulating compositions
Aquatic plant regulator
504153, 504187, 424630, 423 23, 423 27, 423326, A01N 5920
Patent
active
054749727
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This application has been filed under 35 USC 371 as a continuation of PCT/AU92/00550, filed Oct. 14, 1992.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pesticide and fungicide, and more particularly relates to a slow release copper silicate product that may be used as a pesticide and fungicide, and also as an algaecide and insecticide.
Copper compounds have previously been used as pesticides, insecticides, algaecides and fungicides in a variety of liquid and solid forms. Use of copper compounds as fungicides is particularly common. However, known copper fungicides and pesticides are generally either phytotoxic, and are therefore fatal to young plants thus restricting the manners of use, or are only able to be provided as mainly insoluble powders which lose toxicity relatively quickly, are difficult to apply in some instances (being unable to be absorbed) and are only suitable for topical applications where the weather conditions (wind and rain) will not adversely disperse them.
Copper silicate is known for use as a fungicide and algaecide. However, copper silicate has traditionally only been used in solid form when precipitated from solution. This has caused copper silicate products to be seriously restricted in their commercial activities.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide a copper silicate product which overcomes, or at least partly alleviates, the above mentioned difficulties.
The present invention is characterised by an aqueous solution of acidified copper silicate for use primarily as a pesticide and fungicide. The invention is characterised by both the product and the method of producing such a product, the method comprising reacting a copper salt with an alkali silicate in an acidic solvent to produce the aqueous solution of acidified copper silicate.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In a preferred form of the invention, the mixture of the copper salt and the alkali silicate is buffered in a pH range of about 2 to 6. This is to prevent the reaction of the components precipitating any insoluble compounds, such as silicic acid and/or copper silicate. In this respect, the solution should preferably be maintained in this pH range not only to maintain the solubility of the copper silicate, but also to produce a highly active copper silicate. The pH range is preferably carefully monitored as it is difficult to prevent the precipitation of copper silicate while also producing a product that is not unnecessarily excessively acidic. Indeed, the preferred range of pH for the solution is from 3 to 5, and this has been found to produce a highly active and highly soluble aqueous copper silicate product.
The copper salt of the invention is preferably a water soluble copper salt such as copper sulphate, while the alkali silicate is preferably sodium silicate. It will be noted however that, while being more expensive and less readily available commercially, copper acetate may also be utilised, while other copper salts could be copper bromide, chloride, fluoride, or nitrate. Furthermore, the alkali silicate could be potassium silicate. In this respect, the composition of the alkali silicate may be described by reference to the ratio of alkali oxide to silica, where the ratio SiO.sub.2 :(Na or K).sub.2 O preferably covers a broad range such as from 3.75:1 to 1:2.
The copper silicate of the invention thus allows an aqueous solution to be applied to vegetation, or any type of structure or material, as a spray, thus giving improved coverage and penetration. In this respect, upon evaporation of the aqueous solvent, a largely insoluble acidic residue of amorphous hydrous silicate of copper remains. This residue adheres to the contacted surface, and is surface active to a variety of pests and fungi while remaining substantially non-phytotoxic. In this respect it will be understood that the term "non-phytotoxic" relates to the product being non-toxic to plant life other than fungi. Furthermore, when applied to timber or other
REFERENCES:
patent: 3836633 (1974-09-01), Beschke
patent: 3846545 (1974-11-01), Hess et al.
patent: 3961933 (1976-06-01), Kuyama et al.
patent: 4791274 (1989-01-01), Miki et al.
Langley Tom A.
Sheen Ronald J.
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