Plant protecting and regulating compositions – Plant growth regulating compositions – Plural active ingredients
Reexamination Certificate
2002-03-21
2004-03-09
Clardy, S. Mark (Department: 1616)
Plant protecting and regulating compositions
Plant growth regulating compositions
Plural active ingredients
C504S139000, C504S253000, C504S277000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06703346
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to herbicide compositions comprising imidazolinone acid, including but not limited to suspension concentrates, methods of preparing such herbicide compositions, and methods of using each.
BACKGROUND
Commercially available herbicide compositions include a very large variety of active herbicide compounds. Such herbicide compositions can be prepared from different types of precursor compositions, and can be commercially available and used in a variety of different types of compositions, including, for example, compositions referred to as wettable powders, water dispersible granules, granules, aqueous solutions, water soluble powders, emulsifiable concentrates, oil-based flowables, concentrated emulsions, suspo-emulsions, emulsions, suspensions, suspension concentrates, mixtures, dispersions, and microemulsions, as well as others. Any of these different types of compositions may have different advantages or disadvantages relating to factors such as the mode of application and the type of active ingredient included in the herbicide composition.
Examples of useful suspension concentrates are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,207,617 B1 (Gillespie), 5,707,928 (Baker), and 5,268,352 (Dexter). Other exemplary suspension concentrates are described in Assignee's copending United States Patent Application “Herbicide Compositions Comprising Suspension Concentrate with Glyphosate Acid, Methods of Preparation, and Methods of Use,”, having serial No. 60/325,343, filed on Sep. 26, 2001.
Examples of just a few available active herbicide compounds include those of the general class known as phenoxy herbicides, e.g., 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (known as 2,4-D), MCPA acid, MCPP acid; those of the general class known as pyridine herbicides, (e.g., triclopyr, fluoroxypyr); those of the general class of benzoic acid herbicides, (e.g., dicamba acid); those of the general class of aryloxy phenoxy propionic acid herbicides, (e.g., fluzafop acid and quizolofop acid); water-insoluble diphenyl ether type herbicides (e.g., oxyfluorfen or acifluorfen); glyphosate compounds (N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine), e.g., in the acid form, referred to as glyphosate acid, or in a salt form such as the IPA salt form; imidazolinone herbicide compounds (e.g., imazethapyr, imazaquin, imazapyr, imazamethabenz, imazapic, or imazamox); as well as others.
Active herbicide ingredients such as these and others can be prepared from and used in the form of solid and liquid compositions including, as mentioned above, different forms of emulsions, suspensions, suspension concentrates, mixtures, dispersions, microemulsions, etc., and derivatives thereof such as diluted solutions or solutions including other added ingredients such as additional herbicides, surfactants, and acidifying agents.
Imidazolinones are a known active herbicide ingredient and are commercially available, for example, under the trade designations “ARSENAL”, “CHOPPER”, “STALKER” (imazapyr); “SCEPTER”; “IMAGE” (imazaquin); “ASSERT” (imazamethabenz); “CADRE”, “PLATEAU” (imazapic); “PURSUIT” (imazethapyr); “RAPTOR”, “ODESSEY” (imazamox).
Specifically with regard to imidazolinone herbicide compounds, this compound is understood to be available in a variety of chemically different forms including imidazolinone acid and imidazolinone salts.
Surfactants may be combined with active herbicide compounds, as mentioned above, to facilitate suspending the compound and provide a suspension concentrate. U.S. Pat. No. 6,207,617 (Gillespie) generally describes suspension concentrate compositions that includes a specific amount of active herbicide compound and a specific polyoxyethylene alkylether or polyoxyethylene alkenylether surfactant.
Acidifying agents may be combined with herbicide compositions to improve performance. Such herbicide compositions are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,994,101 (Young), and in United States Patent Applications “Herbicide Microemulsion-Forming-Concentrates, Microemulsions, and Methods”, “Herbicide Composition Comprising Herbicide Compound in Acid Form and Acidifying Agent,”, and “Herbicide Compositions Comprising Suspension Concentrate with Glyphosate Acid, Methods of Preparation, and Methods of Use,” having Ser. Nos. 10/103,455, 10/102,799, and 10/103,493, filed on even date herewith.
Always desirable are new forms of useful and effective herbicide compositions. Particularly desirable can be compositions that have improved efficacy or that can be produced more conveniently or efficiently, or without using organic solvents.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to herbicide compositions that include active herbicide compound comprising an imidazolinone in acid form. The use of imidazolinone in its acid form provides efficiency because the acid form does not need to be converted to the imidazolinone salt form during processing or prior to application, as is often done with imidazolinone herbicide compounds, because the salt forms are more soluble in water. Instead, herbicide compositions that contain imidazolinone acid in the imidazolinone acid form, such as preferred suspension concentrates, can be simple and economical to produce, and can be efficiently distributed, prepared, and applied without taking steps to convert the imidazolinone herbicide out of its acid form. Additionally the neutral, acid form of the compound has better uptake by a target plant, and can be less susceptible to deactivation by hard water.
In one embodiment, herbicide compositions of the invention may include a suspension concentrate that includes an active imidazolinone acid herbicide compound, or derivatives of those suspension concentrates. The suspension concentrates can be used in their suspension concentrate form to control plant growth, or can be used to prepare derivative herbicide compositions for application to control plant growth. For example, the suspension concentrate can be diluted or combined with an aqueous acidifying agent, e.g., in a tank mix procedure or otherwise, to form a herbicide application composition, and can optionally be further combined with other ingredients such as an additional, different active herbicide compound.
Generally, it is desirable to produce herbicide compositions, including precursor compositions, easily and efficiently. Suspension concentrates have been found to be easily and efficiently producible with the use of one or more ingredients such as surfactants, dispersants, thickeners, etc., one or more of which, optionally in combination with one or more of mixing, agitation, and milling, etc., can allow imidazolinone acid particles to be suspended and/or dispersed in water to form a suspension concentrate. Preferred surfactants may include nonionic surfactant, anionic surfactant, cationic surfactant, and mixtures thereof. Preferred nonionic surfactant may include short chain alcohol ethoxylate surfactant. Preferred anionic surfactant may include sodium butyl naphthalene sulfonate, sodium di-n-butyl naphthalene sulfonate, sodium diisopropyl naphthalene sulfonate, sodium dimethyl naphthalene sulfonate, ethoxylated tristyrylphenol phosphate potassium salt, and mixtures thereof. Preferred cationic surfactant may include ethoxylated tallow amine.
Preferred suspension concentrate herbicide compositions of the invention can have benefits when compared to other forms of herbicide formulations, such as the absence of dust; reduction of toxicity or flammability, etc.; they can be prepared to contain essentially no organic solvent; they can exhibit increased efficacy, for example due to lower particle size; they benefit from a low packing volume as compared to other forms of herbicides such as powders; and the suspension concentrates are relatively easy to handle.
The invention also contemplates the independent general concept of using imidazolinone acid-containing herbicide compositions generally, in combination with an acidifying agent, especially certain types of acidifying agents, and especially to produce certain ranges of pH in a herbicide composition. Such herbicide
Beardmore Richard A.
Herold Anthony E.
Parrish Scott K.
Clardy S. Mark
Kagan Binder PLLC
Platte Chemical Co.
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