HERBICIDAL MIXTURES COMPRISING ISOXAFLUTOLE, SAFLUFENACIL AND AN IMIDAZOLINONE HERBICIDE; AND THEIR USE IN SOYBEAN AND COTTON CULTURES

Abstract

The present invention relates to herbicidal mixtures comprising isoxaflutole, saflufenacil and an imidazolinone herbicide. The herbicidal mixtures may comprise at least one further herbicide selected from the group consisting of glyphosate and its salts, glufosinate and its salts, L-glufosinate (glufosinate-P) and its salts, dicamba and its salts and esters, 2,4-D and its salts and esters, bicyclopyrone, fenquinotrione, mesotrione, tembotrione, tolpyralate and toprame-zone. Furthermore, the invention relates to methods and uses applying the herbicidal mixtures, especially for controlling undesirable vegetation in in soybean and cotton cultures.

Claims

1. A herbicidal mixture comprising 1) isoxaflutole (compound I), 2) saflufenacil (compound II), 3) at least one imidazolinone herbicide selected from the group consisting of imazamox, imazapyr, imazapic, imazaquin and imazethapyr and their salts (compound III), and 4) optionally at least one further herbicide selected from the group consisting of glyphosate and its salts, glufosinate and its salts, L-glufosinate (glufosinate-P) and its salts, dicamba and its salts and esters, 2,4-D and its salts and esters, bicyclopyrone, fenquinotrione, mesotrione, tembotrione, tolpyralate and topramezone (compound IV).

2. The herbicidal mixture as claimed in claim 1, wherein no compound IV is present.

3. The herbicidal mixture as claimed in claim 1, wherein the compound III is selected from the group consisting of imazamox and imazamox ammonium.

4. The herbicidal mixture as claimed in claim 1, wherein the compound III is selected from the group consisting of imazapic, imazapic ammonium, imazapyr, imazapyr ammonium, imazapyr isopropylammonium, imazaquin, imazethapyr and imazethapyr ammonium.

5. The herbicidal mixture as claimed in claim 1, wherein the compound III is selected from the group consisting of imazethapyr and imazethapyr ammonium.

6. The herbicidal mixture as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one compound IV is present.

7. The herbicidal mixture as claimed in claim 6, wherein the compound IV is selected from the group consisting of glyphosate and its salts, glufosinate and its salts, L-glufosinate (glufosinate-P) and its salts, dicamba and its salts and esters, 2,4-D and its salts and esters, mesotrione, tolpyralate and topramezone.

8. The herbicidal mixture as claimed in claim 1, wherein a weight ratio of compound I to compound II is from 15:1 to 1:15, and a weight ratio of compound I to compound III is from 15:1 to 1:15, and, if present, a weight ratio of compound I to compound IV is from 100:1 to 1:1000.

9. A pesticidal composition, comprising a liquid or solid carrier and a mixture as defined in claim 1.

10. A method for controlling undesirable vegetation, comprising applying a mixture according to claim 1 to a locus where undesirable vegetation is present or is expected to be present.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, comprising application of the mixture prior to emergence of the crop (pre-emergence).

12. The method as claimed in claim 10, comprising application of the mixture prior to planting the crop.

13. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the crop is soybean.

14. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the crop is cotton.

15. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein components of the mixture are applied simultaneously, either jointly or separately, or in succession.

16. The method as claimed in claim 10 wherein the undesirable vegetation is of the genus Amaranthus.

17. The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the soybean is herbicide-tolerant soybean.

18. The method as claimed in claim 14 wherein the cotton is herbicide-tolerant cotton.

Description

BIOLOGICAL EXAMPLES

[0127] Biological tests can demonstrate the control efficacy of compounds, mixtures or compositions of this invention on specific weeds. However, the weed control afforded by the compounds, mixtures or compositions is not limited to these species. The analysis of synergism or antagonism between the mixtures or compositions is determined using Colby's equation.

[0128] Synergism can be described as an interaction where the combined effect of two or more compounds is greater than the sum of the individual effects of each of the compounds. The presence of a synergistic effect in terms of percent control, between two mixing partners (X and Y) can be calculated using the Colby equation (Colby, S. R., 1967, Calculating Synergistic and Antagonistic Responses in Herbicide Combinations, Weeds, 15, 21-22):

[00001]$E=X+Y-\frac{XY}{100}$

[0129] When the observed combined control effect is greater than the expected (calculated) combined control effect (E), then the combined effect is synergistic.

[0130] The synergistic weed control by the mixtures according to the present invention was demonstrated by the following greenhouse experiment:

[0131] The culture containers used were plastic flowerpots containing loamy sand with approximately 3.0% of humus as the substrate. The seeds of the test plants were sown separately for each species. For pre-emergence treatment, the active ingredients, which had been suspended or emulsified in water, were applied directly after sowing by means of finely distributing nozzles. The containers were irrigated gently to promote germination and growth and subsequently covered with transparent plastic hoods until the plants had rooted. This cover caused uniform germination of the test plants, unless this had been impaired by the active ingredients. For post-emergence treatment, the test plants were first grown to a height of 3 to 32 cm, depending on the plant habit, and only then treated with the active ingredients which had been suspended or emulsified in water. For this purpose, the test plants were either sown directly and grown in the same containers, or they were first grown separately as seedlings and transplanted into the test containers a few days prior to treatment. Depending on the species, the plants were kept at 10-25° C. or 20-35° C., respectively. The test period extended over 20 days. During this time, the plants were tended, and their response to the individual treatments was evaluated. The evaluation was carried out by using a scale from 0 to 100. 100 means no emergence of the plants or complete destruction of at least the above-ground parts, and 0 means no damage, or normal course of growth.

[0132] The plants used in the following post-emergence greenhouse experiment were of the following species; they were treated at growth stage 11 (8 to 14 cm height):

TABLE-US-00003 EPPO code Scientific name Common name ALOMY Alopecurus myosuroides Blackgrass

[0133] The active ingredients used in the following post-emergence greenhouse experiment were formulated as follows: Isoxaflutole, 75% WG; saflufenacil, 342 g/liter SC; imazethapyr, 240 g/liter SL.

[0134] The results shown in the following table demonstrate the synergistic action of mixtures of isoxaflutole and the known mixture of saflufenacil and imazethapyr.

TABLE-US-00004 Herbicidal action Application rate in g/ha against ALOMY Saflufenacil + Calculated according Isoxaflutole imazethapyr Found to Colby 6.25 g/ha — 0 — — 2 + 5 g/ha 20 — 6.25 g/ha 2 + 5 g/ha 30 20 3.125 g/ha  — 0 — — 1 + 2.5 g/ha 0 — 3.125 g/ha  1 + 2.5 g/ha 30 0