Surfactant Concentrates For Promoting Soil Humidification And Plant Growth

Abstract

An aqueous composition which contains (a) one or more alkyl glucamides of the formula (I), wherein R1 represents a linear or branched alkyl group having 5 to 9 carbon atoms, R2 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, and (b) water, is suitable for improving soil humidification.

##STR00001##

Claims

1.-7. (canceled)

8. An agent for improving soil humidification, comprising at least one aqueous composition, wherein the aqueous composition comprises (a) at least one alkyl glucamide of the formula (I), ##STR00004## in which R.sup.1 is a linear or branched alkyl group having 5 to 9 carbon atoms, R.sup.2 is an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, and (b) water.

9. An agent for improving plant growth, comprising at least one aqueous composition, wherein the aqueous composition comprises (a) at least one alkyl glucamide of the formula (I), ##STR00005## R.sup.1 is a linear or branched alkyl group having 5 to 9 carbon atoms, R.sup.2 is an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, and (b) water.

10. (canceled)

11. (canceled)

12. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the at least one alkyl glucamide of the formula (I) is a mixture of octyl-N-methylglucamide, and decyl-N-methylglucamide, where the fraction of octyl-N-methylglucamide is 20 to 80% by weight and the fraction of decyl-N-methylglucamide is 20 to 80% by weight, based on the total amount of the alkylglucamides present in this mixture.

13. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the at least one alkyl glucamide of the formula (I) is a mixture of octyl-N-methylglucamide, and decyl-N-methylglucamide, where the fraction of octyl-N-methylglucamide is 30 to 70% by weight, and the fraction of decyl-N-methylglucamide is 30 to 70% by weight, based on the total amount of the alkylglucamides present in this mixture.

14. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the fraction of the at least one alkylglucamide of the formula (I) is a) 20 to 80% by weight, based on the total weight of the composition.

15. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the fraction of the at least one alkylglucamide of the formula (I) is a) 30 to 70% by weight, based on the total weight of the composition.

16. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein R.sup.1 is a linear or branched alkyl group having 7 to 9 carbon atoms and R.sup.2 is a methyl group.

17. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the at least one alkyl glucamide of the formula (I) is a mixture of octyl-N-methylglucamide, R.sup.1=C.sub.T-alkyl, and decyl-N-methylglucamide, R.sup.1=C.sub.9-alkyl, where the fraction of octyl-N-methylglucamide is 10 to 90% by weight, and the fraction of decyl-N-methylglucamide is 10 to 90% by weight, based on the total amount of the alkylglucamides present in this mixture.

18. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the fraction of the at least one alkylglucamide of the formula (I) is a) 1 to 80% by weight, based on the total weight of the composition.

19. The method as claimed in claim 8, where the aqueous composition is a concentrate and comprises a) 10 to 70% by weight of the at least one N-alkylglucamide of the formula (I), b) 10 to 60% by weight of water, c) 0 to 10% by weight of polyol, d) 0 to 20% by weight, of one or more viscosity regulators, e) 0 to 10% by weight of one or more antifoams, f) 0 to 30% by weight, of one or more further surfactants and g) 0 to 10% by weight, of one or more auxiliaries.

20. The method as claimed in claim 8, where the aqueous composition, further comprises at least one surfactant, selected from the group consisting of alkyl (poly)glycoside compounds, ethylene oxide/propylene oxide block copolymers, modified polyglycerol esters, comprising one or more structural units derived from a) glycerol, b) at least one dicarboxylic acid and c) at least one monocarboxylic acid according to formula (II)
R.sup.1COOH(II) where R.sup.1 is (C.sub.5-C.sub.29)-alkyl, (C.sub.7-C.sub.29)-alkenyl, phenyl or naphthyl, and mixtures thereof.

21. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the at least one alkyl glucamide of the formula (I) is a mixture of octyl-N-methylglucamide, and decyl-N-methylglucamide, where the fraction of octyl-N-methylglucamide is 20 to 80% by weight and the fraction of decyl-N-methylglucamide is 20 to 80% by weight, based on the total amount of the alkylglucamides present in this mixture.

22. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the at least one alkyl glucamide of the formula (I) is a mixture of octyl-N-methylglucamide, and decyl-N-methylglucamide, where the fraction of octyl-N-methylglucamide is 30 to 70% by weight, and the fraction of decyl-N-methylglucamide is 30 to 70% by weight, based on the total amount of the alkylglucamides present in this mixture.

23. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the fraction of the at least one alkylglucamide of the formula (I) is a) 20 to 80% by weight, based on the total weight of the composition.

24. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the fraction of the at least one alkylglucamide of the formula (I) is a) 30 to 70% by weight, based on the total weight of the composition.

25. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein R.sup.1 is a linear or branched alkyl group having 7 to 9 carbon atoms and R.sup.2 is a methyl group.

26. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the at least one alkyl glucamide of the formula (I) is a mixture of octyl-N-methylglucamide, R.sup.1=C.sub.T-alkyl, and decyl-N-methylglucamide, R.sup.1=C.sub.9-alkyl, where the fraction of octyl-N-methylglucamide is 10 to 90% by weight, and the fraction of decyl-N-methylglucamide is 10 to 90% by weight, based on the total amount of the alkylglucamides present in this mixture.

27. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the fraction of the at least one alkylglucamide of the formula (I) is a) 1 to 80% by weight, based on the total weight of the composition.

28. The method as claimed in claim 9, where the aqueous composition is a concentrate and comprises a) 10 to 70% by weight of the at least one N-alkylglucamide of the formula (I), b) 10 to 60% by weight of water, c) 0 to 10% by weight of polyol, d) 0 to 20% by weight, of one or more viscosity regulators, e) 0 to 10% by weight of one or more antifoams, f) 0 to 30% by weight, of one or more further surfactants and g) 0 to 10% by weight, of one or more auxiliaries.

29. The method as claimed in claim 9, where the aqueous composition, further comprises at least one surfactant, selected from the group consisting of alkyl (poly)glycoside compounds, ethylene oxide/propylene oxide block copolymers, modified polyglycerol esters, comprising one or more structural units derived from a) glycerol, b) at least one dicarboxylic acid and c) at least one monocarboxylic acid according to formula (II)
R.sup.1COOH(II) where R.sup.1 is (C.sub.5-C.sub.29)-alkyl, (C.sub.7-C.sub.29)-alkenyl, phenyl or naphthyl, and mixtures thereof.

Description

EXAMPLES

[0068] In the examples which follow, quantitative data refers to the weight, unless stated otherwise.

[0069] The glucamides (a) according to the invention used were:

GA1: 50% by weight of a mixture of 50 to 70% by weight C8-glucamide and to 50% by weight of C10-glucamide, 5% by weight of propylene glycol and 45% by weight of water.

Concentrate 1

[0070] GA 1 is used as concentrate 1.

Concentrate 2

[0071] 20% by weight glucamide GA1 (a)
3% by weight propylene glycol (c)
10% by weight GenapolP 10500, Clariant (EO/PO block polymer) (f)
10% by weight Synergen GL 5, Clariant (polyglycerol ester crosslinked with phthalic anhydride) (f)
57% by weight water (b)

Application Example 1

[0072] The testing of the concentrates in practical use is undertaken as follows: A section of lawn with extensive dry patches was divided into two approximately equally sized segments with comparable damage patterns.

[0073] The areas here have the following dimension:

Experimental area A: 25 m16.5 m=412.5 m.sup.2 Experimental area B: 24 m17.5 m=420 m.sup.2.

[0074] Both areas are adequately artificially watered in the same manner during the entire experimental period according to the amount of natural rainfall. In this connection, area A is watered without further additions to the artificially applied water. In the case of area B, 250 ml of concentrate 1 are applied per 100 m.sup.2 at the start of the experiment with the applied artificial sprinkling water. An analogous treatment was undertaken after three weeks and again after a further four weeks in the case of experimental area B.

[0075] Assessment of the two areas after ten weeks gives the following picture:

Area A:

[0076] No change to the damage pattern; no change to the expanse of dry patches.

Area B:

[0077] Reduction in the expanse of dry patches by 70%. Extensive recovery of plant growth in the regenerated patch areas.

Application Example 2

[0078] The maximum water retention capacity is determined with samples of the soil type sandy loam according to USDA or silty sand according to LUFA standard soil 2.3 (http://www.lufa-speyer.de/images/stories/bodanalyse.pdf). This has a value of 37.3% (g/100 g) and is increased by the products according to the invention by at least 3% for an area dose of 1-2.5 g of concentrate per m.sup.2, which is applied to the dry soil by means of large-drop spraying (injector nozzle) nozzle. The products have a contact time of at least one day and the effect lasts at least one month without eluviation by rain.