Stable Agricultural Compositions

Abstract

The invention relates to an aqueous composition comprising an agricultural active ingredient, a salt, an alkyl polysaccharide, and a styrene (meth)acrylic copolymer. The invention further relates to methods employing said composition for protecting a plant or plant part, for improving the development and/or yield of an agricultural plant, and for protecting a soil.

Claims

1. Composition comprising an agricultural active ingredient at 1-50% (w/w), a salt at 5-70% (w/w), an alkyl polysaccharide at 1-10% (w/w), and a styrene (meth)acrylic copolymer at 0.2-3% (w/w), wherein the salt is selected from a bicarbonate salt, a chloride salt, an acetate salt, and/or a phosphite salt.

2. Composition according to claim 1, wherein the salt is a phosphite salt.

3. Composition according to claim 1, wherein the agricultural active ingredient is 2-[(trichloromethyl)thio]-1H-isoindole-1,3(2H)-dione, a copper salt, methyl-(E)-2-{2[6-(2-cyanofenoxy)pyrimidin-4-yloxyl]fenyl}-3-methoxyacrylaat, 2-(4-chlorophenyl)-3-cyclopropyl-1-(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)butan-2-ol; natamycine, and/or N-(trichloormethylthio)cyclohex-4-een-1,2-dicarbonimide.

4. Composition according to claim 1, wherein the agricultural active ingredient is copper sulphate, copper hydroxide and/or copperoxychloride.

5. Composition according to claim 1, further comprising lignosulfonate.

6. Composition according to claim 1, wherein the alkyl polysaccharide is a C8-C11 alkylpolysaccharide.

7. Composition according to claim 1, wherein the alkyl polysaccharide is a C8-C10 and/or C9-C11 alkylpolysaccharide.

8. Composition according to claim 1, wherein the styrene (meth)acrylic copolymer comprises one or more monomers selected from the group consisting of acrylamidopropyl methyl sulfonic acid, methallyl sulfonic acid, 3-sulfopropyl acrylate, 3-sulfopropyl methacrylate, hydroxypropyl methacrylate, hydroxypropyl acrylate, hydroxyethyl methacrylate, and/or hydroxyethyl acrylate; and their sodium, potassium, ammonium, monoethanolamine, and triethanolamine salts.

9. Composition according to claim 8, wherein the styrene (meth)acrylic copolymer comprises acrylamidopropyl methyl sulfonic acid monomers.

10. A method of protecting an agricultural plant or plant part against a pathogen, comprising applying to said agricultural plant or to said plant part a composition according to claim 1.

11. A method of preventing, reducing and/or eliminating the presence of a pathogen on a plant or on one or more plant parts, comprising applying to said plant or plant part a composition according to claim 1.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the plant part comprises seed, leaf or fruit.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the plant part is a post-harvest fruit.

14. A method for treatment of a soil comprising a) providing the composition according to claim 1; and b) adding the composition to the soil.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the soil is a growth substrate for mushrooms.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the plant part comprises seed, leaf or fruit.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the plant part is a post-harvest fruit.

Description

EXAMPLES

Example 1

[0052] Experiments were performed to search for the desired surfactant combinations which gave a stable suspension of Folpet in combination with Na2HPO3. All experiments were performed with Folpet at 250 gram/liter (g/l) and Na2HPO3 at 375 g/l. A summary of the experiments is provided in Table 1.

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Combinations of surfactants for stabilizing a suspension of Folpet (250 g/l) and Na2HPO3 (375 g/l). Surfactant 1 Surfactant 2 (g/l) (g/l) Sophoclean (30) Synperonic PE/L61 (30) AL2575 (30) Synperonic PE/L61 (30) Geronol CF/AR Synperonic PE/L61 (30) (30) Aghro FKC 1000 Synperonic PE/L61 (30) (30) AL2575 (30) Atlas G5002-L (30) AL2575 (30) Atlox 4915 (6) AL2575 (30) Sophrophor FL (9) AL2575 (30) Atlox 4913 (16) Sophoclean (30) Atlox 4913 (16) Sophoclean (30) Sophrophor FL (9) AL2575 (25) Metasperse 550S (5)
Sophoclean was purchased from Wheatoleo, 51110 Pomade, France.

[0053] Synperonic PE/L61, AL2575, Metasperse 550S, Atlas G5002-L, Atlox 4915 and Atlox 4913 were purchased from Croda Crop Care, Snaith Goole, UK.

[0054] Geronol CF/AR, Aghro FKC 1000, and Sophrophor FL were purchased from Rhodia (Solvay), Bruxelles, Belgium.

[0055] The method which was applied to check whether a formulation is stable or not is CIPAC MT 46.3 (Accelerated storage procedures), by storing the formulations at 54 C. over a period of 2 weeks.

[0056] From all tested combinations, a stable suspension was only obtained when using Metasperse 550S in combination with AL2575. Subsequent experiments showed that also combinations of Metasperse 500L and AL2559, both of Croda Crop Care, Snaith Goole, UK, provided a stable suspension of Folpet in combination with Na2HPO3.

[0057] It was further found that combinations of Sophrophor FL, Synperonic PE/L61 and Heliwet NLS90 (Mosselman S A., Ghlin, Belgium) did not result in a stable composition comprising copper oxychloride (200 g/l) and Na2HPO3 (375 g/l).

[0058] In addition, it was found that Metasperse 550S and AL2575 also provided a stable suspension of Na2HPO3 (375 g/l) in combination with other active ingredients such as copper hydroxide (250 gill), natamycine (30 g/l), copper oxichoride (200 g/l), azoxystrobin and cyproconazole (200 g/l and 80 g/l, respectively. The stabilizing effects of Metasperse 500L or Metasperse 550S, in combination with AL2575 or AL2559, were found in the range of 0.2-2% (w/w) for Metasperse, and 1-10% (w/w) for AL2575 and AL2559.

Example 2

[0059] Experiments were performed to learn whether the above identified surfactant combination, which gave a stable suspension of Folpet in combination with Na2HPO3, would yield a stable suspension in the absence of a salt, using CIPAC MT 46.3 (Accelerated storage procedures), by storing the formulations at 54 C. over a period of 2 weeks. A summary of the experiments is provided in Table 2.

TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Combinations of an active ingredient and surfactants in the absence of a salt. Aqueous MetaSperse Active ingredient (g/l) phase 550S AL2575 Azoxystrobin/Cyproconazole180/60 water 7 g/l 20 g/l Azoxystrobin/Cyproconazole180/60 water 10.5 g/l 30 g/l Azoxystrobin/Cyproconazole180/60 water 14 g/l 40 g/l CuOxyChloride 200 water 5.5 g/l 25 g/l

[0060] It was found that none of these formulations yielded a stable formulation.

[0061] It was concluded that a salt is required for generation of a stable composition comprising an agricultural active ingredient, an alkyl polysaccharide and a styrene (meth)acrylic copolymer.

Example 3

[0062] In this example we present additional tests to show the specificity of this surfactant combination in high salt fungicide products.

[0063] The following alternative surfactants have been tested in different combinations:

[0064] Morwet D425 (CAS no.: 9084-06-4; Sodium salt of alkylnaphtalene sulfonate formaldehyde condensate). Supplier: Akzo Nobel.

[0065] Heliwet NLS 90 (CAS no.:85586-07-8; sodiumlaurylsulphate). Supplier: Mosselman. Emulsogen SF8 (CAS no.:577-11-7; sodium di(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate).

[0066] Supplier: Clariant.

[0067] The tests were performed in a formulation containing the fungicide Folpet and the salt disodiumhydrogenphosphite. A control formulation, containing the surfactants Atlox 2575+Metasperse 550S, was composed of:

TABLE-US-00003 G/liter H3PO3 99% 244.05 NaOH 99% 238.40 H2O 489.10 Calciumlignosufonate 7.50 Chitosan Xynil 1.50 HCl (36%) 62.00 Silcolapse 416 6.00 Metasperse 550S 5.25 AL 2575 30.00 Folpet techn. 256.00 Kelzan ASX (2% solution) 85.20

[0068] Different combinations of the aforementioned surfactants were tested by replacing the Metasperse 550S and/or AL 2575 surfactant, in the control formulation as presented in the table below. The formulations were tested for stability according to CIPAC MT 46.1.

TABLE-US-00004 formulation Ingredients Control 1 2 3 4 5 H3PO3 techn 244.05 244.05 244.05 244.05 244.05 244.05 NaOH techn 238.40 238.40 238.40 238.40 238.40 238.40 H2O 489.10 489.10 489.10 489.10 489.10 489.10 Calcium- 7.50 7.50 7.50 7.50 7.50 7.50 lignosulfonate Chitosan Xynil 1.50 1.50 1.50 1.50 1.50 1.50 HCL 36% 62.0 62.0 62.0 62.0 62.0 62.0 Silcolapse 416 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 Folpet Techn. 256.0 256.0 256.0 256.0 256.0 256.0 Kelzan ASX 85.2 85.2 85.2 85.2 85.2 85.2 2% sol. Morwet D425 xxx 5.25 xxx xxx xxx xxx Emulsogen SF8 xxx xxx 5.25 xxx 25.0 xxx Heliwet xxx xxx xxx 5.25 xxx 25.0 NLS 90 Metasperse 5.25 xxx xxx xxx 5.25 5.25 550S AL 2575 25.0 25.0 25.0 25.0 xxx xxx

[0069] Conclusions Regarding Stability:

[0070] Control formulation: good wetting of Folpet active ingredient, good grinding and stable product. Conclusion: formulation is stable.

[0071] Formulation 1: Wetting of the active ingredient (Folpet) is too weak. The pre-mill cannot be grinded because of (too) high viscous product. Conclusion: formulation not stable.

[0072] Formulation 2: Wetting seems good. The Kelzan ASX solution was found not to be compatible with pre-mill. During addition of Kelzan the pre-mill becomes extremely viscous. Conclusion: formulation not stable.

[0073] Formulation 3: Wetting of Folpet turns out to be very poor. Foaming properties too high. Conclusion: formulation not stable.

[0074] Formulation 4: No wetting. Pre-mill starts to flocculate immediately. Conclusion: formulation not stable.

[0075] Formulation 5: Wetting seemed good in the beginning. After 10 minutes the pre-mill became very viscous with too much foam (creamy). Conclusion: formulation not stable.

[0076] These results show that the combination of an alkyl polysaccharide such as AL 2575 and a styrene (meth)acrylic copolymer such as Metasperse is needed for a stable formulation.