Liquid Sulfonylurea Herbicide Formulations

Abstract

Disclosed are single liquid-phase herbicide compositions comprising by weight, from 0.1 to 20% of one or more sulfonylurea herbicides, from 0 to 40% of one or more biologically active agents other than sulfonylurea herbicides, from 0.1 to 10% of one or more lignosulfonates, from 0 to 99.8% of one or more fatty acid esters of C 1 -C 4 alkanols, and from 0 to 20% of one or more additional formulating ingredients.

1 . A single liquid-phase herbicide composition comprising, by weight:
 (a) from 0.1 to 20% of one or more sulfonylurea herbicides;   (b) from 0 to 40% of one or more biologically active agents other than sulfonylurea herbicides;   (c) from 0.1 to 20% of one or more lignosulfonates;   (d) from 40 to 99.8% of one or more fatty acid esters of C 1 -C 4  alkanols; and   (e) from 0 to 50% of one or more additional formulating ingredients.   
   
   
       2 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein component (a) is selected from amidosulfuron, azimsulfuron, bensulfuron-methyl, chlorimuron-ethyl, chlorsulfuron, cinosulfuron, cyclosulfamuron, ethametsulfuron-methyl, ethoxysulfuron, flupyrsulfuron-methyl, flazasulfuron, flucetosulfuron, foramsulfuron, halosulfuron-methyl, imazosulfuron, iodosulfuron-methyl, mesosulfuron-methyl, metsulfuron-methyl, nicosulfuron, oxasulfuron, primisulfuron-methyl, prosulfuron, pyrazosulfuron-ethyl, rimsulfuron, sulfometuron-methyl, sulfosulfuron, thifensulfuron-methyl, triasulfuron, tribenuron-methyl, trifloxysulfuron, triflusulfuron-methyl and tritosulfuron, and salts thereof. 
   
   
       3 . The composition of  claim 2  wherein component (a) is selected from nicosulfuron and rimsulfuron, and salts thereof. 
   
   
       4 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein component (b) comprises one or more nonsulfonylurea herbicides and/or herbicide safeners. 
   
   
       5 . The composition of  claim 4  wherein component (b) comprises atrazine. 
   
   
       6 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein component (c) comprises one or more ammonium, alkali metal or alkaline earth metal lignosulfonate salts. 
   
   
       7 . The composition of  claim 6  wherein component (c) comprises sodium lignosulfonate. 
   
   
       8 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein component (d) comprises methyl esters of one or more fatty acids. 
   
   
       9 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein component (e) comprises both a polyethoxylated sorbitan ester surfactant and a polyethoxylated sorbitol ester surfactant. 
   
   
       10 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein component (e) comprises a clay. 
   
   
       11 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein component (c) is from 0.1 to 10% of the composition by weight, and component (e) is from 0 to 20% of the composition by weight.