Enhanced herbicidal compositions of transition metal chelates

Abstract

The present invention relates to herbicidal compositions comprising a transition metal chelate; and a potassium-containing salt and/or a sodium-containing salt; wherein said composition has enhanced herbicidal activity when compared with an otherwise identical composition lacking said potassium-containing salt and/or said sodium-containing salt; as well as related methods and uses.

1 . A herbicidal composition comprising:
 a. a transition metal chelate; and   b. a potassium-containing salt and/or a sodium-containing salt; wherein said composition has enhanced herbicidal activity when compared with an otherwise identical composition lacking said potassium-containing salt and/or said sodium-containing salt.   
     
     
         2 . A composition according to  claim 1 , wherein said composition has enhanced selective herbicidal activity when compared with an otherwise identical composition lacking said potassium-containing salt and/or said sodium-containing salt. 
     
     
         3 . Use of a potassium-containing salt and/or a sodium-containing salt, for enhancing herbicidal activity of a transition metal chelate. 
     
     
         4 . Use of a potassium-containing salt and/or a sodium-containing salt, for enhancing selective herbicidal activity of a transition metal chelate. 
     
     
         5 . A herbicidal composition or use according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the potassium-containing salt is potassium chloride, potassium sulfate, potassium phosphate, potassium citrate, potassium carbonate, potassium biphosphate, potassium nitrate, potassium thiosulfate, potassium amino acid complex, potassium octanoate (KC8), potassium decanoate (KC10), potassium octadecanoate (KC18), or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         6 . A herbicidal composition or use according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sodium-containing salt is selected from sodium chloride, sodium acetate anhydrous, sodium acetate trihydrate, sodium benzoate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium bisulphite, sodium borate decahydrate, sodium bromide, sodium chlorite, sodium nitrate, sodium nitrite, sodium silicate, sodium sulfate, sodium sulfite, or sodium tripolyphosphate, sodium chloroacetate, sodium chlorate, sodium metabisulfite, sodium octanoate (NaC8), sodium nonanoate (NaC9), sodium decanoate (NaC10), sodium octadecanoate (NaC18) or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         7 . A herbicidal composition or use according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the potassium-containing salt is potassium chloride. 
     
     
         8 . A herbicidal composition or use according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sodium-containing salt is sodium sulfate. 
     
     
         9 . A herbicidal composition or use according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the transition metal is iron, copper, manganese, nickel, zinc or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         10 . A herbicidal composition or use according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the transition metal is ferric iron, ferrous iron, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         11 . A herbicidal composition or use according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the transition metal chelate comprises an aminopolycarboxylate chelating agent, preferably selected from hydroxyethylenediaminetriacetic acid, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, diamino cyclohexane tetraacetic acid, ethylenediamine disuccinic acid, ethanoldiglycine, methylglycinediacetic acid, glutamicaciddiacetic acid, or combinations thereof and/or salts thereof. 
     
     
         12 . A herbicidal composition or use according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the metal chelate comprises iron hydroxyethylenediaminetriacetic acid, iron ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, iron gluconic acid, iron glutamicaciddiacetic acid, iron ethylenediamine disuccinate, iron methylglycinediacetate, iron aminotri (methylenephosphonic acid), iron ethanoldiglycine, iron hydroxyethyldiphosphonic acid, iron iminodisuccinic acid, iron hydroxy iminodisuccinic acid or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         13 . A herbicidal composition or use according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the transition metal chelate comprises or consists of iron hydroxy ethylenediamine triacetate. 
     
     
         14 . A herbicidal composition or use according to any one of  claims 1 - 13 , wherein the transition metal chelate comprises or consists of iron ethylenediaminetetraacetate. 
     
     
         15 . A herbicidal composition or use according to any one of  claims 1 - 13 , wherein the transition metal chelate comprises or consists of iron ethylene diamine disuccinate. 
     
     
         16 . A herbicidal composition or use according to any one of  claims 1 - 13 , wherein the transition metal chelate comprises or consists of iron glutamicacid diacetate. 
     
     
         17 . A herbicidal composition or use according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the metal chelate is present at a concentration between about 1.0% to about 12.0% by weight. 
     
     
         18 . A herbicidal composition or use according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the potassium-containing salt and/or sodium-containing salt is present at a concentration of about 0.5% to about 25.0% by weight. 
     
     
         19 . A herbicidal composition or use according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the transition metal (preferably iron) as a metal chelate is present at a concentration of about 0.18% to about 5.0% by weight. 
     
     
         20 . A herbicidal composition or use according to  claim 19 , wherein the transition metal (preferably iron) as a metal chelate is present at a concentration of about 0.2% to about 1.5% by weight. 
     
     
         21 . A method for controlling the growth of undesired vegetation, said method comprising:
 a. providing a transition metal chelate; and a potassium-containing salt and/or a sodium-containing salt; and   b. contacting undesired vegetation with said transition metal chelate and said potassium-containing salt and/or said sodium-containing salt,   and wherein, following said contacting step, the undesired vegetation is destroyed.   
     
     
         22 . A method for selectively controlling the growth of undesired vegetation, said method comprising:
 a. providing a transition metal chelate; and a potassium-containing salt and/or a sodium-containing salt; and   b. contacting desired and undesired vegetation with said transition metal chelate and said potassium-containing salt and/or said sodium-containing salt;   and wherein, following said contacting step, the undesired vegetation is preferentially destroyed while growth of the desired vegetation is relatively unharmed.   
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 21 , wherein said method comprises providing a composition according to any one of  claim 1 - 2  or  5 - 20 , and contacting said undesired vegetation with said composition. 
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 22 , wherein said method comprises providing a composition according to any one of  claim 1 - 2  or  5 - 20 , and contacting said desired and undesired vegetation with said composition. 
     
     
         25 . The method according to  claim 22  or  claim 24 , wherein the method provides an enhanced selective herbicidal effect when compared with an otherwise identical method lacking inclusion of said potassium-containing salt and/or said sodium-containing salt. 
     
     
         26 . The method according to any one of  claims 21  to  25 , wherein the transition metal chelate and the potassium-containing salt and/or sodium-containing salt are applied to a grass lawn. 
     
     
         27 . The method according to any one of  claims 21  to  26 , wherein said undesired vegetation comprises or consists of dandelions, daisies, chickweed, mosses, liverworts, ferns, horsetails, conifers, dicotyledonous plants, algae or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         28 . The method according to any one of  claims 21  to  27 , wherein the transition metal chelate is selected from iron hydroxyethylene diaminetriacetate, iron ethylenediamine tetraacetate, iron ethylene diamine disuccinate, iron glutamicacid diacetate or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         29 . The method according to  claim 28 , wherein the iron that is present in the iron chelate is applied to an area comprising desired and undesired vegetation at a rate of between 0.20 to 1.8 g Fe/m 2 . 
     
     
         30 . The method according to  claim 29 , wherein the iron that is present in the iron hydroxyethylene diaminetriacetate is applied to an area comprising desired and undesired vegetation at a rate of between 0.20 to 1.8 g Fe/m 2 . 
     
     
         31 . The method according to  claim 29 , wherein the iron that is present in the iron ethylenediamine tetraacetate is applied to an area comprising desired and undesired vegetation at a rate of between 0.20 to 1.8 g Fe/m 2 . 
     
     
         32 . The method according to  claim 29 , wherein the iron that is present in the iron ethylene diamine disuccinate is applied to an area comprising desired and undesired vegetation at a rate of between 0.20 to 1.8 g Fe/m 2 . 
     
     
         33 . The method according to  claim 29 , wherein the iron that is present in the iron glutamicacid diacetate is applied to an area comprising desired and undesired vegetation at a rate of between 0.20 to 1.8 g Fe/m 2 .