Adjuvant compositions for plant treatment chemicals

Abstract

The present invention is directed to an adjuvant premix composition for use with plant treatment chemicals. The adjuvant premix composition includes a thickener, a water soluble divalent salt, a foam control agent, a complexing agent, and a film forming agent. The present invention also relates to adjuvant compositions for use with plant treatment chemicals, plant treatment chemical formulations, methods of treating plants or plant seeds using the compositions of the present invention, and methods of treating a plant seed or growing plant using a plant treatment chemical and a coating material.

1 . An adjuvant premix composition comprising:
 an associative thickener;   a water soluble divalent salt, wherein the water soluble divalent salt comprises a divalent cation selected from the group consisting of barium, calcium, cobalt (II), copper (II), iron (II), magnesium, manganese (II), strontium, zinc (II), and mixtures thereof;   a foam control agent;   a complexing agent; and   a film forming agent.   
     
     
         2 . The adjuvant premix composition of  claim 1 , wherein the associative thickener is an associative anionic thickener. 
     
     
         3 . The adjuvant premix composition of  claim 2 , wherein the associative anionic thickener is a hydrophobically-modified alkali swellable emulsion (HASE) polymer. 
     
     
         4 . The adjuvant premix composition of  claim 1 , wherein the foam control agent is selected from the group consisting of alkyl poly acrylates, fatty acids, fatty alcohols, monoglycerides, diglycerides, triglycerides, a silicone-based foam control agent, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The adjuvant premix composition of  claim 4 , wherein the foam control agent is silicone-based foam control agent. 
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . The adjuvant premix composition of  claim 1 , wherein the water soluble divalent salt is selected from the group consisting of zinc (II) acetate, zinc (II) bromide, zinc (II) chlorate, zinc (II) chloride, zinc (II) fluoride, zinc (II) formate, zinc (II) iodide, zinc (II) nitrate, zinc (II) sulfate monohydrate, zinc (II) sulfate heptahydrate, zinc (II) sulfate hexahydrate, zinc (II) sulfate anhydrous, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The adjuvant premix composition of  claim 1 , wherein the water soluble divalent salt is a zinc sulfate. 
     
     
         9 . The adjuvant premix composition of  claim 1 , wherein the complexing agent is selected from the group consisting of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, ethylenedinitrilotetraacetic acid, nitrilotriacetic acid, diethanolamine, triethanolamine, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The adjuvant premix composition of  claim 9 , wherein the complexing agent is triethanolamine. 
     
     
         11 . The adjuvant premix composition of  claim 1 , wherein the film forming agent is selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl acetate, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The adjuvant premix composition of  claim 1 , wherein the film forming agent is polyvinyl alcohol having a molecular weight of 25,000 to 175,000. 
     
     
         13 . The adjuvant premix composition of  claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises 30 to 60 wt % of the associative thickener; 0.5 to 5 wt % of the water soluble divalent salt; 0.5 to 5 wt % of the foam control agent; 30 to 60 wt % of the complexing agent; and 0.5 to 5 wt % of the film forming agent. 
     
     
         14 . The adjuvant premix composition of  claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises 45 to 55 wt % of the associative thickener; 1.8 to 2.8 wt % of the water soluble divalent salt; 1.8 to 2.8 wt % of the foam control agent; 45 to 55 wt % of the complexing agent; and 1.8 to 2.8 wt % of the film forming agent. 
     
     
         15 . An adjuvant composition for use with plant treatment chemicals, said adjuvant composition comprising:
 the adjuvant premix composition of  claim 1  and   water.   
     
     
         16 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . The adjuvant composition of  claim 15 , wherein the composition comprises 1.00 to 3.00 wt % of the associative thickener; 0.05 to 0.15 wt % of the water soluble divalent salt; 0.05 to 0.15 wt % of the foam control agent; 1.00 to 3.00 wt % of the complexing agent; 0.05 to 0.15 wt % of the film forming agent; and 90.00 to 99.00 wt % water. 
     
     
         22 . The adjuvant composition of  claim 15 , wherein the composition comprises 1.60 to 2.40 wt % of the associative thickener; 0.08 to 0.12 wt % of the water soluble divalent salt; 0.08 to 0.12 wt % of the foam control agent; 1.60 to 2.40 wt % of the complexing agent; 0.08 to 0.12 wt % of the film forming agent; and 97.60 to 98.40 wt % water. 
     
     
         23 . A plant treatment chemical formulation comprising:
 the adjuvant composition of  claim 15  and   one or more plant treatment chemicals.   
     
     
         24 - 28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . The plant treatment chemical formulation of  claim 23 , wherein the plant treatment chemical is selected from the group consisting of a pesticide, a fertilizer, and a growth regulating agent. 
     
     
         30 . The plant treatment chemical formulation of  claim 29 , wherein the plant treatment chemical is a pesticide selected from the group consisting of a herbicide, an insecticide, a fungicide, a miticide, and a nematicide. 
     
     
         31 . The plant treatment chemical formulation of  claim 30 , wherein the plant treatment chemical is a herbicide selected from the group consisting of acetyl-CoA carboxylase inhibitors (ACCase), actolactate synthase inhibitors (ALS), microtubule assembly inhibitors (MT), growth regulators (GR), photosynthesis II, binding site A inhibitors (PSII(A)), photosynthesis II, binding site B inhibitors (PSII(B)), photosynthesis II, binding site C inhibitors (PSII(C)), shoot inhibitors (SHT), enolpyruvyl-shikimate-phosphate synthase inhibitors (EPSP), glutamine synthase inhibitors (GS), phytoene desaturase synthase inhibitors (PDS), diterpene inhibitors (DITERP), protoporphyrinogen oxidase inhibitors (PPO), shoot and root inhibitors (SHT/RT), photosystem  1  electron diverters (ED), hydroxyphenlypyruvate dioxygenase synthesis inhibitors (HPPD), and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         32 . The plant treatment chemical formulation of  claim 30 , wherein the plant treatment chemical is an insecticide selected from the group consisting of carbamates, organochlorines, nicotinoids, phosphoramidothioates, organophosphates, pyrethroids, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         33 . The plant treatment chemical formulation of  claim 30 , wherein the plant treatment chemical is a fungicide selected from the group consisting of aliphatic nitrogens, benzimidazoles, dicarboximides, dithiocarbamates, imidazoles, strobins, anilides, aromatics, sulfur derivatives, copper derivatives, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         34 . The plant treatment chemical formulation of  claim 30 , wherein the plant treatment chemical is a miticide selected from the group consisting of carbamates, carbazates, diphenyl oxazolines, glycides, macrocylic compounds, METI-acaracides, napthoquinone derivatives, organochlorines, organophosphates, organotins, oils, pyrethroids, pyridazinone, pyrroles, soaps, sulfur, tetrazines, tetronic acids, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         35 . The plant treatment chemical formulation of  claim 30 , wherein the plant treatment chemical is a nematicide selected from the group consisting of carbamates, organophosphates, halogenated hydrocarbons, methyl isothiocyanate liberators, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         36 . The plant treatment chemical formulation of  claim 29 , wherein the plant treatment chemical is a fertilizer containing plant nutrients selected from the group consisting of sulfur, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, potassium, nitrogen, molybdenum, copper, zinc, manganese, iron, boron, cobalt, chlorine, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         37 . The plant treatment chemical formulation of  claim 29 , wherein the plant treatment chemical is a growth regulating agent selected from the group consisting of auxins, cytokinins, defoliants, ethylene releasers, gibberellins, growth inhibitors, growth retardants, growth stimulators, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         38 - 39 . (canceled) 
     
     
         40 . A method of treating plants or plant seeds, said method comprising:
 providing a plant seed or a growing plant and   applying the plant treatment chemical formulation of  claim 23  to the plant seed or a growing plant.   
     
     
         41 - 56 . (canceled) 
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein a growing plant is treated. 
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein a plant seed is treated prior to being planted in a growth medium. 
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the growing plant or plant seed is selected from the group consisting of canola, alfalfa, rice, wheat, barley, rye, cotton, sunflower, peanut, corn, potato, sweet potato, bean, pea, chicory, lettuce, endive, cabbage, brussel sprout, beet, parsnip, cauliflower, broccoli, turnip, radish, spinach, onion, garlic, eggplant, pepper, celery, carrot, squash, pumpkin, zucchini, cucumber, apple, pear, melon, citrus, strawberry, grape, raspberry, pineapple, soybean, tobacco, tomato, sorghum, and sugarcane. 
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the growing plant or plant seed is selected from the group consisting of  Arabidopsis thaliana , Saintpaulia, petunia, pelargonium, poinsettia, chrysanthemum, carnation, and zinnia. 
     
     
         61 - 74 . (canceled) 
     
     
         75 . The adjuvant premix composition of  claim 1 , wherein the associative thickener is selected from the group consisting of a hydrophobically-modified ethoxylated urethane (HEUR) polymer, a hydrophobically-modified polyether (HMPE) polymer, and a hydrophobically-modified ethoxylated aminoplast (HEAT) polymer. 
     
     
         76 . The adjuvant composition of  claim 15 , wherein the associative thickener is a hydrophobically-modified alkali swellable emulsion (HASE) polymer. 
     
     
         77 . The adjuvant composition of  claim 15 , wherein the associative thickener is selected from the group consisting of a hydrophobically-modified ethoxylated urethane (HEUR) polymer, a hydrophobically-modified polyether (HMPE) polymer, and a hydrophobically-modified ethoxylated aminoplast (HEAT) polymer. 
     
     
         78 . The plant treatment chemical formulation of  claim 23 , wherein the associative thickener is a hydrophobically-modified alkali swellable emulsion (HASE) polymer. 
     
     
         79 . The plant treatment chemical formulation of  claim 23 , wherein the associative thickener is selected from the group consisting of a hydrophobically-modified ethoxylated urethane (HEUR) polymer, a hydrophobically-modified polyether (HMPE) polymer, and a hydrophobically-modified ethoxylated aminoplast (HEAT) polymer. 
     
     
         80 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the associative thickener is a hydrophobically-modified alkali swellable emulsion (HASE) polymer. 
     
     
         81 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the associative thickener is selected from the group consisting of a hydrophobically-modified ethoxylated urethane (HEUR) polymer, a hydrophobically-modified polyether (HMPE) polymer, and a hydrophobically-modified ethoxylated aminoplast (HEAT) polymer.