Agrochemical gel compositions

Abstract

Improved aqueous herbicidal compositions comprising at least one water-soluble herbicide and a gel forming agent are provided. The compositions are generally characterized as pseudoplastic, elastic and having a relatively high stationary viscosity. The compositions provide enhanced foliar retention and resistance to drying thereby allowing for improved uptake of the herbicide into the plants and/or translocation within the plant in order to more effectively kill the plants at reduced application rates in kilograms of herbicide per hectare, even in the absence of a surfactant. Methods for confined application of the compositions of the invention to control the growth of unwanted plants are also provided.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An aqueous agrochemical gel composition comprising:
 (1) from 0.1 to 5 percent by weight on an acid equivalent basis of a water-soluble agrochemical component comprising at least one water-soluble agrochemical,   (2) from 0.1 to 5 percent by weight of a polymeric gel forming agent component comprising at least one polymeric gel forming agent, and   (3) from 85 to 98 percent by weight water   wherein tan (delta) of the gel composition is less than 1 as measured by oscillation frequency sweep rheometric measurements between about 0.1 and about 600 rad/sec at 0.2 Pa and 1 Pa as measured using a cone and plate viscometer method with a 60 mm 2° acrylic cone and plate at 20° C. and wherein the yield point of the gel composition is at least about 50 dyne/cm 2 .   
     
     
         2 . The gel composition of  claim 1  wherein the yield point is at least about 75 dyne/cm 2 . 
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . The gel composition of  claim 1  wherein the polymeric gel forming component comprises at least one polymeric gel forming agent selected from the group consisting of polyacrylic acid, polyacrylamide, sodium acrylate, alkyl acrylate, hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose, hydroxypropylethyl cellulose, hydroxypropylbutyl cellulose, hydroxypropylpentyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, ethylcellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose phthalate, cellulose acetate acrylic acid ester, polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene copolymer, poly(l-carboxyethylene), carboxypolymethylene prepared from acrylic acid cross-linked with allyl ethers of (polyalkyl)sucrose or pentaerythritol, carboxyvinyl, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl methyl ether, polyvinyl ether, polyvinyl sulfonate, polyethylene glycol, polysucrose, polyglucose, polylactose, polyethylene oxide, poly(ethylene oxide)-co-poly(propylene oxide) block copolymer, poly(ethyloxazoline), gelatin, succinate, dextran, gaur-gum, tragacanth, xanthan gum, sodium alginate, sodium pectinate, acacia gum, Irish moss, karaya gum, guaiac gum, locust bean gum, casein, gelatin, collagen, albumin, cellulose, dextrin, pectin, starch, agar, mannan, and mixtures, copolymers and derivatives thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The gel composition of  claim 5  wherein the polymeric gel forming component comprises at least one polymeric gel forming agent selected from the group consisting of polyacrylic acid, carboxymethyl cellulose and polysucrose. 
     
     
         7 . The gel composition of  claim 1  wherein tan (delta) of the gel composition is from 0.05 to 0.9. 
     
     
         8 . The gel composition of  claim 1  wherein the stationary viscosity of the gel composition is from about 500 to 150,000 mPa second as measured according to a cone and plate viscometer method using a 60 mm 2° acrylic cone and plate at 20° C. with an oscillating frequency of 100 rad/s. 
     
     
         9 . The gel composition of  claim 1  wherein the water content is from 90 to 98 percent by weight. 
     
     
         10 . The gel composition of  claim 1  wherein the water-soluble agrochemical content is from 0.5 to 5 percent by weight on an acid equivalent basis. 
     
     
         11 . The gel composition of  claim 1  wherein the polymeric gel forming agent content is from 1 to 5 percent by weight. 
     
     
         12 . The gel composition of  claim 1  wherein the gel composition is a pseudoplastic gel. 
     
     
         13 . The gel composition of  claim 1  further comprising a preservative. 
     
     
         14 . The gel composition of  claim 1  further comprising a surfactant component comprising at least one surfactant. 
     
     
         15 . The gel composition of  claim 14  wherein the surfactant component comprises at least one surfactant selected from the group consisting of alkoxylated tertiary etheramine, alkoxylated quaternary etheramine, alkoxylated tertiary amine oxide, alkoxylated tertiary amine, alkoxylated quaternary amine, alkoxylated etheramine oxide, polyamine, sulfate derivative, sulfonate derivative, phosphate ester of alkoxylated alcohol, alkyl polysaccharide, alkoxylated alcohol, amidoalkylamine, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         16 . The gel composition of  claim 1  wherein the water-soluble agrochemical is selected from the group consisting of herbicides, plant growth regulators, acaricides, insecticides, virucides, algicides, bactericides, fungicides, nematicides, herbicide safeners, plant activators or synergists, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         17 . The gel composition of  claim 16  wherein the water-soluble agrochemical component comprises a water-soluble herbicide. 
     
     
         18 . The gel composition of  claim 17  wherein the water-soluble herbicide is selected from the group consisting of 2,4-D, 2,4-DB, aminopyralid, amitrole, asulam, azimsulfuron, beflubutamide, benazolin, bentazon, bispyribac-sodium, bromacil, carbetamide, carfentrazone-ethyl, chlorimuron-ethyl, chlorsulfuron, cinosulfuron, clopyralid, dicamba, dichlorprop, diclofop, diclopyr, difenzoquat, dimethenamid, dimethipin, diquat, DSMA, endothall, ethoxysulfuron, floramsulfuron, florasulam, flucarbazone-sodium, flumetsulam, fluroxypyr, fosamine, glyphosate, glufosinate, glufosinate-P, halosulfuron-methyl, hexazinone, imazamethabenz-m, imazamox, imazapic, imazapyr, imazaquin, imazethapyr, iodosulfuron, MCPA, MCPB, mecoprop, mecoprop-P, MSMA, naptalam, nicosulfuron, paraquat, water- soluble salts of pelargonic acid, penoxsulam, picloram, primisulfuron-methyl, propoxycarbazone-sodium, prosulfuron, pyrithiobac-sodium, sethoxydim, sulfentrazone, sulfosulfuron, tebuthiuron, tepraloxydim, thifensulfuron-methyl, tralkoxydim, triasulfuron, tribenuron-methyl, triclopyr, trifloxysulfuron and triflusulfuron-methyl, salts and esters thereof, and stereoisomers thereof. 
     
     
         19 . The gel composition of  claim 18  wherein the water-soluble herbicide is selected from the group consisting of a salt of glyphosate, an ester of glyphosate, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         20 . The gel composition of  claim 18  wherein the water-soluble herbicide comprises a combination of two or more water-soluble co-herbicides selected from the group consisting of glyphosate, 2,4-D, dicamba, MCPA, MCPB, triclopyr, imazamethabenz-m, imazamox, imazapic, imazapyr, imazaquin, imazethapyr, paraquat, diquat, and salts and esters thereof. 
     
     
         21 . The gel composition of  claim 18  wherein the water-soluble herbicide comprises a combination of two or more water-soluble co-herbicides selected from the group consisting of glyphosate, 2,4-D, dicamba, MCPA, MCPB, triclopyr, imazamethabenz-m, imazamox, imazapic, imazapyr, imazaquin, imazethapyr, and salts and esters thereof. 
     
     
         22 . The gel composition of  claim 18  further comprising at least one water-insoluble agrochemical dispersed therein selected from dithiopyr, pyraflufen-ethyl, acifluorfen, aclonifen, bifenox, chlomethoxyfen, chlornitrofen, etnipromid, fluorodifen, fluoroglycofen, fluoronitrofen, fomesafen, furyloxyfen, halosafen, lactofen, nitrofen, nitrofluorfen, oxyfluorfen and atrazine. 
     
     
         23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . The gel composition of  claim 1  consisting essentially of at least one water-soluble agrochemical, at least one polymeric gel forming agent, a preservative and water. 
     
     
         26 . The gel composition of any one of  claims 1  to  21  comprising from 0.5 to 1.5 percent by weight water-soluble agrochemical on an acid equivalent basis, from 2 to 4 percent by weight polymeric gel forming agent and from 94 to 97.5 percent by weight water. 
     
     
         27 . A method for confined application of an agrochemical to plants, the method comprising applying the agrochemical gel composition of  claim 1  to the plants. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27  wherein the agrochemical gel composition is applied to the foliage of the plants with a hand-held sprayer, a roller or a brush. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 27  wherein a foliage canopy is formed from the foliage of a plurality of the plants and the agrochemical gel composition is applied to the foliage canopy. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 27  wherein the agrochemical gel composition is applied to the plants by cut stump application, cut and swab application, stem scraping application or hack and squirt application. 
     
     
         31 . (canceled) 
     
     
         32 . (canceled) 
     
     
         33 . A method of confined application of a water-soluble herbicide to unwanted plants, the method comprising applying the agrochemical gel composition of  claim 26  to the unwanted plants. Claims  34 - 88 : (Canceled)