Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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PREPARATION FOR IMPROVING PROPERTIES
OF CHEMICAL PRODUCTS
This invention relates to a preparation for
improving particular properties of selected chemical
products used in agriculture or horticulture.
Many chemical solutions for use in agriculture or
horticulture, such as seed dressings for dressing seeds,
tubers, bulbs, corms or the like, or crop sprays, and
comprising fungicides, herbicides, pesticides and/or
insecticides, are subject to separation and sedimentation
which makes it difficult to control dosage rates and can
affect spraying equipment and the like or to
solidification or "claying" which makes them impossible
to use. A problem is also encountered with seed
dressings since most dressing preparations, e.g.,
containing fungicides, pesticides and/or insecticides, do
not adhere well to seeds, bulbs, tubers, corms and the
like and tend to form poor uneven coatings thereon.
Likewise many crop sprays do not properly wet and/or
adhere to ve~atitive surfaces.
The present invention has as its object to provide a
preparation which will act as a wetting agent,stabiliser
or suspending agent in chemical solutions for
agricultural or horticultural use to improve the wetting
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or coating properties thereof or to prevent or reduce
separation and sedimentation therein or claying thereof
or which can be added to seed dressings to improve the
coating properties thereof. The invention also has as
its!object to provide a preparation as aforesaid which
can be non-toxic, bio-degradeable and which can be
produced from food-grade ingredients so that it is safe
for use on food crops.
The present invention provides a preparation for
improving particular properties of selected chemical
products used in agriculture and horticulture, the
preparation being in li~uid or powder form and
essentially comprising, by weight percent, as a liquid
0.2 to 5.0 of at least one water soluble sucrose ester,
0.1 to 15 of at least one polysaccharide and balance
water, or as a powder 2.0 to 25 of at least one water
soluble sucrose ester, 2 to 65 of at least one
polysaccharide and balance inert filler.
Unsaturated susrose mono esters and some lower
saturated sucrose esters, such as c12 saturated sucrose
ester, are soluble in water. The higher unsaturated and
saturated sucrose esters, such as the unsaturated di-,
tri- and poly-esters are not themselves generally soluble
in water but can be carried into solution with water
soluble sucrose esters. Commercially available sucrose
esters, such as unsaturated sucrose mono esters,
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generally contain as part of the ester linkage some
higher esters, e.g., unsaturated di, tri- and poly-esters
as well as other fatty acids such as palmitate and
stearaté. Thus the term "at least one water soluble
sucrose ester" as used herein and in the claims hereof
means any sucrose ester or combination of sucrose esters,
whether saturated or unsaturated, which is water soluble
or will be carried into solution with other sucrose
esters and whether or not it contains a minor proportion
of other fatty acids as part of the ester linkage.
Said at least one polysaccharide may be selected
from the group comprising sodium carboxymethyl cellulose,
alginate, xanthan gum and guar gum, although other
polysaccharides, preferably used in the food industry,
may be used if desired.
Said inert filler may be any suitable filler
material used in powder preparations and is preferably
water soluble. A particularly suitable filler is
lactose.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the
preparation comprises, by weight percent, as a liquid 0.2
to 4.0 unsaturated sucrose mono ester, 0.05 to 1.0
unsaturated sucrose di-, tri- and/or poly- ester, 1 to 15
sodium carboxymethyl cellulose and/or alginate or 0.1 to
3.0 xanthan gum and/or guar gum and balance water, or as
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a powder 2 to 20 unsaturated sucrose mono ester, 0.5 to
5.0 unsaturated di-, tri- and/or poly- ester, 40 to 65
sodium carboxymethyl cellulose and/or alginate or 2 to 30
xanthan gum and/or guar gum and balance lactose.
A preferred liquid preparation according to the
present invention comprises, by weight percent, O.S to
2.0 unsaturated sucrose mono ester, 0.1 to 0.5
unsaturated sucrose di-, tri- and/or poly- ester, 3 to 10
sodium carboxymethyl cellulose and/or alginate or O.S to
2.0 xanthan gum or guar gum and balance water. An
example of a particularly preferred liquid preparation
according to the present invention comprises, in weight
percent, 0.8 unsaturated sucrose mono ester and 0.2
unsaturated sucrose di-, tri- and/or poly- ester with
either 5.0 sodium carboxymethyl cellulose or alginate and
94 water or 1.5 xanthan gum or guar gum and 97.5 water.
A preferred powder preparation according to the
present invention comprises, by weight percent, 5 to 12
unsaturated sucrose mono ester, 1 to 4 unsaturated
sucrose di-, tri- and/or poly-ester, 4S to 60 sodium
carboxymethyl cellulose and/or alginate or 10 to 20
xanthan gum or guar gum and balance lactose. A
particularly preferred powder preparation according to
the invention comprises, by weight percent, 8.64
unsaturated sucrose mono ester and 2.16 unsaturated
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sucrose di-, tri- and/or poly- ester with either 54.1
sodium carboxymethyl cellulose or alginate and 35.1
lactose or 16.2 xanthan gum or guar gum and 73.0 lactose.
The preparation of the present invention is
particularly useful in seed dressings for improving
coating properties thereof. Typical seed dressings to
which the preparation of the present invention can be
added to provide a seed dressing according to the
invention are fungicides such as those comprising
Triadimenol and Fuberidazole for use on cereal seeds such
as wheat, barley and oats or Thiram for use on sugar beet
and red beet, pesticides such as those containing Thiram
for use on peas and beans and those containing Fosetyl-
Al, Thiabendazole and Captan or insecticides such as
those containing Fonofos for use on wheat and barley.
Thus, a seed dressing as aforesaid may have added
thereto, by weight, 0.2 to 50%, preferably 1 to 5%, of a
liquid preparation according to the present invention or
0.05 to 35%, preferably 0.1 to 5%, of a powder
preparation according to the present invention.
Improving the coating properties of seed dressings
by adding thereto a preparation according to the present
invention not only facilitates the coating operation but
also improves the appearance of the coated seeds and
increases the efficacy of the active ingredient of the
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fungicide, pesticide and/or insecticide contained in the
seed dressing because of the more even distribution
thereof over the seed surfaces.
The preparation of the present invention is also
particularly useful in chemical solutions used in
agriculture and horticulture, such as agricultural or
horticultural sprays, e.g., containing fungicides,
pesticides, insecticides and/or herbicides for improving
the wetting properties or adherence to vegatitive
surfaces and/or for preventing or reducing separation,
sedimentation or claying thereof. Typical of the
agricultural or horticultural chemical solutions with
which the preparation of the present invention is useful
are fungicides such as those comprising Benlate or
Thiram. Thus, for example, a crop spray according to the
present invention may comprise, by weight, 0.2 to 50%,
preferably 1 to 5% of a liquid preparation according to
the present invention or 0.05% to 35%, preferably 0.1 to
5%, of a powder preparation according to the present
invention.
The following specific Examples are given by way of
illustration.
EXAMPLE I
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A liquid preparation according to the present
invention was prepared comprising, in weight percent: -
Unsaturated sucrose Mono esters 0.8
Unsaturated sucrose di-, tri- or ::
poly-esters 0.2
Sodium carboxymethyl cellulose 5.00
Water 94.00
The liquid preparation was mixed with Thiram 60 at
three concentrations, namely 1% v/v, 2.5% v/v and 5% v/v.
The method of mixing was by shaking in a sealed container
with space to allow for agitation. One noticeable effect
of the mixtures was an improvement in the formulation of
the Thiram 60.
The three formulations of Thiram 60 were then
applied to a range of seeds at a high rate to assess any
retention improvement of chemical on the seed.
Methods
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The seed used was Maris Bead field beans, winter barley
and a black seeded wheat of Australian origin. The field
beans were chosen because they are very smooth-coated and
do not retain chemical easily.
100 gms. of seed were placed in a small plastics bucket,
1 ml. of Thiram 60 formulation added providing a dosage
of 10 l. per tonne of seed. The bucket was then moved
around rapidly so that the seed had a similar movement to
that in a commercial seed treater. This provided good
coverage of the seed but drying was necessary because of
the excessive application. The standard rate is 1.75 l.
per tonne for beans and 2.5 l. per tonne for cereals.
Visual Results
It was possible to see visually that the seed coverage
was best with the Thiram 60 + 1% liquid preparation.
Thiram 60 + 2.5% liquid preparation was almost as good.
Thiram 60 + 5% liquid preparation was blotchy and not so
even and showed little difference in seed coverage to
Thiram 60 alone, although retention on the seeds was poor
with the latter.
Retention of the chemical on the seeds was excellent with
all three formulations and even at such a high rate of
application very little came away on the hands.
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Germination Tests
Seed treated with Thiram 60 + 2.5% liquid preparation
were tested for germination in a glasshouse. The seed
was sown into a mixture of soil and compost. The field
beans were sown 50 seeds per tray. The winter barley and
wheat were sown 100 seeds per tray.
Germination Results
Field Beans - Maris Bead
Treatment
(10 1./tonne seed) DaYs after Sowinq
_ lO 11 12_
Thiram 60 17+14=31% 23+21=44% 30+37=67% 42+46=88%
Thiram 60+ 33+24=57% 45+38=83% 48+44=92% 49+46=95%
2.5% liquid
preparation
Seed treated with Thiram 60 + 2.5% liquid preparation of
the invention germinated 48 hours earlier than seed
treated with Thiram 60 alone.
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Winter Barley - variety unknown
Treatmient Days after Sowinq
~10 l./tonne seed) 9 1o
Untreated 96+92=94% 97+98=97.5%
Thiram 60 79+90=89.5% 97+100=98.5%
Thiram 60+ 93+94=93.5% 97+97=97%
2.5% liquid
preparation.
Wheat-Australian black seeded varietY
Treatment Days after Sowinq
(10 l./tonne seed) 9 10
Untreated 61+77=69% 69+81=75%
Thiram 60 81+69=75% 81+78=79.5%
Thiram 60+ 73+75=74% 73+75=74%
2.5% liquid
preparation.
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There appear to be no significant differences between
treatments for winter barley and wheat, with the poor
germination of the wheat due to poor quality seed. It
can ~e concluded that the preparation of the invention
does not adversely affect germination.
EXAMPLE II
Attempts were made over a period of 2 years to
formulate for use as a fungicide a sulphur sludge residue
from ultramine manufacture and containing about 50% free
sulphur so that it did not clay 100~, but without
success.
A 10 litre drum of the sulphur sludge residue was
cut open and the sulphur sludge residue "dug" out.
Between 2% and 5%, not measured, of a liquid preparation
prepared as in Example 1 was added and the mixture
stirred until all the lumps were dispersed and the
mixture was all liquid. Nine litres of the liquid
mixture were left to stand in a bucket. After 12 weeks
there was no sign of claying.
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