Composition and method for selective herbicide

Abstract

An environmentally safe selective herbicide is provided that includes at least one metal component and at least one chelating agent. The metal component can have a variety of forms, but is preferably in the form of a metal salt, a metal chelate, or combinations thereof The chelating agent can also have a variety of forms, but is preferably in the form of a metal chelate, a salt, an acid, or combinations thereof Methods of use are also provided. In another embodiment, an improved selective herbicide, as well of methods of controlling unwanted plants using such a herbicide, are provided. A method for treating undesired vegetation can include providing a selective herbicidal composition that includes a water-soluble selective auxin-type herbicide and a chelating agent complexed with at least one transition metal, and contacting vegetation with a herbicidally effective amount of the composition such that unwanted vegetation is controlled, while desired vegetation is unaffected.

1 . A method for selectively treating vegetation, comprising the steps of:
 providing a herbicidal composition which includes a herbicidally effective amount of an active ingredient in the form of an iron chelate selected from the group consisting of iron hydroxyethylene diaminetriacetate, iron ethylenediamine tetraacetate, iron ethylene diamine disuccinate, iron glutamicacid diacetate, and combinations thereof; and   contacting an area of vegetation including weeds, unwanted plants and grasses with a herbicidally effective amount of the composition, such that the weeds and unwanted plants are selectively controlled while the grasses remain substantially unharmed.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the active ingredient is iron hydroxyethylenediamine triacetate. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the active ingredient is iron ethylenediamine tetraacetate. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the active ingredient is iron ethylene diamine disuccinate. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the active ingredient is iron glutamicacid diacetate. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the composition that is applied to vegetation includes iron that is present in the iron chelate at a concentration in the range of about 0.1 to about 2.0% by weight. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the composition that is applied to vegetation includes iron that is present in the iron chelate at a concentration in the range of about 0.08 to about 0.5% by weight. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the composition is provided as a dry concentrate that is dissolved in water before application to vegetation. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the composition provided is a liquid concentrate that is diluted with water before application to vegetation. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pH of the composition that is applied to vegetation is in the range of about 4 to about 8. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the composition that is applied to vegetation includes iron that is present in the iron hydroxyethylene diaminetriacetate at a concentration in the range of about 0.08 to about 0.50% by weight. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the composition that is applied to vegetation includes iron that is present in the iron ethylenediamine tetraacetate at a concentration in the range of about 0.08 to about 0.49% by weight. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the composition that is applied to vegetation includes iron that is present in the iron ethylene diamine disuccinate at a concentration in the range of about 0.08 to about 0.49% by weight. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the composition that is applied to vegetation includes iron that is present in the iron ethylene diamine disuccinate at a concentration in the range of about 0.09 to about 0.53% by weight. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the composition that is applied to vegetation has the iron chelate present at a concentration in the range of about 1 to about 2% by weight.