Low volatility auxin herbicide formulations

Abstract

Low volatility dicamba herbicide formulations are described. In some embodiments, concentrate formulations comprising dicamba monoethanolamine salt, dicamba potassium salt, or mixed dicamba salts are provided. In other embodiments, a dicamba salt is combined with a polybasic polymer.

1 . An aqueous herbicidal solution concentrate formulation useful for killing or controlling the growth of unwanted plants, the formulation comprising an auxin herbicide component consisting essentially of auxin herbicide salts and comprising at least 300 grams acid equivalent per liter of dicamba monoethanolamine salt. 
     
     
         2 . The formulation of  claim 1  wherein the auxin herbicide component consists essentially of dicamba monoethanolamine salt. 
     
     
         3 . The formulation of  claim 1  wherein the solution comprises at least 600 grams acid equivalent per liter of dicamba monoethanolamine salt. 
     
     
         4 . The formulation of  claim 1  further comprising at least one salt of dicamba other than the monoethanolamine salt, wherein the weight ratio of dicamba monoethanolamine salt to the total dicamba salts other than dicamba monoethanolamine salt is from about 20:1 to 1:1 and wherein the total dicamba concentration on an acid equivalent basis is at least 600 grams per liter. 
     
     
         5 . The formulation of  claim 4  wherein the dicamba salt other than the dicamba monoethanolamine salt is the sodium, potassium, diethanolamine, isopropylamine, diglycolamine or dimethylamine salt. 
     
     
         6 - 13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . The formulation of  claim 1  wherein the pH is from about 4 to about 11. 
     
     
         15 - 16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . The formulation  claim 1  further comprising at least one surfactant wherein the weight ratio of dicamba monoethanolamine salt acid equivalent to surfactant is from 1:1 to 20:1. 
     
     
         18 . The formulation of  claim 17  wherein the surfactant is selected from alkoxylated tertiary etheramines, alkoxylated quaternary etheramines, alkoxylated etheramine oxides, alkoxylated tertiary amines, alkoxylated quaternary amines, alkoxylated polyamines, sulfates, sulfonates, phosphate esters, alkyl polysaccharides, alkoxylated alcohols, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         19 . The formulation of  claim 1  further comprising at least one co-herbicide. 
     
     
         20 . The formulation of  claim 19  wherein the co-herbicide is selected from the group consisting of auxin herbicides and salts thereof; acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACCase) inhibitors, acetolactate synthase (ALS) or acetohydroxy acid synthase (AHAS) inhibitors, photosystem II inhibitors, photosystem I inhibitors, protoporphyrinogen oxidase (PPO or Protox) inhibitors, carotenoid biosynthesis inhibitors, enolpyruvyl shikimate-3-phosphate (EPSP) synthase inhibitor, glutamine synthetase inhibitor, dihydropteroate synthetase inhibitor, mitosis inhibitors, synthetic auxins, auxin transport inhibitors, nucleic acid inhibitors, and salts and esters thereof; racemic mixtures and resolved isomers thereof; and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         21 . The formulation of  claim 20  wherein the co-herbicide is selected from: 2,4-D, aminocyclopyrachlor, mecoprop, mecoprop-P and triclopyr and salts thereof; and acetochlor, acifluorfen, alachlor, atrazine, azafenidin, bifenox, butachlor, butafenacil, carfentrazone-ethyl, diuron, dithiopyr, flufenpyr-ethyl, flumiclorac-pentyl, flumioxazin, fluoroglycofen, fluthiacet-methyl, fomesafen, glyphosate, glufosinate, imazethapyr, lactofen, metazochlor, metolachlor (and S-metolachlor), oxadiargyl, oxadiazon, oxyfluorfen, pretilachlor, propachlor, propisochlor, pyraflufen-ethyl, sulfentrazone and thenylchlor, and salts and esters thereof; racemic mixtures and resolved isomers thereof, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         22 . The formulation of any  claim 21  wherein the total herbicide concentration is at least 500 grams acid equivalent per liter. 
     
     
         23 . The formulation of any one of  claims 19  to  22  wherein the weight ratio of dicamba monoethanolamine salt to total co-herbicide is from about 50:1 to about 1:1 on an acid equivalent basis. 
     
     
         24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . The formulation of  claim 17  further comprising glyphosate co-herbicide, or a salt or ester thereof, wherein the surfactant comprises amidoalkylamine. 
     
     
         26 - 27 . (canceled) 
     
     
         28 . The formulation of  claim 1  wherein the concentration of volatilized dicamba in the vapor phase surrounding the aqueous herbicidal solution concentrate formulation is less than the concentration of volatilized dicamba in the vapor phase surrounding a reference formulation formulated from dimethylamine dicamba, isopropylamine dicamba, or combinations thereof, but otherwise having the same formulation as the aqueous herbicidal solution concentrate formulation, wherein the concentration of volatilized dicamba in the vapor phase is measured by independently passing an air stream for one day over each of the samples and analyzing the air for dicamba content, wherein the air stream to which each sample is exposed is essentially of the same composition, temperature, pressure and flow rate, and wherein the air flow rate is from about 0.1 to 10 L air/min-mL. 
     
     
         29 - 65 . (canceled) 
     
     
         66 . An aqueous herbicidal solution concentrate formulation useful for killing or controlling the growth of unwanted plants, the formulation comprising an auxin herbicide component consisting essentially of auxin herbicide salts and comprising at least 550 grams acid equivalent per liter of dicamba potassium salt. 
     
     
         67 - 94 . (canceled) 
     
     
         95 . An aqueous herbicidal solution concentrate formulation useful for killing or controlling the growth of unwanted plants, the formulation comprising an auxin herbicide component consisting essentially of auxin herbicide salts and comprising at least 50 grams acid equivalent per liter of dicamba diethanolamine salt. 
     
     
         96 - 123 . (canceled) 
     
     
         124 . A method of using dicamba herbicide to control auxin-susceptible plants growing in and/or adjacent to a field of crop plants, the method comprising the steps of (i) preparing an aqueous herbicidal application mixture by diluting with water an aqueous herbicidal solution concentrate formulation comprising an auxin herbicide component consisting essentially of auxin herbicide salts comprising at least 300 grams acid equivalent per liter of dicamba monoethanolamine salt, and (ii) applying the aqueous herbicidal application mixture to the foliage of the auxin-susceptible plants. 
     
     
         125 - 166 . (canceled)