Solutions employing herbicides and buffered amine oxides to kill weeds and related methods

Abstract

Solutions for killing weeds include a herbicide admixed with a buffered amine oxide. The synergism between the two components reduces the amount of herbicide which must be employed to achieve an effective weed kill. Related methods involve application of the solution to the weeds to be killed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A solution for killing weeds comprising
 a herbicide admixed with a buffered amine oxide in water, and   said solution characterized by the property of synergistically killing weeds to a greater extent than either said herbicide or said buffered amine oxide employed alone, and   said herbicide selected from the group consisting of 2,4-D, glyphosate, picrolam, tricolipyr and combinations thereof.   
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . The solution of  claim 1  including
 said herbicide being a systemic herbicide. 
 
     
     
         5 . The solution of  claim 1  including
 said solution being an aqueous solution, 
 said herbicide having a concentration in said solution on a volume to volume basis based on the total solution volume of about 25:1 to 200:1, and 
 said buffered amine oxide having a concentration on a volume to volume basis in said solution of about 50:1 to 800:1. 
 
     
     
         6 . The solution of  claim 5  including
 Said herbicide having a concentration of about 50:1 to 400:1 and said buffered amine oxide having a concentration of about 100:1 to 400:1. 
 
     
     
         7 . The solution of  claim 1  including
 said buffered amine oxide being selected from the group consisting of ammonium salt/ammonia, Deprotonated Lysine/Doubly Deprotonated Lysine, Potassium Phosphate Monobasic/Potassium Phosphate Dibasic, Potassium Bicarbonate/Potassium Carbonate, Boric Acid/Borax, Potassium Phosphate Dibasic/Potassium Phosphate Tribasic and Ammonium Citrate Tribasic. 
 
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . The solution of  claim 1  including
 said buffered amine oxide having a pH of about 5 to 12. 
 
     
     
         13 . The solution of  claim 12  including
 said buffered amine oxide having a pH of about 7.5 to 10.5. 
 
     
     
         14 . The solution of  claim 1  including
 said buffered amine oxides selected from the group consisting of (a) 12 carbon length amine oxide and (b) a mixture of 12 and 18 carbon length amine oxides. 
 
     
     
         15 . The solution of  claim 1  including
 said herbicide being 2,4-D and being characterized by the property of not killing grass. 
 
     
     
         16 . The solution of  claim 1  including
 said herbicide being glyphosate and being characterized by the property of killing weeds and grass. 
 
     
     
         17 . The solution of  claim 1  including
 said solution having the property of effecting a higher weed kill percentage than either one of said herbicide and said buffered amine oxide applied to said weeds alone. 
 
     
     
         18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . The solution of  claim 15  including
 said buffered amine oxide being 12 carbon length amine oxide and being selected from the group consisting of (a) potassium phosphate Monobasic/Potassium Phosphate Dibasic, and (b) Potassium Bicarbonate/Potassium Carbonate. 
 
     
     
         21 . The solution of  claim 20  including
 said buffered amine oxide being present in the range of about 200:1 to 400:1 on a volume to volume basis. 
 
     
     
         22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . The solution of  claim 21  including
 said buffered amine oxide being of 12 carbon length. 
 
     
     
         26 . The solution of  claim 1  including
 said buffered amine oxide being blended with a combination of amine oxide and a buffer selected from the group consisting (a) Potassium Phosphate Dibasic/Potassium Phosphate Tribasic, and (b) Potassium Phosphate Monobasic/Potassium Phosphate Dibasic. 
 
     
     
         27 . The solution of  claim 1  including
 said buffered amine oxide being present in a concentration of about 160:1 to 320:1 on a volume to volume basis. 
 
     
     
         28 . The solution of  claim 16  including
 said glyphosate being present in said solution in the concentration of about 100:1 to 200:1 on a volume to volume basis. 
 
     
     
         29 . The solution of  claim 28  including
 said buffered amine oxides selected from the group consisting of 
 (a) 12 carbon length amine oxides and (b) a mixture of 12 and 18 carbon length amine oxides. 
 
     
     
         30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . (canceled) 
     
     
         32 . (canceled) 
     
     
         33 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 . (canceled) 
     
     
         35 . (canceled) 
     
     
         36 . (canceled) 
     
     
         37 . The solution of  claim 15  including
 said buffered amine oxide being selected from the group consisting of (a) 12 carbon length amine oxide and (b) a mixture of 12 and 18 carbon length amine oxides. 
 
     
     
         38 . The solution of  claim 37  including
 said buffered amine oxide having a concentration of about 200:1 to 400:1 on a volume to volume basis. 
 
     
     
         39 . (canceled) 
     
     
         40 . The solution of  claim 38  including
 said buffer being selected from the group consisting of (a) Deprotonated Lycine/Doubly Deprotonated Lycine, (b) Potassium Phosphate Monobasic/Potassium Phosphate Dibasic, and (c) Potassium Bicarbonate/Potassium Carbonate. 
 
     
     
         41 . The solution of  claim 40  including
 said 2,4-D being present in a concentration of about 200:1 to 400:1. 
 
     
     
         42 . The solution of  claim 41  including
 said buffered amine oxide having a carbon length selected from the group consisting of (a) a carbon length of 12 and (b) a mixture of carbon lengths 12 and 18. 
 
     
     
         43 . The solution of  claim 42  including
 said buffered amine oxide being Deprotonated Lysine/Doubly Deprotonated Lysine. 
 
     
     
         44 . The solution of  claim 42  including
 said buffered amine oxide being Potassium Phosphate Monobasic/Potassium Phosphate Dibasic. 
 
     
     
         45 . The solution of  claim 42  including
 said buffered amine oxide being Potassium Bicarbonate/Potassium Carbonate. 
 
     
     
         46 . The solution of  claim 45  including
 said buffered amine oxide having a carbon length of 12. 
 
     
     
         47 . The solution of  claim 45  including
 said buffered amine oxide having a carbon length which is a mixture of lengths 12 and 18. 
 
     
     
         48 . The solution of  claim 7  including
 said buffered amine oxide being Ammonium Citrate Tribasic. 
 
     
     
         49 . The solution of  claim 48  including
 said buffered amine oxide having a concentration of about 200:1 to 400:1. 
 
     
     
         50 . The solution of  claim 7  including
 said buffered amine oxide being Potassium Phosphate Monobasic/Potassium Phosphate Dibasic. 
 
     
     
         51 . The solution of  claim 50  including
 said buffered amine oxide having a concentration of about 160:1 to 320:1. 
 
     
     
         52 . The solution of  claim 16  employing said glyphosate in a concentration of about 100:1 to 200:1. 
     
     
         53 . The solution of  claim 48  including
 said buffed amine oxide selected from the group consisting of (a) Ammonium/Ammonia (b) Potassium Phosphate Monobasic/Potassium Phosphate Dibasic, and (c) Potassium Bicarbonate/Potassium Carbonate. 
 
     
     
         54 . (canceled) 
     
     
         55 . The solution of  claim 1  including
 said herbicide being selected from the group consisting of Picloram, Triclopy and mixtures thereof. 
 
     
     
         56 . The solution of  claim 55  including
 said herbicide being present in a range of 100:1 to 200:1. 
 
     
     
         57 . The solution of  claim 56  including
 said buffered amine oxide having a concentration of about 200:1 to 400:1. 
 
     
     
         58 . The solution of  claim 49  including
 said buffered amine oxide selected from the group consisting of (a) Deprotonated Lysine/Doubly Deprotonated Lysine, (b) Potassium Phosphate Monobasic/Potassium Phosphate Dibasic, (c) Potassium Bicarbonate/Potassium Carbonate, Boric Acid/Borax and Potassium Phosphate Dibasic/Potassium Phosphate Tribasic. 
 
     
     
         59 . The solution of  claim 58  including
 said buffered amine oxide selected from the group consisting of Potassium Phosphate Monobasic/Potassium Phosphate Dibasic and Potassium Bicarbonate/Potassium Carbonate. 
 
     
     
         60 . (canceled) 
     
     
         61 . (canceled) 
     
     
         62 . (canceled) 
     
     
         63 - 125 . (canceled)