MXPA01005188A - Compact storage and shipping system for glyphosate herbicide - Google Patents

Abstract

A storage and shipping system for glyphosate herbicide is provided, comprising a container having a capacity of about 0.1 to about 100,000 liters or more, substantially filled with an aqueous solution of glyphosate, predominantly in the form of one or a mixture of the potassium and monoethanolammonium salts thereof, the solution having a glyphosate acid equivalent concentration of at least about 30 percent by weight. The storage and shipping system, by virtue of the relatively high specific gravity of the glyphosate salt solution, holds a greater weight of glyphosate than a system comprising an identical container substantially filled with an aqueous solution of the isopropylammonium salt of glyphosate at the same glyphosate concentration by weight. Alternatively, the container of the storage and shipping system can be smaller than that of a container holding the same weight of glyphosate in the form of the isopropylammonium salt. Further, a larger number of such smaller containers can be shipped in a given enclosed volume, thereby enabling the shipment of a larger weight of glyphosate in a single consignment.

Description

COMPACT SYSTEM OF STORAGE AND SHIPMENT FOR GLYPHOSATE HERBICIDE FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a system for storage and transportation of an agricultural chemical. More particularly, it refers to an article of manufacture useful in the storage and shipping of the glyphosate herbicide.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The agricultural industry presents numerous logistical problems to the supplier of articles consumed in the industries, being these problems unique to agriculture or at least more acute than most of the other industries. The individual production units in the agricultural industry (such units are called "farms" in the present without considering whether they conform to the traditional image of the farms) are numerous and more geographically dispersed than in any other country, and even In highly developed countries, such as those in North America and Western Europe, they are often relatively remote from the main transport arteries. For these reasons, transport costs, both inward and outward, are a significant burden on the industry and the improvement of transportation efficiency is continuously sought in order to reduce these costs. The distribution channels for items required by the agricultural industry have evolved to cope with geographical dispersion and the large number of farms. In some cases, items from the production point are sent to individual farms, but this is rare and economically feasible only for larger farms. There is at least one step, often more than one, in the distribution channel between the original supplier and the farm gate. For example, the manufacturer of an article intended to be used on a farm provides a wholesale distribution company, which provides a retailer or a farm cooperative, which in turn provides an individual farm. Distributors, retailers and cooperatives therefore maintain inventories of such items, incurring storage costs that increase the cost ultimately borne by the operation of the farm. Therefore, improvements in storage efficiency are also sought, usually in order to reduce costs. When the article in question is a pesticide, for example a herbicide, the benefits obtainable from the improved transport and storage beneficence are particularly large. Pesticide products should generally be transported and stored in containers that are more expensive per unit of capacity than those used by many other products, such as seeds and fertilizers. Expensive containers are used because of the great importance of container integrity that arises from the high price / volume ratio of most pesticides and the fact that many pesticides are potentially hazardous if they spill or run off. Typically, therefore, pesticides are stored and transported in as concentrated or compact a way as possible without sacrificing ease of handling by the end user, who has to dilute pesticides in water or other carrier in most cases. before applying pesticides to crops, weeds or soil. The greater the amount of active ingredient of pesticide that can be accommodated in a given capacity container, the lower are the transport and storage costs per unit of active ingredient and per unit area of land to be finally treated with the active ingredient. . That the present state of the art sets an upper limit on the efficiency of packing pesticides in the containers for storage and shipment is well illustrated in the case of the herbicide glyphosate (N-phosphonomethylglycine). Glyphosate is "the best-selling agrochemical product in the global market" with an estimated annual production of 93,420-114, 180 tons (Wood Mackenzie Agrochemieal Service, Agrochemicals Product Datábase, 1998). It provides use for the control of unwanted vegetation in virtually all agricultural production systems, as well as forestry, industrial, municipal, residential, right-of-way, aesthetic and other applications. Glyphosate is an acid that is relatively insoluble in water (1.16% by weight at 25 ° C). For this reason, it is typically formulated as a water soluble salt of aqueous solution. Monobasic, dibasic and tribasic salts of glyphosate can be made. However, it is generally preferred to formulate the glyphosate and apply the glyphosate to the plants in the form of a monobasic salt. The most widely used glyphosate salt is the mono (isopropylammonium) salt, often abbreviated as IPA. Commercial Monsanto Company herbicides that have the IPA salt of glyphosate as an active ingredient include herbicides Roundup®, Roundup® Ultra, Roundup® Xtra and Rodeo®. All these products take the form of concentrated aqueous solutions of glyphosate IPA salt, in most cases together with an inert formulation ingredient, mainly surfactants. Other salts of glyphosates that have been commercially formulated as concentrated aqueous solutions include the mono (trimethylsulfonium) salt, often abbreviated as TMS, used for example in the Zeneca Touchdown herbicide. The great diversity of global markets for glyphosate herbicides has led to a corresponding diversity of container types and sizes, and to a number of more complex storage and shipping systems, for concentrated liquid aqueous formulations of glyphosate salts. The containers used to store and ship such formulations are typically constructed of a durable plastic such as high density polyethylene (HDPE), although large bulky tanks of other materials such as stainless steel are often built.

Small containers, ranging in capacity from approximately 0.1 liter to approximately 10 liters, including typical 9.46 liter containers widely used in the United States, typically take the form of drums or jars with a replaceable screw cap. They are generally designed for single use and are typically returned to the supplier when they become empty, rather than being disposed of by the end user in accordance with guidelines, procedures, regulations or local laws on the disposal of agricultural chemical containers. . Commonly, a plurality of these small containers are packed within a single box and a plurality of such boxes are shipped in a pallet. During shipment, small containers (usually inside boxes on pallets) can be arranged in a closed volume such as that provided by a railway box car or road truck, a ship's compartment, or an aircraft, or a modular container of boxes adapted for transport by road, rail and water. Some larger single-use containers, ranging in capacity to approximately 200 liters, for example from approximately 50 to approximately 200 liters, commonly exist in the form of drums and can be shipped in a closed volume as described above, one or more by palette or without palette. Increasing volumes of liquid aqueous glyphosate products are being purchased by end users in a large refillable container sometimes known as a round-trip container, typically having an integral pump or connector for an external pump to allow liquid transfer. The round-trip containers have a capacity of approximately 200 to approximately 2000 liters and are commonly shipped in pallet. Liquid aqueous glyphosate products are also massively shipped in large tanks that have a capacity of up to approximately 100,000 liters. Liquid is commonly transferred by pumping a storage tank in a facility operated by a wholesaler, or a retailer or cooperative, from which it can be transferred back to round-trip containers or smaller containers for further distribution. Mass shipment is also used for concentrated glyphosate salt solutions that are to be used as a starting material for the preparation of formulated herbicidal products containing additional ingredients such as a surfactant. A modular bulk shipping tank adapted for road, rail and water transport typically has a capacity of approximately 15,000 to approximately 20,000 liters. A tanker truck for road transport typically has a capacity of approximately 20,000 to approximately 25,000 liters. A rail car tank typically has a capacity of approximately 75,000 to approximately 90,000 liters.

It will be apparent from the storage and shipping containers described illustratively above that all have limited capacity. In addition, when containers are shipped or stored in a closed volume, that closed volume also has limited capacity. The storage and shipping costs for most modes of transport are mainly related to volume, therefore a system that would allow the more compact packaging of glyphosate to the available volume or capacity would significantly reduce such costs per unit of glyphosate stored or shipped. Such advantages of such a system would include convenience and cost savings to the end user of having new containers for disposal and the resulting environmental benefits; reduced frequency of filling the round-trip containers or storage tanks; Additional advantages that will be evident from the exposure in the present. Various salts of glyphosate, methods to prepare glyphosate salts, glyphosate formulations and their salts and methods of using glyphosate or its salts to annihilate and control weeds and other plants are described in the U.S. patent. No. 4,507,250 to Bakel, patent of E.U.A. No. 4,481, 026 of Prisbylla, patent of E.U.A. No. 4,405,531 to Franz, patent of E.U.A. No. 4,315,765 to Large, patent of E.U.A. No. 4,140,513 to Prill, patent of E.U.A. No. 3,977,860 to Franz, patent of E.U.A. No. 3,853,530 to Franz, and patent of E.U.A. No. 3,799,758 of Franz.

The highest concentration at which glyphosate IPA salt can conveniently be stored and transported as an aqueous solution is about 62% by weight. Its solubility limit is only slightly higher than this. Since that glyphosate rather than the IPA component which is active as a herbicide, the concentrations are very usefully expressed in terms of the acid equivalent (e.a.) of glyphosate. An IPA salt solution of glyphosate 62% by weight contains approximately 46% e.a. of glyphosate by weight. Even at this concentration, problems can occur, including the crystallization of glyphosate salt when stored for prolonged periods at low temperatures, and difficulties in pouring and / or pumping as a result of the high viscosity of the solution, especially at low temperatures. . Few salts of glyphosate are either sufficiently soluble in water to allow convenient storage and shipping at concentrations significantly higher than 62% by weight. The salt of TMS is highly soluble and is useful in some situations, but it can not replace the salt of IPA in all applications. One might think that by selecting a counter ion for glyphosate, such as an ammonium ion, which has the molecular weight significantly lower than IPA, higher concentrations in e.a. of glyphosate. For example, at a salt concentration of 36% by weight, an ammonium salt solution of glyphosate contains about 33% in e.a. in weight, while a glyphosate IPA salt solution contains only about 27% in e.a. in weigh. Unfortunately, the solubility of the ammonium salt of glyphosate in water is much lower than that of the IPA salt, so that this apparent advantage can not be exploited in highly concentrated solutions, for example at 40% in e.a. in weight or higher. An approach that has provided utility has been to prepare glyphosate as dry salt. Many glyphosate salts, including IPA and TMS salts, are difficult and expensive to prepare in dry form but the ammonium and sodium salts are more manageable for this approach. For example, a dry water-insoluble granular powder or granular formulation of glyphosate ammonium salt containing approximately 95% by weight of the salt can be manufactured on a commercial scale; such a formulation has a content in e.a. of glyphosate of approximately 86% by weight. This would seem at first glance to provide an excellent solution to the problem of packing more e.a. of glyphosate in a container of given capacity. Unfortunately, however, the bulk density of such powder or granular formulation is somewhat low, so the benefit is not as great as one might think. Also, many end users and many distributors prefer a liquid product because of its flexibility in handling, so there is a need for a more compact storage and shipping system for a glyphosate salt in liquid form. Among the water soluble salts of glyphosate known in the literature, but never used commercially, is the potassium salt and the monoethanol ammonium salt (MEA). These salts are exposed, for example, by Franz in the patent of E.U.A. No. 4,405,531 cited above, among a very long list of glyphosate salts useful as herbicides. Few herbicides, such as potassium or MEA salts, have been commercialized. The Pesticide Manual, 11th Edition, 1977, lists as potassium salts the auxin-type herbicides 2,4-DB ((2,4-dichphenoxy) butanoic acid), dicamba (3,6-dich-2-methoxybenzoic acid), dichrop (2, (2,4-dichphenoxy) propanoic acid) and MCPA ((4-ch-2-methylphenoxy) acetic acid) and picm (4-amino-3,5,6-trich-2-pyridinecarboxylic acid) , the active ingredient of certain herbicide products sold by DowEIanco under the trademark Tordon®, Clopiralid (3,6-dich-2-pyridinecarboxylic acid) is formulated as its MEA salt in certain herbicide products sold by DowEIanco under the name of Lontrel® manufactures the glyphosate potassium salt having a molecular weight of 208. The MEA salt of glyphosate has a molecular weight of 230, very similar to that of the glyphosate IPA salt (228). The solubility in water of potassium salts and MEA of glyphosate is known in the prior art, but is easily determined by means of familiar to those skilled in the art. Similarly, it is believed that aqueous solutions of these salts have not been specifically exposed to concentrations greater than about 40% by weight, so that unpredicted extraordinary properties of such solutions have not been publicly known. The concentrations expressed in percent by weight herein refer to parts by weight of salt or equivalent to acid per 100 parts by weight of solution. It can now be stated that it has been determined that the glyphosate potassium salt has a solubility in pure water at 20 ° C of about 54% by weight, ie about 44% glyphosate in acid equivalent (e.a.) by weight. It can further be stated that it has been determined that the MEA salt of glyphosate has a solubility in pure water at 20 ° C of about 64% by weight of solution, ie about 47% glyphosate in e.a. in weigh. The solubility of the MEA salt is very similar to the solubility of the IPA salt. A simple concentrate of aqueous MEA salt solution of glyphosate at a concentration, for example, of 46% e.a. by weight, comparable to commercially obtainable with glyphosate IPA salt, as the aqueous solution concentrate obtainable from Monsanto Company under the name MON 0139. Although it will be convenient, as indicated above, to have a compact storage and shipping system for salt of glyphosate, it would also be convenient to have a compact storage and shipping system for glyphosate salt accompanied by one or more surfactants in an agronomically useful amount.

An "agronomically useful amount" means a sufficient amount of the surfactant or the surfactants to provide a benefit in terms of improved herbicidal reactivity as compared to the glyphosate salt applied in the absence of the surfactant. It would be especially convenient to have a compact storage and shipping system for glyphosate salt accompanied by one or more surfactants in an amount sufficient to provide herbicidal effectiveness in one or more important weed species at least equal to the IPA salt products of common commercial glyphosate, such as the Roundup® herbicide, without the need for the user to add more surfactant. The glyphosate composition that is part of the compact storage and shipping system must be stable during storage. By "stable during storage", in the context of a concentrated aqueous solution of glyphosate salt, it is meant that it does not form glyphosate crystals or salt thereof with exposure to a temperature not less than about 0 ° C for a period of time. period up to approximately 7 days. Ideally, the composition would withstand temperatures no lower than about -10 ° C up to about 7 days without crystal formation, even in the presence of seed crystals of the glyphosate salt. When the glyphosate composition also contains a surfactant, the stability during storage requires, at a minimum, that the composition exhibit no phase separation at temperatures of about 50 ° C or lower, ideally at temperatures of about 60 ° C or more low. Preferably, such a surfactant-containing composition should also withstand temperatures no lower than about 0 ° C to about 7 days without crystal formation. A surfactant is described herein as "compatible" with a glyphosate salt at specified concentrations of surfactant and. to. of glyphosate is one that provides a stable composition during storage as defined immediately above, containing that surfactant and that salt at the specified concentrations. Users of liquid herbicidal products typically measure volume rather than weight and such products are usually labeled with directions for the proper use ratios expressed in volume per unit area, eg liters per hectare (l / ha) or ounces fluid per acre (oz / acre). Thus, the concentration of herbicidal active ingredient that matters to the user is not percent by weight, but weight per unit volume, for example grams per liter (g / l) or pounds per gallon (Ib / gal). In the case of glyphosate salts, a concentration is often expressed in grams equivalent to acid per liter (g / l in e.a.). Historically, glyphosate IPA salt products containing surfactant, such as the Roundup® and Roundup® Ultra herbicides from Monsanto Company, have been very commonly formulated at a glyphosate concentration of approximately 360 g / l in ea. the glyphosate TMS salt product containing Zeneca's Touchdown® surfactant at a glyphosate concentration of approximately 330 g / l in ea. lower, that is to say more diluted, but they carry a disadvantage in cost per unit of the glyphosate that it contains, mainly reflecting costs of packaging, shipping and storage. Greater benefits of cost and convenience savings are possible if the concentrated aqueous glyphosate salt solution can be provided as part of a compact storage and shipping system and has an agronomically useful amount of surfactant at a glyphosate concentration significantly higher than 360 g / l in ea, for example of approximately 420 g / l in ea or higher, or even approximately 480 g / l in e.a. or higher It would be especially beneficial, if such a compact storage and shipping system could also allow the easy performance and / or pumping of the concentrated solution, even at low temperatures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a graphical representation comparing, for the IPA and MEA salts of glyphosate, the ratio between the concentration in percent by weight of e.a. of glyphosate in an aqueous solution of the salt and the specific gravity of the aqueous solution.

Figure 2 is a diagram of a storage and shipping system for the glyphosate herbicide comprising a container of fixed capacity, illustratively a 10 liter drum, according to the present invention, compared to a prior art system which it comprises an identical container, in which the system of the invention allows the storage and shipping of a larger glyphosate weight than that of the prior art system. Figure 3 is a sectional diagram of a storage and shipping system for glyphosate herbicide comprising a container of fixed capacity, illustratively a drum, according to the present invention, in comparison with a prior art system, in which the system of the invention has a smaller container than that of the prior art system and still allows the storage and shipping of the same weight of glyphosate. The diagram is not to scale; the difference in the size of containers is exaggerated for clarity. Figure 4 is a diagram of a closed delivery volume, in horizontal view, in which a multiplicity of containers belonging to a storage and shipping system of the invention are arranged as shown in Figure 3. The diagram is not scale; the difference in the size of containers is exaggerated for clarity.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention exploits a surprising and previously unknown property of the concentrated aqueous solutions of the potassium salts and MEA of glyphosate, until such solutions have a very high specific gravity compared to the aqueous solutions of most other salts of agronomically useful glyphosate, including the IPA salt, in the same concentration in of glyphosate. In accordance, at a given concentration in percent by weight, an aqueous solution of potassium salt or MEA of glyphosate contains a higher weight of the active ingredient per unit volume of the composition than a corresponding glyphosate IPA salt composition. . This finding is illustrated for the MEA salt in Figure 1. In one embodiment of the invention, therefore, a storage and shipping system for glyphosate herbicide is provided comprising a container having a capacity of about 0.1 to about 100,000 liters or more, substantially filled with an aqueous solution of glyphosate, predominantly in the form of a salt or a mixture of the potassium or monoethanolammonium salts thereof, the solution having an acid equivalent concentration of glyphosate of between about 30% in weight and a maximum weight percent determined by the solubility of the glyphosate salt or the mixture of salts present. Preferably, glyphosate is predominantly present in the monoethanolammonium salt form thereof and the solution has an acid equivalent concentration of glyphosate of from about 30 to about 48 weight percent, more preferably from about 40 to about 48 weight percent. As illustrated in Figure 2, such a storage and shipping system, by virtue of the relatively high specific gravity of the glyphosate salt solution, is capable of a greater weight of glyphosate acid equivalent of a system comprising a identical container substantially filled with an aqueous solution of the isopropylammonium salt of glyphosate in the same weight concentration of glyphosate acid equivalent. Alternatively, as illustrated in Figure 3, the container of such a storage and shipping system may be smaller than that of a container having a capacity for the same weight of glyphosate acid equivalent in the form of an isopropylammonium salt. further, as illustrated in Figure 4, a larger number of such smaller containers can be shipped in a given closed volume, thus making it possible to send a greater weight of glyphosate acid equivalent in a single shipment. In a related embodiment of the invention, a storage and shipping system for glyphosate herbicide is provided comprising a container having a capacity of about 0.1 to about 100,000 liters or more, partially or completely filled with an aqueous solution of glyphosate, predominantly universally to a mixture of the potassium and monoethanolammonium salts thereof, the solution having an acid equivalent concentration of glyphosate of between about 360 grams per liter of the solution and a maximum concentration determined by the solubility of the glyphosate salt or the mixture of glyphosate salts present. Preferably, the container is substantially filled with the solution. Preferably glyphosate is predominantly in the form of the monoethanolammonium salt thereof and the solution having an acid equivalent concentration of glyphosate of about 360 to about 600 grams per liter of solution. Such a storage and shipping system facilitates the transfer of the solution into or out of the container by pouring or pumping, as a result of the solution having a viscosity significantly lower than the corresponding solution of the isopropylammonium salt of glyphosate at the same concentration of weight / volume of acid equivalent. The term "substantially filled" herein means that the volume of glyphosate salt solutions in the container is not substantially less than the design capacity or nominal capacity of the container, for example not less than about 95% of the capacity of the container. design or nominal capacity. Thus, illustratively, it is considered that a commercial container sold or labeled as a "10 liter drum" is "substantially filled", contains 9.5-10 liters of the glyphosate salt solution, even if, when it contains 10 liters, there is still a space of air in the head of the container after filling. In a further embodiment of the invention, it has been found in a concentrated aqueous solution, an unexpectedly high weight / volume concentration of MEA salt of glyphosate can be obtained in the presence of an agronomically useful amount of surfactant. It has been found that the choice of surfactant is important to achieve this result. In such an embodiment, therefore, the present invention provides a storage and shipping system for glyphosate herbicide comprising a container having a capacity of from about 0.1 to about 1,000 liters or more, partially or completely filled with a composition that Includes: (1) water; (2) glyphosate, predominantly in the form of the monoethanolammonium salt thereof, in solution in the water in an amount of about 360 to about 570 grams of glyphosate acid equivalent per liter of the composition; and (3) a surfactant component in solution with a stable dispersion in water, comprising one or more surfactants in a total amount of approximately about 200 grams per liter of the composition, this component of surfactant being selected such that the composition does not exhibit phase separation at temperatures of about 50 ° C or lower and preferably does not exhibit substantially no glyphosate crystallization or salt thereof when it is stored at a temperature no lower than about 0 ° C for a period up to about 7 days. Although currently the maximum capacity of a container used for storage and / or shipment of glyphosate herbicides is approximately 100,000 liters, it will be readily understood that the invention is not limited by such common practice. For example, if it is contemplated to transport glyphosate herbicide in a ship or barge tank that has one or more tanks significantly greater than 100,000 liters, the benefits of using potassium salt or MEA of glyphosate exposed herein will be made just as evident as in containers of smaller volume. The container is preferably filled, regardless of its capacity, substantially with the composition. The word "predominantly" the context of the glyphosate salts means that at least about 50%, preferably at least about 5% and more preferably at least about 90%, by weight of glyphosate, expressed as e.a. it is present as the salt or the mixture of salts indicated. The rest may be constituted by other salts and / or glyphosate acid, provided that the indicated properties of the composition are within the established limits.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION As indicated above, it has been surprisingly found that the concentrated aqueous solutions of potassium salts and MEA of glyphosate have exceptionally high specific gravity. Table 1 shows by way of example, specific gravities measures for solutions at 30% by weight in e.a. of glyphosate of the potassium and MEA salts of glyphosate in comparison with other organic ammonium salts and others of common or previous commercial interest. Specific gravities are measured using a specific density / gravity meter Metler DA-300.

TABLE 1 Specific gravity (20 / 18.6 ° C) of solutions at 30% by weight in e.a. of monobasic glyphosate salts Thus, 1 liter of a solution at 30% by weight in e.a. of glyphosate potassium salt at 20 ° C contains approximately 376 grams of e.a./l of glyphosate, while one liter of a solution at 305 by weight of e.a. of glyphosate IPA salt at 20 ° C contains approximately 347 g / l in e.a. of glyphosate. In other words, at the same concentration by weight of e.a., the potassium salt solution supplies approximately 8% more than e.a. per liter of glyphosate. Similarly, one liter of solution at 30% e.a. of MEA salt of glyphosate at 20 ° C contains approximately 371 g / l in e.a. of glyphosate. Therefore, at the same concentration by weight of e.a., the MEA salt solution supplies approximately 7% more than e.a. per liter of glyphosate than an IPA salt solution. Whether potassium salt or MEA is used, the minimum useful concentration in the aqueous solution is approximately by weight of e.a. and is preferably about 40% by weight in e.a. the maximum concentration determined by the solubility limit at 20 ° C is about 44% by weight in e.a. in the case of the potassium salt and approximately 47% by weight in e.a. in the case of MEA salt. A storage and shipping system employing glyphosate potassium salt solution is particularly useful when the solution does not additionally contain surfactant and / or when the solution is not intended for use in preparing concentrated formulations containing surfactant. It has been found that only some types of surfactants are compatible in agronomically useful amounts with high concentrations of glyphosate potassium salt.

However, a storage and shipping system for glyphosate herbicide that uses MEA salt has great utility for solutions both without surfactant and those containing surfactant. In a solution containing surfactant, the maximum glyphosate concentration is restricted not only by the solubility limit of the MEA salt in water, but also by the limits of compatibility with the surfactant. In such solutions, the advantages of the MEA salt mean that a) a higher maximum weight / volume concentration of e.a. of glyphosate than with the IPA salt in the presence of the same compatible surfactant at the same surfactant concentration, b) a higher concentration of compatible surfactant is achieved than with the IPA salt at the same weight / volume concentration of ea of glyphosate, c) at given weight / volume concentrations of e.a. of glyphosate and surfactant, improved storage stability is achieved with respect to a corresponding composition prepared with the IPA salt and / or d) at given weight / volume concentrations of e.a. of glyphosate and surfactant, improved pouring and pumping properties are achieved with respect to a corresponding composition prepared with the IPA salt as a result of a lower viscosity. The advantages of the storage and shipping systems of the present invention are made less as the concentration of glyphosate in the aqueous solution is reduced and they are marginal to a glyphosate concentration lower than approximately 360 g / l in ea, ie lower than the concentration found in such commercial glyphosate IPA salt products, such as the Roundup® herbicide. In preferred systems of the invention, the concentration of glyphosate in the aqueous solution is not lower than 420 g / l in e.a. or about 420 ea / l, in particularly preferred systems no lower than about 480 g / l in ea, for example from about 480 to about 540 g / l in ea.It is believed that the basic upper limit of the glyphosate concentration in an aqueous composition containing stable surfactant during the storage of potassium salt or MEA of glyphosate is about 570 g / l in ea, this limit being a consequence of the solubility limit of the glyphosate salt in water, intensified in some case because of the additional limitation due to the presence of surfactant. Of course, higher glyphosate concentrations are possible and are comprised by the present invention when the surfactant is present only at a very low concentration. However, such a low concentration of surfactants is unlikely to be agronomically useful. Near this upper limit of glyphosate concentrations, the amount of surfactant that can be adjusted is lower than lower glyphosate concentrations. For most purposes, it is likely that this small amount of surfactant is inadequate to provide reliable improvement of the herbicidal efficacy of glyphosate to an acceptable degree. However, in certain applications for special purposes in which the composition has to be diluted with a relatively small amount of water, for the treatment of plants at one volume, for example, and approximately 10 about 50 l / ha, the concentration of Surfactant in a concentrated composition of the invention can be usefully as low as about 20 g / l. Such applications for special purposes include the application of rope wicks and the extremely low volume area spray. For general purpose application, typically sprinkling the illusion with luckily 50 about 1000 l / ha, very commonly from about 100 to about 400 l / ha, of water, the concentration of surfactant in a concentrated composition of the invention is preferably from about 60 to about 200 g / l. In one embodiment of the invention, as shown in Fig. 2, a storage and shipping system 11a is provided for glyphosate herbicide comprising an illustrative container-shaped container 12a having an illustrative capacity of 10 liters, substantially filled with an aqueous solution 13a of glyphosate, predominantly in the form of a salt or a mixture of the potassium and MEA salts thereof, but illustratively in essence all in the MEA salt form. Solution 13a has a concentration in e.a. of glyphosate illustratively 46% by weight. Also illustrated in Figure 2 by comparison is a prior art storage and shipping system 11b comprising a 10-liter drum 12b identical to the 10-liter drum 12a using in the system of the invention, but substantially filled with an aqueous solution 13b of glyphosate IPA salt at the same illustrative concentration of ea of glyphosate 46% by weight. The glyphosate molecules 14 are indicated schematically in both systems in order to provide a visual representation of greater e.a. of glyphosate present in the storage and shipping system 11a of the invention. Alternatively, as illustrated in Figure 3, in a storage and shipping system 15a of the invention a container, illustratively a drum 16a, is smaller than the drum 16b of a prior art storage and shipping system 15b. The drum 16a is substantially filled, at the indicated level 17a, as an aqueous function 18a of glyphosate, illustratively in essence all in the form of the MEA salt thereof, illustratively at a concentration in e.a. of glyphosate 46% by weight. Field 16b of the prior art is substantially filled, at the indicated level 17b, or an aqueous solution 18b of glyphosate IPA salt at the same illustrative concentration of e.a. of glyphosate 46% by weight. The volume of aqueous solution 18a contained in the plug 16a is smaller than the volume of the aqueous solution 18b contained in the plug 16b, and one thus has capacity for the same weight e.a. of glyphosate as depicted, with the schematic representation of the glyphosate molecules 14. Further, as illustrated in Figure 4, a number of three smaller containers may be sent illustratively of the drums 16a as compared to the drums 16b, in a given closed volume, illustratively a railway box car 19, thus making it possible to send a greater weight of food of glyphosate in a single shipment using the storage and shipping system of the invention. As a further aspect of the present invention, a particular class of surfactants has been identified in which the compatibility with the MEA salt of glyphosate at the concentrations given above is unexpectedly high. In accordance, one embodiment of the invention is a storage and shipping system for glyphosate herbicide comprising a container having a capacity of about 0.1 about 1000 liters or more, partially or completely filled and preferably substantially filled, or an aqueous solution of MEA salt of glyphosate containing surfactant as described above wherein the surfactant component comprises predominantly one or more surfactants, each having a molecular structure comprising: (1) a hydrophobic portion having one or a plurality of hydrocarbyl groups or C3.18 hydrocarbylene groups independently saturated or unsaturated, branched or unbranched aliphatic, alicyclic or aromatic, linked together by 0 about 7 bonds selected from ether, thioether, sulfoxide, ester, thioester and amide bonds, having this hydrophobic portion in total a number J of atoms carbon atoms in which J is approximately 8 approximately 24; and (2) a hydrophilic portion comprising: (i) an amino group which is cationic or can be protonated to be cationic, having directly bonded thereto from 0 to 3 oxyethylene groups or polyoxyethylene chains, these groups comprising oxyethylene or chains polyoxyethylene on average or more than an E number of oxyethylene units per surfactant molecule such that £ + J = 25; and / or (ii) a glycoside or polyglycoside group comprising on average no more than about 2 glycoside units per molecule of surfactant. In such surfactants, the hydrophobic portion is bound to the hydrophilic portion in one of the following ways: (a) directly to an amino group if present, (b) by an ether bond incorporating an oxygen atom of one of the oxyethylene groups if present or of a terminal oxyethylene unit of one of the polyoxyethylene chains if present or (c) by a bond by ether to one of the glycoside units if present. In the context of the surfactant content, the term "predominantly comprises" means that at least about 50%, preferably at least about 75% and more preferably at least about 90%, by weight of the surfactant component, is constituted by surfactants that has the specified characteristics of the molecular structure. For the present purpose, the weight or concentration of the surfactant component as defined herein does not include essentially non-surfactant compounds that are sometimes introduced with the surfactant component, such as water, isopropanol or other solvents, or glycols (such as such as ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, etc.). As an additional explanation of the relationship between E and J in polyoxyethylene amine surfactants, it has been observed, surprisingly, that the greater the hydrophobic portion (ie, the higher the J value), the lower the oxyethylene units may be. present (ie, the smaller the value of E) for the proper compatibility with the MEA salt of glyphosate. For example, when J has a mean value of about 18, for example in a polyexyethylene seboamine, E, the maximum number of oxyethylene units, is about 7. However, when J has a mean value of about 12, as in a polyoxyethylene cocoamine, E is about 13. Without limiting in any way the scope of the present mention, two subclasses of surfactant, defined by the formulas (V) and (VI) below, are particularly in storage and shipping systems of the invention. In one embodiment of the invention, glyphosate is present in the solution predominantly in the MEA salt form and the solution contains in addition from about 20 to about 200 grams per liter of a surfactant component comprising predominantly one or more surfactants having, or a pH level of about 4, the formula [R1- (XR2) m- (OCH2CH2) n- (NR3R4- (CH2) p) q- (g / i7) rOH] s [A] t (V) in wherein R1 is hydrogen or Cpβ hydrocarbyl, each X is independently an ether, thioether, sulfoxide, ester, thioester or amide bond, each R2 is independently C3.6 hydrocarbyliden, m is an average number from 0 to about 8, total number of carbon atoms in R1- (XR2) m is from about 8 to about 24, n is an average number from 0 to about 5, R3 and R4 are independently hydrogen or C1.4 alkyl, p is from 2 to 4 , q is 0 or 1, glu is a unit of the formula (referred to herein as a glucoside unit); r is an average number from 1 to approximately 2, A is an anionic entity and s is an integer from 1 to 3 and t is 0 to 1, in such a way that electrical neutrality is maintained. In another embodiment of the invention, the glyphosate MEA salt solution contains from about 20 to about 200 grams per liter of a surfactant component comprising predominantly 1 or more surfactants having, at a pH level of about 4, the formula (SAW) wherein R1 is hydrogen or hydrocarbyl Cps, each X is independently an ether, thioether, sulfoxide, ester, thioester or amide bond, each R2 is independently C3.6 hydrocarbyliden, m is an average number from 0 to about 8, the total number of carbon atoms in R 1 - (XR 2) m is from about 8 to about 24, n is an average number from 0 to about 5, R 5 is hydrogen, C 4, 4 alkyl, benzyl, an anionic oxide group or an anionic group - (CH2) uC (O) O in which u is from 1 to 3, R6 and R7 are independently hydrogen, C1-4 alkyl or C2-4 acyl, x and y are average numbers such that x + y + n is not greater than the number E as defined above, A is an anionic entity and s is an integer from 1 to 3 and t is 0 or 1 in such a way that electric neutrality is maintained. The surfactants comprising the formulas (V) or (VI) above include, but are not limited to, those which can be described as alkylpolyglycosides, alkylaminoglycosides, polyoxyethylenealkylamine, polyoxyethylenealkineamines, alkyltrimethylammonium salts, alkyldimethylbenzylammonium salts, polyoxyethylene-N-methylalkylammonium salts, polyoxyethylene salts. N-methylalkylethermonium, alkyldimethylamine oxides, polyoxyethylenealkylamine oxides, polyoxyethylalkylethermine oxides, alkylbetaines, alkylamidopropylamines and the like, in which the average number of oxyethylene units, if present, per molecule of surfactant is not greater than 25J, wherein J is as defined above, and the average number of glucose units, if present, per molecule of surfactant is not greater than about 2. The term "alkyl" as used in this paragraph reflects the common usage in the art. and means aliphatic Cβ-18 hydrocarbyl , saturated or unsaturated, linear or branched. When a maximum or minimum "average number" is cited in the preference with reference to a structural characteristic of a surfactant such as oxyethylene units or glucoside units, it is to be understood that the whole number of such units in the individual molecules in a surfactant preparation typically varies over a range which may influence whole numbers greater than the "average number" maximum or less than the minimum. The presence in a composition of the individual surfactant molecules having a whole number of such units outside the range established in the "middle number" does not eliminate the composition of the scope of the present invention, provided that the "middle number" is within of the established interval and other requirements are met. Illustrative types of surfactants that have been found useful in the systems of the invention include the following: (A) Surfactants corresponding to the formula (V) in which R 1 is an aliphatic, saturated or unsaturated C 8-18 hydrocarbyl chain unsaturated, linear or branched, m, n and q are 0, s is 1 and t is 0. This group includes various commercially known surfactants collectively known or referred to herein as "alkylglucosides" or "APG". Some suitable examples are sold by Henkel as Agrimul ™ PG-2069 and Agrimul ™ PG-2076. (B) Surfactants corresponding to the formula (VI) in which R is an aliphatic, saturated or unsaturated, linear or branched C8 _-? 8 hydrocarbyl chain, and m is 0. In this group, R1 only forms the hydrophobic portion of the surfactant and is directly bound to the amino function, as in the alkylamines, or purge the ether formed by the oxygen atom of an oxyethylene group or the terminal oxygen atom of a polyoxyethylene chain, as certain alkylethermines. Some illustrative subtypes having different hydrophilic moieties include: (B-1) Surfactants in which x and y are 0, R5 and R6 are independently C-? 4 alkyl, R7 is hydrogen and t is 1. This subtype includes (in wherein R5 and R6 are in each case methyl) various commercial surfactants known in the art or to which they are referred to herein as "alkyldimethylamines". Some suitable examples are dodecyldimethylamine, obtainable for example from Akzo as Armeen ™ DM12D, and cocodimethylamine and cebodimethylamine, obtainable for example from Ceca as Noram ™ DMC D and Noram ™ DMS D, respectively.

Such surfactants are generally provided in non-protonated form, the anion A not being supplied with the surfactant. However, in an MEA salt formulation of glyphosate at a pH of about 4-5, the surfactant will be staged and it will be recognized that the anion A can be glyphosate, which is capable of forming dibasic salts. (B-2) Surfactants in which x and y are 0, R5, R6 and R7 are independently C? and t is 1. This subtype includes (in which R5, R6 and R7 are in each case methyl and A is a chloride inlay) various commercial surfactants known in the art and to which they are referred to herein as "sodium chloride". alkyltrimethylammonium ". A suitable example is cocoalkyltrimethylammonium chloride, obtainable for example from Akzo as Arquad ™ C. (B-3) Surfactants in which x + y is 2 or greater, R6 and R7 are hydrogen and t is 1. This subtype includes surfactants commercially known in the art or referred to herein as "polyoxyethylenealkylamines" (in which n is 0 and R5 is hydrogen), certain "polyoxyethylenealkylethermines" (in which n is 1-5 and R5 is hydrogen), " polyexyethylene-N-methyl alkylammonium chlorides "(in which n is 1-5 and R5 is methyl). Suitable examples are polyoxyethylene- (2) -cocoamine, polyoxyethylene- (5) -seboamine and polyoxyethylene- (10) -cocoamine, obtainable for example from Akzo as Ethomeen ™ C / 12, Ethomeen ™ T / 15 and Ethomeen ™ C / 20, respectively; a surfactant that is formed, when its amine group is non-protonized, to the formula wherein R1 is C12-15 alkyl and x + y is 5, as set forth in the US patent. No. 5,750,468; and polyoxyethylene- (2) -N-methylcocoammonium chloride and polyoxyethylene- (2) -N-methylstearylammonium chloride, obtainable for example from Akzo as Ethoquad ™ C / 12 and Ethoquad ™ 18/12, respectively. In cases where R5 is hydrogen, that is, in tertiary ammonium surfactants as opposed to quaternaries, anion A is not typically supplied with the surfactant. However, in an MEA salt formulation of glyphosate at a pH of about 4-5, it will be recognized that the anion A can be glyphosate, which is capable of forming dibasic salts. (B-4) Surfactants in which R5 is an anionic oxide group and t is 0. This subtype includes commercial surfactants known in the art or in which it is referred to herein as "alkyldimethylamine oxides" (in which n, x and y are 0, and R6 and R7 are methyl), certain "alkyletherdimethylamine oxides" (in which n is 1-5, x and y are 0, and R6 and R7 are methyl) "polyoxyethylene alkylamine oxides" (in which n is 0, x + y is 2 or greater, and R6 and R7 are hydrogen) and certain "polyoxyethylene-alkylene tetramine oxides" (in which n is 1-5, x + y is 2 or greater, and R6 and R7 are hydrogen) . Suitable examples are cocodimethylamine oxide, sold by Akzo as Aromox ™ DMC, and polyoxyethylene- (2) -cocoamine oxide, sold by Akzo as Aromox ™ C / 12. (B-5) Surfactants in which R5 is an anionic group -CH2C (0) O (acetate), x and y are 0 and t is 0. This subtype includes commercial surfactants known in the art or to which reference is made in present as "alkylbetaines" (in which n is 0, R5 is acetate and R6 and R7 are methyl) and certain "alkyl etherbetaines" (in which n is 1-5, R5 is acetate and R6 and R7 are methyl). A suitable example is cocobetaine, sold for example by Henkel as Velvetex ™ AB-45. (C) Surfactants corresponding to the formula (VI) in which R1 is an aliphatic, saturated or unsaturated, linear or branched Cs-iß hydrocarbyl chain, n is 1, X is an ether bond, R2 is n- propylene and n is 0. In this group, R1 together with OR2 form the hydrophobic portion of the surfactant which is directly linked by the bond of R2 to the amine function. These surfactants are a subclass of alkylethermines as set forth in the U.S.A. No. 5,750,468. The illustrative subtypes have the different hydrophilic portions exemplified in subsections (B-1) to (B-5) above. Some suitable examples are a surfactant which is formed, when the amino group is not protonated, to the formula (VIII) a surfactant that conforms to the formula and a surfactant that conforms to the formula wherein, in each of the formulas (VIII), (IX) and (X), R1 is alkyl of C-12-15 and x + y is 5, as set forth in the patent of E.U.A. No. 5,750,468. (D) Surfactants corresponding to formula (VI) in which R1 is an aliphatic, saturated or unsaturated, linear or branched C8.88 hydrocarbyl chain, m is 1-5, each XR2 is a group -OCH (CH3) CH2- and n is 0. In this group, R1 together with the groups -OCH (CH3) CH2- form the hydrophobic portion of the surfactant which is directly linked to the amino function. These surfactants are an additional subclass of alkylethermines as set forth in the U.S.A. No. No. 5,750,468. The illustrative subtypes have the different hydrophilic portions exemplified in subsections (B-1) to (B-5) above. A suitable example is a surfactant which is formed, when its amino group is non-protonated, to the formula (XI) in which R1 is C12-15 alkyl, m is 2 and x + and is as set forth in the patent from the USA No. 5,750,468. (E) Surfactants corresponding to the formula (VI) in which R1 is an aliphatic, saturated or unsaturated, linear or branched C8-? 8 hydrocarbyl chain, m is 1, x is an amine bond, R2 is n -propylene and n is 0. In this group, R1 together with XR2 forms the hydrophobic portion of the surfactant which is directly linked by the bond of R2 to the amino function. In the preferred surfactants of this group, x and y are 0, R5 is hydrogen or C- alkyl, R6 and R7 are independently C 1 alkyl, and t is 1. A suitable example is cocoamidopropyldimethylamine propionate, sold for example by Mclntyre as Mackalene ™ 117. (F) Surfactants corresponding to the formula (VI) in which R1 is hydrogen, m is 3-8 and each XR2 is a group -OCH (CH3) CH2-. In this group, the polyether chain of the groups -OCH (CH3) CH2- (polyoxypropylene chain) forms the hydrophobic portion of the surfactant which is linked directly or through one or more oxyethylene units to the amino function. In the preferred surfactants of this group, x and y are 0, R5, R6 and R7 are independently C1-4 alkyl and t is 1. These surfactants are a subclass of the polyoxypropylene-quaternary ammonium surfactants set forth in the US patent. Do not. ,652,197. In a suitable example, m is 7, n is 1, R5, R6 and R7 are in each case methyl and A is chloride. In surface active agents in which t is 1, A can be any suitable anion, but is preferably chloride, bromide, iodide, sulfate, ethosulfate, phosphate, acetate, propionate, succinate, lactate, citrate or tartrate or, as indicated above, glyphosate. In one embodiment of the invention, the aqueous solution contains a surfactant of a class of alkylethermines disclosed in the US patent. No. 5,750,468. In a further embodiment, the surfactants present are different from alkylether amines as set forth in the U.S. patent. No. 5,750,468. A particular embodiment of the invention employs an MEA salt composition of glyphosate as described above in which the concentration of glyphosate, expressed in g / l in ea, is higher than the maximum concentration that would provide stability during acceptable storage. if all glyphosate were present instead as the IPA salt.

Also, for acceptable storage stability it is implied that phase separation is not exhibited at temperatures of about 50 ° C or less, and that glyphosate crystals or salt thereof are not substantially exhibited when exposed to non-stable temperatures. lower than about 0 ° C for a period of up to about 7 days.

Another particular embodiment of the invention employs an MEA glyphosate salt composition as described above having lower viscosity than an otherwise similar composition in that all glyphosate is otherwise in the form of an IPA salt. It is particularly beneficial if the lower viscosity is manifested as improved pouring and / or pumping capacity at low temperatures, for example from about -10 ° C to about 10 ° C. It has surprisingly been discovered that the reduced viscosity is a feature of virtually all of the aqueous MEA glyphosate salt concentrate compositions, as compared to corresponding IS glyphosate IPA salt compositions. This discovery is especially well illustrated by Example 4 herein and in particular by the data in Table 6 that form part of that example. When, in an aqueous concentrate composition, the concentration of the glyphosate salt and / or the concentration of surfactant is such that the viscosity is unacceptably high even with the MEA salt, the MEA salt nevertheless provides a significant advantage with regarding the salt of IPA. In such a composition, the addition of a small amount of water typically decreases the viscosity to a much greater degree when the glyphosate is present as the salt of MEA rather than the salt of IPA. The amount of water required to lower the viscosity to any desired level is significantly lower in the case of the MEA salt than in the case of the IPA salt.

It has been unexpectedly observed that replacement of the glyphosate IPA salt with the MEA salt of glyphosate in a concentrated aqueous solution composition containing surfactant can provide an additional benefit in the form of reduced irritation to the eyes. This is especially surprising, as it is known to be the surfactant component of such compositions, especially when the predominant surfactant is an amine based surfactant, which is primarily responsible for an irritation to the eyes that is exhibited. In accordance, the storage and shipping system of the invention has the additional benefit of reducing the risk of spillage or runoff during handling, compared to prior art storage and shipping systems using glyphosate IPA salt . Although the present invention is directed primarily to storage and shipping systems employing concentrated aqueous solutions of the MEA salt of glyphosate, one or more additional herbicide active ingredients may be optionally present, including without restriction water-soluble forms of acifluorfen, asulam. , benazoline, bentazone, bialaphos, bispiribac, bromadin, bromoxynil, carfentrazone, chloramben, clopyrad, 2,4-D, 2,4-DB, dalapon, dicamba, diclorprop, diclofop, diffezoquat, diquat, endotal, fenac, fenoxaprop, flamprop , fluazifop, fluoroglycophene, fluroxipyr, fomesafen, fosaminate, glufosinate, haloxifop, imazameth, imazametabenz, imazamox, imazapic, imazapir, imazaquina, imazetapír, ioxinilo, MCPA, MCPB, mecoprop, methylarsonic acid, naftalam, nonanoic acid, paraquet, picloram, acid sulfamic, 2,3,6-TBA, TCA and trichlor. When the additional herbicide is anionic, such as glyphosate, it is preferred that the additional herbicide is also predominantly present as the MEA salt. One embodiment of the invention is therefore a storage and shipping system for two or more anionic herbicides, one of which is glyphosate, which comprises a container having a capacity of from about 0.1 to about 1000, 000 liters, partial or fully filled, and preferably substantially filled, with an aqueous solution comprising glyphosate predominantly in the form of the MEA salt thereof, and a second anionic herbicide predominantly in the Mea salt form thereof, the total concentration of the glyphosate and the second anionic herbicide together from about 360 to about 600 g / l in ea, the solution preferably further comprising a surfactant component, selected according to the invention, dissolved or stable sprayed therein at a concentration of about 20 to about 200 g / l. l. In that embodiment, it is preferred that the weight / weight ratio of the glyphosate to the second anionic herbicide is not less than about 1: 1, for example from about 1: 1 to about 30: 1. The second anionic herbicide is preferably selected from the group consisting of acifluorfen, bialaphos, carfentrazone, clopyralid, 2,4-D, 2,4-DB, dicamba, dichlorprop, glufosinate, MCPA, MCPB, mecoprop, methylarsenic acid, nonanoic acid, picloram, triclopyr and herbicides of the class of imidazolinone, including ¡mazameth, imazametabenz, imazamox, imazapic, mazapir, imazaquina and imazetapir. Also included in the present invention are storage and shipping systems employing concentrated liquid formulations having an aqueous phase containing the MEA salt of a non-aqueous phase glyphosate optionally containing a second herbicidal active ingredient that is relatively insoluble in water. Such formulations illustratively include emulsions (including macro- and microemulsions, water-in-oil, oil-in-water and water-in-oil-in-water types), suspensions and suspensions-emulsions. The non-aqueous phase may optionally comprise a microencapsulated component, for example a microencapsulated herbicide. In the formulations of the invention having a non-aqueous phase, the concentration in e.a. of glyphosate in the composition in general is nevertheless within the ranges recited herein for concentrated formulations of aqueous solution. Illustrative water-insoluble herbicides that can be used in such formulations include acetochlor, aclonifen, alachlor, ametryn, amidosulfuron, anifolus, atrazine, azaphenidine, azimsulfuron, benfluralin, benfuresate, bensulfuronmethyl, bensulide, benzophenap, bifenox, bromobutide, bromophenoxy, butachlor, butamiphos, butralin, butroxydim, butylate, cafenstrol, carbetamide, carfentrazonaethyl, chloromethoxifen, chlorbromuron, chloridazon, chlorimuronetyl, chlormitrofen, chlorotoluron, chlorprofam, chlorsulfuron, chlorthaldethyl, chlortiamide, cinmethiline, cinosulfuron, clethodim, clodinafoppropargyl, clomazone, clomeprop, chloransulammethyl, cyanazine, cycloate, cycloxydim, cycloxydim, cyhalofopbutyl, daimuron, desmedipham, desmethrin, diclobenil, diclofopmethyl, diflufenican, dimephuron, dimepiperate, dimethachlor, dimethamethrin, dimethenamid, dinitramine, dinoterb, diphenamide, dithiopyr, diuron, EPTC, esprocarb, etalfuralin, etametsulfurponmethyl, etofumesato, eto xisulfuron, ethobenzamide, fenoxapropethyl, fenuron, flampropmethyl, flazasulfuron, fluazifopbutyl, flucloralin, flumetsalum, flumicloracpentyl, flumioxazin, fluometuron, fluorochloridone, fluoroglycophenethyl, flupoxam, flurenol, fluridone, fluroxypyr-1-methylheptyl, flurtamone, flutiacetmethyl, fomesafen, halosulfuron, haloxyphemethyl, hexazinone, imazosulfuron, indanofan, isoproturon, isouron, isoxaben, soxaflutol, isoxapirifop, lactofen, lenacil, linuron, mefenacet, metamitron, metazachlor, metabenzthiazuron, metildimron, methobenzuron, metobromuron, metolachlor, metosulam, methoxuron, metribuzin, metsulfuron, molinate, monolinuron , naproanilide, napropamide, naphthalam, neburon, nicosulfuron, norflurazon, orbencarb, orizalin, oxadiargyl, oxadiazon, oxasulfuron, oxyfluorfen, pebulate, pendimethalin, pentanochlor, pentoxazone, fenmedifam, piperophos pretilachlor, primisulfuron, prodiamine, prometon, prometrin, propachlor, propanil, propaquizafop, p ropazina, profam, propisocloro, propizamida, prosulfocarb, prosulfuron, piraflufenetile, pirazolinate, pirazosulfuronetil, pirazoxifen, piributicarb, pyridate, piriminobacmethyl, quinclorac, quinmerac, quizalofop-ethyl, rimsulfuron, sethoxydim, siduron, simazine, symmetry, sulcotrione, sulfentrazone, sulfometuron, sulfosulfuron, tebutam, tebutiuron, terbacil, terbumeton, terbuthylazine, terbutrin, tenilchlor, thiazopyr, tifenslfuron, thiobencarb, thiocarbazil, tralcoxydim, trialate, triasulfuron, tribenuron, trietazine, trifluralin, triflusulfuron and vernolate. It is preferred that the weight / weight ratio of e.a. of glyphosate to such water-insoluble herbicide is not less than 1: 1, for example from about 1: 1 to about 30: 1. Carrier ingredients other than the surfactant component defined above may optionally be present in a composition useful in a system of the invention, provided that the composition is stable during storage as defined herein. Such additional excipient ingredients include conventional formulation additives such as colorants, thickeners, crystallization inhibitors, antifreeze agents including glycols, foam modeling agents, antiderivatives, compatibilizing agents, etc. One type of excipient ingredient often used in glyphosate formulations is an inorganic salt such as ammonium sulfate, included to exhibit the herbicidal activity, or the consistency of the herbicidal activity, of glyphosate. Since the content of the inorganic salt in the formulation necessary to provide such improvement is usually relatively high, often greater than the amount of glyphosate present, it will seldom be profitable to add such salt to a composition to be employed in a system of the invention. The amount of ammonium sulfate, for example, that could be incorporated into a stable aqueous composition during storage containing MEA salt of glyphosate at a concentration of at least 360 g / l in e.a. it would be so small that it would not produce any substantial benefit. An alternative, therefore, is to include a small amount of a synergist such as an anthraquinone compound or a phenyl substituted olefin compound as set forth in international publications Nos. WO 98/33384 and WO 98/33385, respectively. A useful container in a storage and shipping system for glyphosate herbicide according to the present invention can be any known container useful to store and send IPA salt of glyphosate, constructed of materials that can be used safely and comfortably in prolonged contact with a concentrated glyphosate salt solution having a pH of about 4-5. A preferred construction material is HDPE or, particularly for large volume tanks, stainless steel. Illustratively, the container can be a single-use bottle or can having a capacity of about 0.1 to about 10 liters, a drum having a capacity of about 50 to about 200 liters, a round-trip container having a capacity of about 200 to approximately 2,000 liters, a modular bulk shipping tank that has a capacity of approximately 15,000 to approximately 20,000 liters, a tank truck tank that has a capacity of approximately 20,000 to approximately 25,000 liters, or a rail car tank that has a capacity of approximately 75,000 to approximately 90,000 liters. Small single-use containers have an opening covered with a removable lid, for example with a screw cap, and can be molded in such a way as to provide a spout. Such a container is preferably designed in a manner known in the art to minimize spillage, allowing for example the continuous inflow of air to replace the liquid while pouring in order to avoid "gurgling". High capacity containers, for example those having a capacity greater than about 50 liters, may have a wrench for extracting the liquid composition contained therein and / or a connection for a pump to allow rapid transfer of the composition. In a particular embodiment the container is provided with an integral pump. The present invention can also be described as a method of storage and transport of a glyphosate herbicide. Thus, in one embodiment, a method of storing the herbicide, comprising 4 steps, is provided. In the first step, glyphosate acid is reacted in an aqueous medium with a base that provides potassium or monoethanolammonium cations to form an aqueous solution of the monobasic potassium monoethanolammonium salt of glyphosate. Preferably, the base is potassium hydroxide or monoethanolamine, most preferably the latter. Approximately equimolar amounts of glyphosate and this base are used.

In the second step, the aqueous solution is adjusted if necessary with water and / or other ingredients to form an adjusted solution having an acid equivalent concentration of glyphosate of between about 30% by weight and a certain percent by weight. for the solubility of salt. The adjustment is usually made with water only, but if desired other ingredients, including surfactant, can be used in this step. When the salt is glyphosate monoethanolammonium salt, the solution is preferably adjusted to an acid equivalent concentration of glyphosate of from about 30 to about 46% by weight, more preferably and about 40 to about 46% by weight. In the third step, a container having a capacity of about 0.1 to about 100,000 liters or more is filled, substantially with the solution adjusted. In fourth step, place the filled container in a suitable storage place. This can be an equivalent warehouse or storage facility. In another embodiment, a method of transporting a glyphosate herbicide comprising 5 steps is provided. The first and second steps are exactly as described immediately beforehand. In the third step, each one is substantially filled with a multiplicity of containers having in each case a capacity of about 0.1 to about 2,000 liters, with the solution adjusted. The containers are, for example, disposable containers such as drums, jars or drums, or are refillable containers such as round-trip containers. In the fourth step, the filled containers are loaded in a closed volume in or on a road or rail vehicle to an aquatic vessel at a loading location. The closed volume is, for example, that of a modular box container adapted for road, rail and water transport, a truck or a railway box wagon. In the fifth step, the vehicle or the vessel is made, after loading the closed volume, to move from the loading place to a place of unloading. In a further embodiment, another method of transporting a glyphosate herbicide, comprising 5 steps, is provided. The first and second steps are exactly as described above. In the third step, a bulky container having a capacity of approximately 15,000 to approximately 100,000 liters, or more, is substantially filled with the adjusted solution. The bulky container is, for example, a modular bulk shipping tank or a tank of a truck or tank car. In the fourth step, which may take place before or after any of the first three steps, the bulky container is secured in or on a road or rail vehicle or an aquatic vessel at a loading location. In the case of a tank truck or wagon, the bulky container can be an integral part of the vehicle and is secured thereto when assembling the vehicle. In the fifth step, the vehicle or the vessel is made, after loading or securing the bulky container, to move from the loading place to a place of unloading.

EXAMPLES The following examples are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. The examples will allow a better understanding of the invention and the perception of its advantages and certain variations of execution.

EXAMPLE 1 In a 1-liter glass vessel with stirring bar, 479.2 g of glyphosate acid, technical grade (96% test), 166.0 g of monoethanolamine and 1000 g water are mixed. The reaction of the glyphosate acid with the monoethanolamine to form the MEA salt of glyphosate is exothermic. The reaction mixture is allowed to cool to room temperature. The specific gravity (20 / 15.6 ° C) of the resulting aqueous solution at 62.6% by weight of the glyphosate MEA salt, which contains 46.0% by weight in e.a. of glyphosate is measured and found to be 1.32. The density of the solution at 25 ° C is 1.31 g / m, so that the volume at 25 ° C of 1, 000 g of this solution is 763 ml at the concentration in weight / volume of glyphosate is 602 g / l in e.a. For comparison, it was found that an aqueous solution at 62.1% by weight of glyphosate IPA salt, which also contained 46.0% by weight in e.a. of glyphosate had a specific gravity of 1.24. The density of the solution at 25 ° C is 1.23 g / l so the volume at 25 ° C of 1, 000 g of this comparative solution of 813 ml and the concentration in weight / volume of glyphosate is 565 g / l in ea A first 100 ml flask at 25 ° C is filled with the glyphosate MEA salt solution of this example and a second 100 ml flask with the comparative glyphosate IPA salt solution just described. It was found that the first flask contained 60.2 g of e.a. of glyphosate, while the second bottle was found to contain only 56.5 g of e.a. of glyphosate; in other words the first flask, representative of the present invention contains about 6.5% more e.a. of glyphosate than the second flask.

EXAMPLE 2 A series of aqueous solutions of MEA salt of glyphosate is prepared, having a range of concentrations of e.a. of glyphosate, by the general procedure of example 1. The specific gravity is measured for each solution.

The results are shown in Figure 1, by comparison with glyphosate IPA salt solutions. At all concentrations, it is found that the specific gravity of the MEA salt solution is significantly higher than that of the corresponding IPA salt solution. The glyphosate MEA salt solution of this example is added, having a glyphosate concentration of 29.9% by weight in ea, in sufficient volume to a 10 liter drum which is commonly used commercially for the storage and shipping of the glyphosate. glyphosate IPA salt solution at 30.2%, to substantially fill that container. The resulting filled container is a storage and shipping system according to the present invention. By virtue of the fact that 29.9% by weight in e.a. of glyphosate MEA salt solution has a specific gravity of 1.1991, which is 3.7% higher than that of glyphosate IPA salt solution at 30.2% (specific gravity of 1.1566), the filled container of the invention has the capacity to 3,585 g of ea of glyphosate compared to 3.493 g of e.a. of glyphosate in a commercial storage and shipping system consisting of an identical container filled instead with glyphosate IPA salt solution.

EXAMPLE 3 The aqueous MEA salt solution of glyphosate 46% by weight in e.a. from example 1, in a larger volume.

An HDPE cylindrical drum identical to a 100 liter drum commercially used for storage and shipping of 46% glyphosate IPA salt solution in ea is manufactured, except that the diameter of the drum is 2.55% smaller than that of the commercial drum so that the area in cross section is 6.5% smaller. The smallest drum capacity is 93.5 liters. This 93.5 liter drum is substantially filled with the glyphosate MEA salt solution to form a storage and shipping system of the present invention. The net weight of the filled 93.5 liter drum of the invention is equal to that of a 100 liter drum filled with 46% by weight glyphosate IPA salt solution in e.a. However, the smallest drum diameter of 93.5 liters makes it possible to store a greater number of such drums in a warehouse of given dimensions, or to be shipped for example in a cargo compartment of given dimensions in a marine vessel or in an aircraft. The filling of the drum to create the storage and shipping system of the invention requires less time and thus costs less than filling a 100 liter drum with 46% glyphosate IPA salt solution, for two reasons: (1 ) The filling time is related to the volume, which is 6.5% lower in the case of the 93.5 liter drum of the invention; and (2) the MEA salt solution has much lower viscosity (88 cPs at 25 ° C) than the IPA salt solution (165 cPs at 25 ° C) making flow velocity possible.

The filled drum of the invention is also more economically efficient for the end user than the 100 liter drum of IPA salt solution. First, the smaller diameter makes it easier to handle and lift, even if the weight is not less. Second, the low viscosity of the MEA salt solution makes it possible to dump or pump faster and easier from the drum solution, for example, to a sprinkler tank. Third, the low viscosity of the MEA salt solution results in the drum being rinsed easier and faster when empty. This avoids both waste and helps ensure disposal without chemicals, returning or recycling the empty drum. The advantage of the viscosity of the MEA salt solution with respect to the IPA salt solution is enlarged at lower temperatures.

EXAMPLE 4 The compositions containing surfactant 4-01 to 4-11 are prepared as described below. Each contains MEA salt of glyphosate and is prepared using a 46% by weight aqueous solution in e.a., of 602 g / l in e.a. of the same, as in example 1. The surfactant is selected in each case from the list provided in table 2 below. Comparative compositions are prepared with glyphosate IPA salt, which is added as an aqueous solution at 46% by weight in e.a., of 565 g / l in e.a. of it, as described in example 1.

TABLE 2 Surfactants used in the compositions of Example 4 A method of making this surfactant is set forth in U.S. Patent No. 1, 588,079.

Concentrations were established in weight / volume of objective, expressed below in the format [e.a. of glyphosate] / [surfactant], the units being g / l. Actual concentrations in weight / volume may differ slightly from target concentrations, because the ingredients are measured in weight for convenience. The amounts of ingredients blended to provide the various target concentrations are as shown in Table 3 (for glyphosate MEA salt compositions of the invention) and Table 4 (for comparative IPA salt compositions of glyphosate).

TABLE 3 Quantities of ingredients used in the preparation of glyphosate MEA salt compositions of Example 4 TABLE 4 Quantities of ingredients used in the preparation of the glyphosate IPA salt compositions of Example 4 The specific gravity (20 / 16.6 ° C) the viscosity at 25 ° C and the cloud point for each composition prepared are recorded as shown in table 5. The turbidity point is a measure of the maximum temperature at which a A given aqueous composition containing a surfactant and a salt at defined concentrations form a single-phase solution. Above the cloud point, the surfactant is prepared from the solution, initially as a turbid or turbid dispersion and, at rest, as a separate phase that generally rises to the surface of the solution. The cloud point is determined by heating the composition until the solution becomes turbid and then allowing the composition to cool, with stirring, while continuously monitoring its temperature. A temperature reading taken when the solution is rinsed is a measure of the cloud point.

TABLE 5 Data on the compositions of Example 4 It will be noted in Table 5 that given the compositions of the invention containing MEA salt of glyphosate have significantly lower viscosity than the corresponding IPA salt compositions. The magnitude of this viscosity advantage in favor of the MEA salt compositions depends to some degree on the choice and concentration of the surfactant. For example, compositions 4-01 of the invention having target concentrations of 480 g / l in e.a. of glyphosate in the salt form of MEA 120 g / l of polyoxyethylene (5) -cocoamine surfactant, exhibits an especially great advantage with respect to the comparative composition of IPA salt. In some, but not all, cases illustrated in Table 5, an MEA salt composition of glyphosate exhibits a lower cloud point than the corresponding IPA salt composition. However, in none of these cases is the turbidity point lower than 50 ° C and only in one case (composition 4-03) if the turbidity point is approached at this lower limit of commercial acceptability. Thus, in general, when a reduction of the turbidity point with replacement of IPA salt by MEA salt takes place, this reduction is an acceptable relative gain for the greater advantage in viscosity and therefore the behavior of dumping and pumping, made possible for such replacement. The MEA salt compositions of glyphosate 4-01 to 4-11 are prepared in bulk and substantially filled with 10 liter cans substantially filled with these compositions to create, in each case, a storage and shipping system for the invention.

EXAMPLE 5 The maximum concentration of surfactant achievable in practice is compared in an aqueous concentrated composition containing glyphosate salt at 540 g / l e.a., with respect to the salts of MEA and IPA. This is determined by adding a surfactant selected in increments to a 46% by weight aqueous solution in e.a. of the glyphosate salt until the concentration in weight / volume of glyphosate descends from its initial level (565 g / l a.a. for IPA salt, 602 g / l in e.a. for the MEA salt) to 540 g / l e.a. The study is conducted using either surfactant A or surfactant F from Table 3 above. When the maximum concentration of reactant surfactant is reached, the viscosity is measured at 25 ° C. The results are shown in Table 6. Note that a composition having the maximum achievable concentration of surfactant as determined by this method does not necessarily exhibit acceptable stability as measured by the cloud point and / or crystal formation.

TABLE 6 Maximum achievable concentration of surfactant in a concentrated aqueous composition having 540 q / l in e.a. of glyphosate concentration The data in table 6 illustrate one of the most beneficial benefits of glyphosate MEA salt compositions and one of the most surprising. Using the salt of MEA, it is possible to achieve, at the extremely high concentration of e.a. of glyphosate of 540 g / l in e.a., a concentration of surfactant selected more than 2.5 times the maximum achievable using the IPA salt. These are particularly unexpected, since it has been determined that the MEA salt is much less compatible than the IPA salt with polyoxyethylene- (15) -seboamine, the most extensively used surfactant so far in the glyphosate IPA salt compositions. Using surfactant of the type now selected, it can be seen from Table 6 that with the salt of MEA the weight ratio of e.a. surfactant / glyphosate is greater than 1: 5, a level compatible with commercially acceptable herbicidal efficacy, while with the IPA salt this ratio is considerably below 1: 10. Equally important, it is known in the art that the surfactants illustrated in Table 6 are highly effective in enhancing the herbicidal efficacy of glyphosate in e.a. surfactant / glyphosate of 1: 5 or greater (see, for example, U.S. Patent No. 5,668,085 with respect to surfactant A and U.S. Patent No. 5,750,468 with respect to surfactant F). Thus, a composition can take advantage of such surfactants, and still provide an e.a. of glyphosate as high as 540 g / l e.a., is a significant basis in the art that could not have been predicted with prior knowledge of these surfactants or the MEA salt of glyphosate. Even more surprising is the finding, as shown in Table 6, that even with the much higher concentration of surfactant achievable with the MEA salt, the viscosity of the MEA salt compositions is nevertheless much lower than those of the MEA salts. IPA salt compositions. The IPA salt compositions do not only have a low concentration of surfactant unlikely to provide commercially acceptable herbicidal efficacy, especially at higher thickness volumes but also a high viscosity unlikely to allow commercially acceptable pouring behavior, especially at lower temperatures as exemplified in Table 6. In contrast, MEA salt compositions can not be expected to provide good herbicide efficacy, but they also do not present a dumping or pumping problem. Theoretically, it is possible to achieve slightly higher concentrations of surfactant than those shown in this example starting with an MEA salt solution or glyphosate IPA even more concentrated than 56% by weight in e.a. Nevertheless, a glyphosate salt concentration of the resulting composition will then be so close to the solubility limit that in practice it is unlikely that the composition has acceptable storage stability and in particular it is likely to exhibit glyphosate or salt crystals position of it, particularly at low temperatures. A 10 liter drum is substantially filled with each of the glyphosate MEA salt compositions of 540 g / l in e.a. of this example to create a storage and shipping system for the invention. In addition to the other advantages mentioned above, this storage and shipping system has the advantage over the corresponding one containing IPA salt of glyphosate at 540 g / l in e.a. in that the composition is "completely filled" that is, it does not need greater addition of surfactant by the user to provide acceptable and reliable herbicide effectiveness. It provides another environmental as well as economic advantage for the user, who does not have, with the storage and shipping system of the invention, additional containers of surfactant that requires rinsing and disposal.

EXAMPLE 6 The stability during storage at low temperature for 4 compositions is compared. Composition 6-01 contains IPA salt of glyphosate at a concentration of 540 g / l in e.a. and surfactant A at 46 g / l. The composition 6-02 is similar, but with the surfactant F at 46 g / l. The comparative compositions are prepared in each case, using IPA salt of glyphosate in place of glyphosate MEA salt, but with the same surfactants of the same concentration of 46 g / l, the maximum achievable with the IPA salt as shown in Example 5. The compositions are placed in covered glass bottles in a refrigerated storage area at 0 ° C for 3 days. A seed crystal of the same glyphosate salt is then added as used in the preparation of the composition and the compositions are stored for a further 7 days. At the end of this period, the compositions are examined for crystal growth. Some crystal growth for the MEA 6-01 and 6-02 salt compositions is not evident, but the significant crystal growth is seen in both IPA salt comparative compositions. When placed in a container to create a storage and shipping system of the invention, the MEA salt compositions of glyphosate 6-01 and 6-02 exhibit a significant advantage in storage stability at low temperature.

EXAMPLE 7 The MEA salt compositions of glyphosate 7-01 and 7-02, substantially identical to the compositions 4-08 and 4-11 respectively, are prepared and the comparative IPA salt compositions are also prepared. The viscosity is measured at 25 ° C and a series of lower temperatures, to verify that the advantage of low viscosity seen at 25 ° C for MEA salt compositions continues to be valid at the lowest temperatures, when in practice it is seen in most dumping and pumping problems. The results are shown in table 7.

TABLE 7 Viscosity at low temperature of the compositions of Example 7 As shown in Table 7, the advantage of the low viscosity of the glyphosate MEA salt compositions of the invention with respect to the respective IPA salt compositions becomes even more significant at lower temperatures. When placed in a container to create a storage and shipping system of the invention, the MEA salt compositions of glyphosate 7-01 and 7-02 exhibit all the advantages cited herein that relate to low viscosity especially at low temperatures.

EXAMPLE 8 The MEA salt composition of glyphosate 8-01, substantially identical to compositions 4-08 and 7-01, having a glyphosate concentration of 480 g / l in e.a. and an IPA salt composition of glyphosate having the same concentration of glyphosate and the same surfactant F is prepared at the same concentration of 120 g / l for comparative purposes. A typical test for eye irritation in these compositions is known, following the assessment guidelines of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), subsection F. Hazard Evaluation: Human and Domestic Animáis (revised edition 1984), Section 81-4, Primary Eye Irritation. It is noted that the comparative salt composition of IPA causes sufficient eye irritation to place the composition in the most severely irritating class (category I) used by EPA in the classification of pesticide formulations. By comparison, it is observed that composition 8-01 of the invention causes a lower degree of eye irritation, placing this composition in category II. When placed in a container to create a storage and shipping system of the invention, the MEA salt composition of glyphosate 8-01 illustrates yet another advantage of the invention, namely reduced risk to a person handling such a container, especially in a situation of accidental rupture or leakage of container.

The foregoing description of the specific embodiments of the present invention is not intended to be a complete list of each possible embodiment of the invention. Those skilled in the art will recognize that modifications can be made to the specific embodiments described herein that remain within the scope of the present invention.

Claims (14)

NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION CLAIMS

1. A storage and shipping system for glyphosate herbicide comprising a container having a capacity of about 0.1 to about 100,000 liters or more, substantially filled with an aqueous solution of glyphosate, predominantly in the form of a salt or a mixture of potassium salts and of monoethanolammonium thereof, said solution having an acid equivalent concentration of glyphosate of about 30 weight percent and a maximum weight percent determined by the solubility of the glyphosate salt or the mixture of glyphosate salts present.

2. The storage and shipping system according to claim 1, further characterized in that the glyphosate is predominantly in the monoethanolammonium salt form and the solution has an acid equivalent concentration of glyphosate of about 30 to about 48 weight percent .

3. The storage and shipping system according to claim 2, further characterized in that the solution has an acid equivalent concentration of glyphosate of about 40 to about 48 weight percent.

4. A storage and shipping system for glyphosate herbicide comprising a container having a capacity of about 0.1 to about 100,000 liters or more, partially or completely filled with an aqueous solution of glyphosate, predominantly in the form of a salt or a mixture of the salts of potassium and of monoethanolammonium thereof, said solution having an acid equivalent concentration of glyphosate of between about 360 grams per liter of the solution and a maximum concentration determined by the solubility of the glyphosate salt or the mixture of glyphosate salts I presented.

5. The storage and shipping system according to claim 4, further characterized in that said container is substantially filled with said solution.

6. The storage and shipping system according to claim 4, further characterized in that the glyphosate is predominantly in the monoethanolammonium salt form thereof and the solution has an acid equivalent concentration of glyphosate of about 360 to about 600 grams per liter of the solution.

7. A storage and shipping system for glyphosate herbicide comprising a container having a capacity of about 0.1 to about 100,000 liters or more, partially or completely filled with a composition comprising: (1) water; (2) N-phosphonomethylglycine, predominantly in the form of the monoethanolammonium salt thereof, in solution in said water in an amount of about 360 to about 570 grams of acid equivalent per liter of the composition; and (3) a surfactant component in solution or dispersion stable in said water, comprising one or more surfactants in a total amount of about 20 to about 200 grams per liter of the composition; further characterized in that said surfactant component is selected such that the composition does not exhibit any phase separation at temperatures of about 50 ° C or less.

8. The storage and shipping system according to claim 7, further characterized in that said surfactant component is selected in such a way that the composition does not exhibit substantially any crystallization of said glyphosate or salt thereof when stored at a temperature not less than about 0 ° C for a period up to about 7 days.

9. The storage and shipping system according to claim 7, further characterized in that said container is substantially filled with said composition.

10. The storage and shipping system according to any of claims 4 to 9, the acid equivalent concentration of glyphosate is from about 420 to about 500 grams per liter.

11. - The storage and shipping system according to any of claims 4 to 9, further characterized in that the concentration in acid equivalent of glyphosate is from about 480 to about 540 grams per liter.

12. A method for storing a glyphosate herbicide, comprising the steps of: (1) reacting in an aqueous medium glyphosate acid with a base that provides potassium or monoethanolammonium cations to form an aqueous solution of the monobasic salt of potassium or monoethanolammonium glyphosate; (2) Adjusting said solution if necessary with water and / or other ingredients to form an adjusted solution having an acid equivalent concentration of glyphosate of about 30 weight percent and a maximum weight percent determined by the solubility of said salt; (3) substantially filling a container having a capacity of from about 0.1 to about 100,000 liters or more with said adjusted solution; and (4) placing said container after filling an adequate storage place.

13. A method of transporting a glyphosate herbicide comprising the steps of: (1) reacting in an aqueous medium glyphosate acid with a base that provides potassium or monoethanolammonium cations to form an aqueous solution of the monobasic salt of potassium or monoethanolammonium glyphosate; (2) adjusting said solution if necessary with water and / or other ingredients to form an adjusted solution having an acid equivalent concentration of glyphosate of about 30 weight percent and a maximum weight percent determined by the solubility of said salt; (3) substantially filling a multiplicity of containers in which each one has a capacity of approximately 0.1 to approximately 2,000 liters or more with said adjusted solution; (4) loading said containers after filling in a closed volume in or on a road or rail vehicle or an aquatic vessel at a loading place; and (5) causing said vehicle or vessel after loading to move from the place of loading to a place of unloading.

14. A method for storing a glyphosate herbicide, comprising the steps of: (1) reacting in an aqueous medium glyphosate acid with a base that provides potassium or monoethanolammonium cations to form an aqueous solution of the monobasic salt of potassium or monoethanolammonium glyphosate; (2) adjusting said solution if necessary with water and / or other ingredients to form an adjusted solution having an acid equivalent concentration of glyphosate of about 30 weight percent and a maximum weight percent determined by the solubility of said salt; (3) substantially filling a container having a capacity of about 15,000 to about 100,000 liters or more with said adjusted solution; (4) securing said bulky container in or on a road or rail vehicle or watercraft at a loading location; and (5) causing said vehicle or vessel after filling and securing said bulky container to move from the loading location to a discharge location.