NZ248036A - Herbicidal concentrate containing colouring agent - Google Patents

Description

New Zealand Paient Spedficaiion for Paient Number £48036 ^48036, Patents Form # 5 NEW ZEALAND Patents Act 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFIC! ATION AFTER PROVISIONAL NQ: 248036 DATED: 30 June 1993 TITLE: Herbicide We,: Ancare New ZealaiRl Limited r n Address: 48 Diana Drive, Glenfield, Auckland, New Zealand Nationality: New Zealand hereby declare the invention, for which 1/we pray that a patent may be granted to me/us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: PF05.JWP FEE CODE-1050 248036 This invention relates to herbicides.

Herbicide preparations are commonly sold in the form of a concentrated formulation 5 containing the active herbicide. There are good commercial reasons for this. Transport and storage costs, for example, are substantially reduced. Furthermore, it is usually convenient for the formulation to be stored in concentrated form by the end user. It is left to the end user to dilute the concentrated formulation to the required strength.

It is known for the end user to add a dye or colouring agent (the two terms are used synonymously herein) to the diluted mixture. The addition of the dye helps the user subsequently to identify the mixture on application. The dye is moreover useful to help identify areas where the mixture has been spilled, splashed or otherwise unintentionally applied. This includes, in particular, the case where the mixture is spilled or splashed on 15 the operator himself.

Dyes have also been used in low concentrations to identify herbicide concentrates. In such cases the concentration of dye is such that, when diluted and applied, the dye is not visible and has no benefit as far as identification or application is concerned.

There are, however, certain disadvantages to the practice of selling herbicide concentrates to end users. Many herbicide formulations are highly toxic not only to the intended target plant matter but also to other plant matter and to persons handling them. In most cases, the toxicity increases with the concentration and it is therefore desirable 25 to reduce the amount of handling of the concentrated formulation which takes place. Clearly, the amount of handling is liable to increase if the end user needs to add a dye when diluting a concentrated formulation. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that most end users do not have special facilities for handling such formulations safely during the dilution process.

Another consequence of diluting a concentrate without the use of special facilities is that the dye may not be uniformly distributed in the mixture.

Another disadvantage to the practice is that it is not possible to establish standardised 35 colour schemes which enable herbicide formulations to be identified with reasonable certainty or safety by their colour. Clearly, there is no reliable way of ensuring that an 1 vV»' , 6669CS7.994\jp /"* t r. . V \ "MY 1994 ^ / 248036 end user will either know what colour of dye he is required to use for a particular herbicide, or that he will conform to the requirement.

It is an object of the invention to address these problems or at least to provide the public with a useful alternative to the above-described practice.

According to the invention, there is provided a herbicide formulation comprising a herbicide concentrate and a colouring agent in a concentration which renders the 10 formulation visible when it is applied to plant matter after being mixed in a liquid vehicle or, if already in liquid form, diluted so as to be suitable for use as a herbicide.

In another aspect the invention provides a herbicidal concentrate suitable for mixing with a liquid carrier prior to use to form a diluted liquid herbicide, said concentrate 15 comprising a herbicide, and a colouring agent, wherein the herbicide is present in at least 4% by weight of the total weight of the concentrate formulation, and the colouring agent is present in at least 0.10% by weight of the total weight of the concentrate formulation, whereby the herbicidal concentrate can be mixed with a liquid carrier prior to use as a diluted liquid herbicide so that the diluted liquid herbicide contains 20 sufficient colouring agent to render the diluted liquid herbicide visible when it has been applied to plant matter.

Preferably the colouring agent is present in the range from 0.1% to 5% by weight of the concentrate formulation.

In one preferred form the concentrate is in liquid form, and contains a liquid carrier.

Preferably the liquid carrier comprises water and a wetting agent.

Preferably the colouring agent is present in the range from 0.5% to 2% by weight of the concentrate formulation.

In another preferred form the concentrate is in dry form.

Preferably the concentrate is a wettable powder. 6669CS7.994\jp ('V A-' \ ' I8.^V 1,994 ' 24803 Preferably the concentrate is a granular formulation and contains a soluble filler.

Preferably the herbicide is present in at least 40% by weight of the total weight of the 5 concentrate formulation.

Preferably the herbicide is present in at least 20% by weight of the total weight of the concentrate formulation.

Preferably the concentrate when diluted, is suitable for spray application.

In another aspect the invention provides a method of preparing a herbicidal concentrate as claimed in claim 1, including the step of mixing together at least 4% by weight of a herbicide and at least 0.10% by weight of a colouring agent to form a herbicidal 15 concentrate formulation.

Preferably the method includes the step of mixing together a herbicide, a colouring agent and, optionally, a suitable carrier, the colouring agent being present in the range form 0.10% to 5% by weight of the total weight of the concentrate formulation.

Preferably the method includes the step of mixing together a herbicide, a colouring agent and, optionally, a suitable carrier, the herbicide being present in at least 20% by weight of the total weight of the formulation.

Preferably the method includes the step of mixing together a herbicide, a colouring agent and, optionally, a suitable carrier, the herbicide being present in at least 20% by weight of the total weight of the formulation, and the colouring agent being present in 0.10 to 5 by weight of the total weight of the formulation.

Preferably the method includes the step of mixing together a herbicide, a colouring agent and, optionally, a suitable filler, the herbicide being present in at least 40% by weight of the total weight of the formulation.

Preferably the method includes the step of mixing a herbicide, a colouring agent and, 35 optionally, a suitable filler together, the herbicide being present in at least 40% by weight of the total weight of the formulation and the colouring agent being present in c '•-V 6669CS7.994\jp ^ *"• '■ 18 ^ B94 '' ■ A*-- / 24803 I 0.10% to 20% by weight of the total weight of the formulation.

In a further aspect the invention provides a method of using a herbicidal concentrate as 5 described above wherein the concentrate is diluted by adding between 10 and 100 parts of concentrate to 5000 parts of water by volume, and the diluted herbicide is applied to plant matter by spraying or brushing to enable the user to see where the diluted herbicide has been applied said plant matter.

Further according to the invention there is provided a method of preparing a herbicide formulation including the step of mixing together a herbicide concentrate and a colouring agent in a concentration which renders the formulation visible when it is applied to plant matter after being mixed in a liquid vehicle or, if already in liquid form, diluted so as to be suitable for use as a herbicide.

Since in most cases the formulation when diluted is suitable for spray application, there should preferably be sufficient colouring agent in the formulation to ensure that the diluted product is visible after spray application to the target area. However, the invention is applicable to herbicide concentrates which are diluted to form products 20 intended for any other suitable method of application.

In this specification the term "concentrate" means a formulation comprising a herbicide which is present in such strength as to render the mixture or compound substantially unsuitable for normal use as a herbicidal formulation without subsequent dilution.

The invention is applicable to concentrates of herbicides in liquid, powder and granule form.

In one aspect of the invention, applicable to herbicides such as picloran which are 30 exceptionally powerful and in liquid form, the formulation comprises the herbicide, a colouring agent and, optionally, a suitable carrier, the herbicide being present in at least 4 parts by weight of the formulation.

In another aspect of the invention, applicable to herbicides such as glyphosate, simazine 35 or mixtures thereof, the formulation is again in liquid form and comprises a herbicide, a colouring agent and, optionally, a suitable carrier, the herbicide being present in at least , M'iij'J jgg# 248036 parts by weight of the formulation.

In an alternative aspect of the invention, applicable to herbicides such as simazine or 5 metasulfuron, the formulation is in powder or granule form and comprises the herbicide, a colouring agent and, optionally, a suitable filler, the herbicide being present in at least 40 parts by weight of the formulation.

In yet another aspect of the invention, the colouring agent is present in 0.10 to 10, and 10 preferably 0.10 to 5 parts by weight of the formulation.

There are many end users who ordinarily use only a small quantity of a concentrate of a herbicide at one time. One advantage of the formulation of the invention is that there is no need, as there has been in the past, for such users to buy a dye separately and to add 15 it after the concentrate is diluted.

Another advantage is that the dye renders the concentrate itself easily identifiable both when it is in its container and also in the event that it is spilled or splashed. It also becomes feasible to establish standardised colour coding for herbicides, at least to some 20 extent.

The following are all examples of concentrates of herbicidal formulations which have all been found to be useful for subsequent dilution and spray application.

Example 1 AN ALL PURPOSE HERBICIDE w/w Glyphosate (as isopropylamine salt) 36% Rhodamine B Dye 1% Tallow amine wetting agent 14.5% Water to 100% 248036 Example 2 A BRUSH KILLER HERBICIDE w/w Glyphosate (as isopropylamine salt) 18% Rhodamine B Dye 0.5% Tallow amine wetting agent 8% Silwet L-77 wetting agent % Water to 100% The preparation of each of the above concentrates is carried out as follows: after reacting glyphosate acid with isopropylamine the wetting agent is added followed by a suitable quantity of the dye, as specified. This is mixed thoroughly and packed into bottles or drums in which it can be sold to end users through normal distribution channels.

Both of the above examples of concentrates can subsequently be diluted by the end user by adding between 10 and 100 parts of concentrate to 5000 parts water by volume to make products suitable for spraying. Typically, the end user will produce a usable product by adding 50 parts of either concentrate to 5000 parts of water and applying the product by means of conventional spraying equipment.

Example 3 A PERMANENT WEED KILLER Simazine Glyphosate (as isopropylamine salt) Tallow amine wetting agent Rhodamine B Dye Water The formulations in examples 1 to 3 are all liquids.

Example 4 A WETTABLE POWDER HERBICIDE Simazine Rhodamine B Dye Wetting agent 6669CS7 .994\jp w/w % % 7% 0.2% to 100% w/w 90% 0.5% 1% 248036 The preparation of the above concentrate is carried out as follows: simazine powder is blended with the wetting agent and the dye is added. The mixture is then packed in suitable outers such as boxes or drums) in which it can be sold to end users through normal distribution channels.

Example 5 A GRANULAR FORMULATION Metasulfuron Soluble filler Rhodamine B Dye Wetting agent w/w 60% % % % The end user can prepare either of the concentrates described in Examples 4 and 5 by adding 20-40 gm (and typically 30 gm) of the dry powder or granules to 100 litres of water. The prepared solution is applied by spraying.

The following are further examples of liquid herbicide concentrates: Example 6 Picloram Wetting agent Rhodamine B Dye Water w/w 5% % 2% to 100% Example 7 24-D (Butyl ester) Rhodamine B Dye Wetting agent Water 69% 2% % to 100% Example 8 6669CS7.994\jp Pyramin Rhodamine B Dye Wetting agent Water 43% 1% 2% to 100% /< //'V !,«S 18 f]r' to. & *\\ «TU. 1994 :

Claims (3)

1. 248036 -9- Example 9 Triclopyr 60% Rhodamine B Dye 1% Tallow amine wetting agent 10% 5 Water to 100% The method of preparation of each of the concentrates described in Examples 6 to 9 is substantially similar to that used for the concentrate of Examples and 2. 10 Each of the concentrates described in Examples 6 to 9 can be prepared for use by the end user. Each will yield a sprayable product by diluting 2 and 10 (and typically 5) parts of the concentrate in 1000 parts of water. Rhodamine B is not the only suitable dye. Others include Carmozine Red, Methyl 15 Violet and Victoria Blue as well as many others. The choice would be made on the basis of compatibility with the concentrate, suitability having regard to the intended use and the cost thereof. Example 10 Glyphosate 36% 20 Carmozine Red Dye 1% Wetting agent 10% Water to 100% It is not intended that the scope of a patent granted in pursuance of the application of 25 which this specification forms a part should exclude modifications and/or improvements to the embodiments described and/or illustrated which are within the scope of the invention as defined in the claims or be limited by details of such embodiments further than is necessary to distinguish the invention from the prior art. 30 35 'S/%1c ft! 1994 -~'l p i *» 6669CS7.994\jp 24803 -10- WHATWE CLAIM IS: 1. A herbicidal concentrate suitable for mixing with a liquid carrier prior to use to 5 form a diluted liquid herbicide, said concentrate comprising a herbicide, and a colouring agent, wherein the herbicide is present in at least 4% by weight of the total weight of the concentrate formulation, and the colouring agent is present in at least 0.10% by weight of the total weight of the concentrate formulation, whereby the herbicidal concentrate can be mixed with a liquid carrier prior to 10 use as a diluted liquid herbicide so that the diluted liquid herbicide contains sufficient colouring agent to render the diluted liquid herbicide visible when it has been applied to plant matter.
2. 2. A herbicidal concentrate as claimed in claim 1 wherein the colouring agent is 15 present in the range from 0.1% to 5% by weight of the concentrate formulation.
3. 3. A herbicidal concentrate as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the concentrate is in liquid form, and contains a liquid carrier. 20 4. A herbicidal concentrate as claimed in claim 3 wherein the liquid carrier comprises water and a wetting agent. 5. A herbicidal concentrate as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the colouring agent is present in the range from 0.5% to 2% by weight of the 25 concentrate formulation. 6. A herbicidal concentrate as claimed in claim 1 wherein the concentrate is in dry form. 30 1. A herbicidal concentrate as claimed in claim 6 wherein the concentrate is a wettable powder. 8. A herbicidal concentrate as claimed in claim 6 wherein the concentrate is a granular formulation and contains a soluble filler. 35 ... 1 ^ y v \#2 !s^ho0j 6669CS7 . 994\jp v^,. 24803 - 11 - 5 10. 10 11. 12. 15 13. 20 14. 25 15. 30 A herbicidal concentrate as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 8 wherein the herbicide is present in at least 40% by weight of the total weight of the concentrate formulation. A herbicidal concentrate as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the herbicide is present in at least 20% by weight of the total weight of the concentrate formulation. A herbicidal concentrate as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10 and which, when diluted, is suitable for spray application. A method of preparing a herbicidal concentrate as claimed in claim 1, including the step of mixing together at least 4% by weight of a herbicide and at least 0.10% by weight of a colouring agent to form a herbicidal concentrate formulation. A method of preparing a herbicidal concentrate as claimed in claim 12, in liquid form, including the step of mixing together a herbicide, a colouring agent and, optionally, a suitable carrier, the colouring agent being present in the range form 0.10% to 5% by weight of the total weight of the concentrate formulation. A method of preparing a herbicidal concentrate as claimed in claim 12, in liquid form, including the step of mixing together a herbicide, a colouring agent and, optionally, a suitable carrier, the herbicide being present in at least 20% by weight of the total weight of the formulation. A method of preparing a herbicidal concentrate as claimed in claim 12, in liquid form, including the step of mixing together a herbicide, a colouring agent and, optionally, a suitable carrier, the herbicide being present in at least 20% by weight of the total weight of the formulation, and the colouring agent being present in 0.10 to 5 hv weight of the total weight of the formulation. 35 248036 - 12 ■ 16. A method of preparing a herbicidal concentrate as claimed in claim 12, in powder or granule form, including the step of mixing together a herbicide, a colouring agent and, optionally, a suitable filler, the herbicide being present in at 5 least 40% by weight of the total weight of the formulation. 17. A method of preparing a herbicidal concentrate as claimed in claim 8 in powder or granule form, including the step of mixing a herbicide, a colouring agent and, optionally, a suitable filler together, the herbicide being present in at least 40% 10 by weight of the total weight of the formulation and the colouring agent being present in 0.10% to 20% by weight of the total weight of the formulation. 18. A herbicidal concentrate comprising a herbicide concentrate and a colouring agent, substantially as herein described with reference to any one of the 15 examples. 19. A method of using a herbicidal concentrate as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11 or 18 wherein the concentrate is diluted by adding between 10 and 100 parts of concentrate to 5000 parts of water by volume, and the diluted herbicide is 20 applied to plant matter by spraying or brushing to enable the user to see where the diluted herbicide has been applied said plant matter. 20. A method of preparing a herbicidal concentrate comprising a herbicide concentrate and a colouring agent, substantially as herein described with 25 reference to any one of the examples. 21. A herbicidal concentrate whenever prepared by the method claimed in any one of claims 12-17 or claim 19. 30 JAMES W PIPER & CO Attorneys for the Applicant Aitcare Distributors Limited 35 ^ b ^ f 6669CS7.994\jp ' ; £ Oy t)^