SK9853Y1 - Additive to increase the effectiveness of spray mixtures - Google Patents

Abstract

The technical solution concerns an additive to increase the effectiveness of spraying mixtures in agriculture, horticulture and forestry, especially mixtures containing pesticides and/or fertilizers.

Description

The field of technology

The technical solution concerns an additive to increase the effectiveness of spraying mixtures in agriculture, horticulture and forestry, especially mixtures containing pesticides and/or fertilizers.

Current state of the art

The active ingredients of pesticides require an optimal pH of the spray mixture, usually slightly acidic, for their optimal effect on pathogens. If this is not fulfilled, the active substance either works with less efficiency, or even decomposes in the solution and does not work at all.

The claims of some selected active substances for optimal pH are listed in Table 1.

Table 1

name of the active substance critical pH limit optimal pH product example group 2,4-D > 7 MUSTANG herbicide abamectin 6 to 7 VERTIMEC acaricide acetamiprid > 7 5 to 6 MOSPILAN insecticide azadirachtin 5.5 to 6.5 NEEMAZAL insecticide Bacillus thuringiensis > 8 6 LEPINOX biological insecticide bentazone 8.1 to 8.8 BASAGRAN herbicide bifenthrin 4 to 6 TALSTAR insecticide buprofezin 5.5 to 6.5 APPLAUSE insecticide clofentezine > 8 APOLLO acaricide Cu fungicides < 6 7 to 9 fungicide dicamba > 6 BANVEL herbicide dimethoate > 7 5 DANADIM insecticide flumioxazin > 6 SUMIMAX herbicide fosetyl-Al > 8 6 ALIETTE fungicide glufosinate 5.5 ENOUGH herbicide glyphosate 5.5 ROUNDUP herbicide imidacloprid 5 to 7 CONFIDOR insecticide iprodione > 8 ROVRAL fungicide captain > 7 5 CAPTAIN fungicide kresoxim-methyl 3 to 7 DISCUSSION fungicide malathion > 7 PHYFANON insecticide mancozeb 6 DITHANE fungicide methiocarb 6.5 to 7 MESUROL insecticidal mordant napropamide 5.5 to 7 DEVRINOL herbicide pymetrozine 7 to 9 PLENUM insecticide pyrethroids > 8 5 to 6 insecticide pyrimethanil 6 to 7 SCALA fungicide pyriproxyfen 5.5 to 6.5 HARPOON insecticide spinosad 6 SPINTOR insecticide spirotetramat 4 to 5 MOVENTO insecticide

Table 1 shows that different active substances require different pH for optimal action, and it is necessary to proceed with the application with this knowledge. Recently, insecticidal substances from the pyrethroid group have gained importance, which require approximately pH = 5 - 6 for optimal effectiveness, this is also optimal for many other active substances.

As a result of saving the time of the application technique, growers often approach the joint application of pesticides and foliar fertilizers. At the same time, the vast majority of foliar fertilizers have an alkaline pH, which significantly worsens the situation with the resulting pH of the spray mixture for a significant part of the active substances. But even when applying the pesticide itself, although it has a small buffering capacity compared to foliar fertilizer, problems arise with an unsatisfactory pH, especially when using hard water.

A typical example, when an inadequate pH practically disables the active ingredient, is the use of pesticides with the active ingredient captan. It is quite often mixed with boron compounds, but it sets the pH of the mixture to a value of around pH = 8. The half-life of captan at pH = 8 is only 10 min., which in practice means that by the time the filled sprayer arrives at the treated culture and begins the application , the active substance is practically deactivated.

Currently, adjusting the pH of the spray mixture for substances requiring an acidic pH is solved by adding substances with an acidifying effect. However, this method requires completely accurate dosing of all components affecting the resulting pH of the solution. Therefore, the acidic and basic components of the solution must be precisely balanced so that the resulting pH is close to the desired one. This places increased demands on the operator, because with any change in the recipe of the spray mixture, it is necessary to change the dosage of the added acidifying component again, or it is necessary to carry out a check using a calibrated pH meter, which is not easy in field conditions.

In the case when the adjustment of the final pH of the solution is not solved, the target action on the pathogen is weaker, which may result in insufficient effectiveness of the pesticide treatment, but due to the action of a lower concentration of the active substance, it may also gradually cause the pathogen to become resistant to the given active substance.

The industry therefore needs an additive to the pesticides themselves, as well as to the mixture of pesticides with foliar fertilizers, which would sufficiently stabilize the optimum pH of the spray mixture, even in a small added quantity and without the need for accurate volume measurement, pH measurement or other control measures, or even after changing the recipe of the spray mixture. At the same time, it should not require a special regime for handling caustics, etc. and should not disproportionately increase the cost of spraying. The additive should be non-toxic for plants, advantageously usable by plants as a nutrient. In addition, it would be advantageous if the additive at least partially compensates for the stress effect of the pesticide on the agricultural crop after application and allows easier penetration of the active substances of the spray mixture into the plant.

The essence of the technical solution

The essence of the technical solution is an additive to increase the effectiveness of spraying mixtures in agriculture, horticulture and forestry, characterized by the fact that it is in the form of an aqueous solution containing at least one carboxylic acid, which is partially neutralized to the appropriate salt, while the carboxylic acid is selected from acetic acid, propionic, citric, lactic and glycolic, at least one corresponding salt cation is selected from K ⁺ , NH4+, Na ⁺ , HO-(CH2)2-NH3 ⁺ , CH3CH2(OH)CH2NH3 ⁺ , HO-(CH2)2-NH( CH3)2 ⁺ , [HO-(CH2)2-]2NH2 ⁺ , Mg ²⁺ , Ca ²⁺ , Zn ²⁺ , the sum of the molar concentrations of acids and their salts is in the range of 6 to 14 mol/l, the degree of acid neutralization is in ranges from 0.3 to 0.9. In a preferred embodiment, the pH of the resulting solution is in the range of 4.0 to 6.0.

The degree of neutralization of acids is understood here as the ratio of the substance amount of carboxyl groups, which are present in the form of a salt, to the total substance amount of carboxyl groups in the solution.

In a preferred embodiment, the additive contains at least one carboxylic acid selected from acetic acid and propionic acid, while the sum of the molar concentrations of the acids and their salts is in the range of 6 to 10 mol/l, and the degree of acid neutralization is in the range of 0.3 to 0.6, more preferably The pH of the solution is between 4.5 and 5.8.

In another preferred embodiment, the additive contains acetic acid as a carboxylic acid, while the sum of the molar concentrations of the acid and its salts is in the range of 6.5 to 9.3 mol/l and the degree of neutralization of the acid is in the range of 0.4 to 0.6, more preferably the pH of the solution is in the range of 4.5 to 5.8.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the additive contains acetic acid as a carboxylic acid, the corresponding salt cations are selected from K ⁺ and NH4+, while the sum of the molar concentrations of the acid and its salts is in the range of 6.5 to 9.3 mol/l, and the degree of neutralization of the acid is in the range of 0.4 to 0.6. Even more advantageous is the pH of the solution in the range of 4.8 to 5.6.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the additive contains acetic acid as a carboxylic acid, the corresponding salt cations are selected from K ⁺ and NH4+, the molar ratio of K ⁺ and NH4+ cations is 1:1, while the sum of the molar concentrations of the acid and its salts is in the range of 8.0 to 8.6 mol/l, the degree of acid neutralization is 0.5. The pH of the solution is preferably in the range of 4.8 to 5.5.

According to the technical solution, the additive works as a buffer, which shows a high buffering efficiency at a favorable target value of the spray mixture in the range of pH 5 to 6. Furthermore, the composition of the product according to the technical solution is characterized by the easy availability of raw materials, their relatively low price and the non-toxicity of the components used for plants within the recommended use. The composition of the buffer is such that its components do not have any negative effect on the addition of other components of the spray mixture (precipitation, binding of active substances into non-functional complexes, etc.).

Spray mixture, or spray ferment means a liquid agrochemical mixture intended for spraying useful and ornamental plants, seeds and/or soil, which contains one or more agrochemically active substances in the form of a solution and/or dispersed particles in a solvent or mixture of solvents.

Agrochemically active substance is not limited by the effect or action and can be a pesticide, e.g. insecticide, acaricide, nematocide, herbicide, fungicide, rodenticide, plant growth regulator and fertilizer, e.g. foliar fertilizer.

Solvents include, without limitation, water, mono- or polyhydric alcohols, such as ethanol, propanol, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol and glycerol.

The spray mixture may contain one or more auxiliaries, such as, but not limited to, a surfactant, an antifreeze additive, a penetration aid, an anti-stress additive, inorganic particles such as clays and silica, pigments, dyes, defoamers, and others.

The additive to increase the effectiveness of spray mixtures can advantageously contain urea as an additional component, which the plant uses as a source of nitrogen and at the same time acts as a penetrator of applied other nutrients and active substances of pesticides into the interior of the leaf. The concentration of urea in the additive can be up to 3.4 mol/l.

Another component that can be advantageously included in the additive to increase the effectiveness of spray mixtures is betaine. It is an anti-stress substance that does not affect the pH of the solution, but helps the treated plant to compensate for the partial negative effect of the active substance used on it. If it is not a direct target effect of the active substance on the treated plant, every pesticide treatment (especially with herbicides) is always associated with a certain side negative stress effect on the treated plant. The concentration of betaine in the additive can be up to 0.18 mol/l. The term "betaine" is used herein to refer to betaine in any form. Betaine is preferably used in the form of hydrochloride.

According to the technical solution, the additive for increasing the effectiveness of spray mixtures most preferably contains urea with a concentration of up to 3.4 mol/l and betaine with a concentration of up to 0.18 mol/l.

The additive for increasing the effectiveness of spray mixtures, for example, preferably contains acetic acid with a concentration of 4.14 mol/l, ammonium acetate with a concentration of 2.06 mol/l, potassium acetate with a concentration of 2.06 mol/l, betaine with a concentration of 19.6 mmol/l l, urea with a concentration of 0.85 mol/l, possibly up to 10% by weight. from the additive of at least one of the usual auxiliary substances of agrochemical mixtures selected from the group of surface-active substance, antifreeze additive, auxiliary penetration additive, anti-stress additive, inorganic particles, pigments, dyes and defoamers.

The active substances of this additive contain nitrogen and potassium, which plants can use as nutrients after application. Another advantage is that the described additive does not belong to the caustic category (the acetic acid content is lower than 25% by weight) with a more complicated handling regime.

The additive can be prepared by dissolving the acid and its corresponding salt in water in a molar ratio corresponding to the desired degree of neutralization. The additive can also be prepared by partial neutralization of the acid using hydroxides selected from KOH, NH4OH, NaOH, Mg(OHh, Ca(OHh and Zn(OHh), leading to the required degree of neutralization, or by partial neutralization of the acid using oxides selected from MgO, CaO and ZnO, leading to the required degree of neutralization, possibly by partial neutralization of the acid with ammonia or free bases HO-(CH2)2-NH2, CH3CH2(OH)CH2NH2, HO-(CH2)2- N(CH3)2, [HO-(CH2)2-] 2NH, leading to the desired degree of neutralization, or by a combination of the mentioned procedures leading to the desired degree of neutralization.

Additive dose e.g. can be in the range of 0.05 to 2 l/ha, more preferably 0.1 to 1.5 l/ha, most preferably 1.0 l/ha of the treated area and can also be modified to adapt to the group or producer of agrochemically active substances. The additive dose of 1.0 l/ha of the treated area can be considered as a universally applicable dose for most applications, i.e. for usual dosing, e.g. of pesticides, foliar fertilizers and their mixtures per 1 ha.

Dosing in the specified amount will cause the desired pH to be set, e.g. mixture of pesticide with foliar fertilizer, without which the sprayer operator would have to accurately balance all substances in the solution that affect the final pH. This will significantly simplify the operation during the preparation of the spray mixture and minimize errors when applying a spray with an unsuitable pH with all the consequences mentioned above.

Furthermore, it was found that the required advantageous pH is stable even with a gradual increase in the concentration of the spray mixture, which occurs due to the effect of evaporation after application to plant leaves.

The spray mixture is preferably prepared near the place of use by diluting one or more concentrates with a solvent, especially water, while it is necessary to prevent mixing of the individual concentrates. The preferred procedure is to fill the tank of the sprayer with water up to almost the final volume, while stirring constantly, add the buffer, then the foliar fertilizer (if it is used in the spray) and finally the pesticide.

Implementation examples

Next, the presented technical solution will be described in more detail using examples, which, however, are not limited in any way.

Example 1

Composition of ingredients and their preparation

Tables 2 to 4 summarize the composition of the additives given in molar concentrations. For each ingredient, the sum of the molar concentration of the acid and its salts and the degree of neutralization of the acid is given. The prepared ingredients P01 to P15 10 had pH = 5.

Table 5 Composition of additives to increase the effectiveness of spray mixtures created from acetic acid and its salts

Additive number P01 | P02 P03 P04 ^{P05 P} °6 ^P07 P08 P09 Molar concentration of the component (mol/l) Acetic acid 8.26 8.26 8.26 8.26 8.26 4.14 5.82 7.88 5.44 Sodium hydroxide 3.45 Potassium hydroxide 3.61 0.98 3.68 1.54 Ethanolamine 3.47 1-Aminopropan-2-ol 3.70 Diethanolamine 3.77 Potassium acetate 2.06 Ammonium acetate 2.06 Magnesium acetate 1.22 1.22 Zinc acetate 0.19 0.19 The sum of the molar concentration of the acid and its salts (mol/l) 8.26 8.26 8.26 8.26 8.26 8.26 8.26 8.26 8.26 Acid neutralization degree ^0.42 0.44 ^0.42 0.45 0.46 0.50 0.41 0.49 0.53

Table 3 Composition of additives to increase the effectiveness of spray mixtures created from propionic acid and its salts

Additive number | P10 P11 P12 Molar concentration of the component (mol/l) Propionic acid 6.70 6.70 6.70 Potassium hydroxide 2.39 Ethanolamine 2.59 1-Aminopropan-2-ol 2.58 The sum of the molar concentration of the acid and its salts (mol/l) 6.70 6.70 6.70 Acid neutralization degree 0.36 0.39 0.39

Table 5 Composition of additives to increase the effectiveness of spray mixtures created from citric acid and its salts

Additive number ^P1 3 P14 P15 Molar concentration of the component (mol/l) Citric acid 2.60 2.60 2.60 Potassium hydroxide 6.83 Ethanolamine 5.05 1-Aminopropan-2-ol 4.32 The sum of the molar concentration of the acid and its salts (mol/l) 2.60 2.60 2.60 Acid neutralization degree

Additive number P13 P14 P15 0.88 0.65 0.55

Example 2

Preparation of ingredients

The individual ingredients were prepared by dissolving the amounts of substances listed in tables 5 to 7 in water and then adding the solutions to a volume of 100 ml. Additives P01 to P05 and P10 to P15 had to be actively cooled during preparation to avoid overheating of the solutions with neutralization heat.

Table 5 Weights of components for the preparation of additives from acetic acid and its salts

Additive number | P01 P02 P03 P04 ^{P05 P} °6 ^P07 P08 P09 Weight for the preparation of 100 ml of the additive (g) Acetic acid 49.6 49.6 49.6 49.6 49.6 24.8 34.9 47.3 32.7 Sodium hydroxide 13.8 Potassium hydroxide 20.2 Ethanolamine 21.2 1-Aminopropan-2-ol 27.8 Diethanolamine 39.6 Potassium acetate 20.2 Ammonium acetate 15.9 Magnesium acetate tetrahydrate 26.2 26.2 Zinc acetate dihydrate 4.2 4.2

Table 6 Weights of components for the preparation of additives from propionic acid and their salts

Additive number | P10 P11 P12 Weight for the preparation of 100 ml of the ingredient (g) Propionic acid 6.70 6.70 Potassium hydroxide 2.39 Ethanolamine 2.59 1-Aminopropan-2-ol 2.58

Table 7 Weights of components for the preparation of additives from citric acid and its salts

Additive number | ^P13 P14 P15 Weight for the preparation of 100 ml of the additive (g) Citric acid monohydrate 2.60 2.60 2.60 Potassium hydroxide 6.83 Ethanolamine 5.05 1-Aminopropan-2-ol 4.32

Example 3

Preparation of another embodiment of the additive in an advantageous composition

Additive P16 contains, in addition to acetic acid and its salts, other substances that improve its effectiveness. It was prepared in such a way that the amounts of substances listed in Table 8 were gradually added to the water with the indicated weight while stirring.

Table 8 Weights of ingredients for the preparation of additive P16

Raw material Weight (kg) Potassium acetate 0.203 Ammonium acetate 0.159 Acetic acid 0.248 Water 0.336

Raw material Weight (kg) Betaine hydrochloride 0.003 Urea 0.051 In sum 1,000

Example 4

Dosage of P16 additive prepared in example 3 for foliar fertilizers

During the laboratory test itself, the manufacturer's recommended amount of foliar fertilizer per 1 ha area was based on approximately 250 liters of water after conversion to a suitable smaller volume. In the laboratory, the ratio of fertilizer:water was mixed in a beaker in the ratio recommended by the manufacturer, and then additive P16 with the composition according to example 3 was gradually added while stirring while simultaneously monitoring the pH change. The goal was to find out what amount of P16 additive is needed to achieve the desired pH = 5.5, or whether the amount found will be less than the advantageous recommended dosage according to the technical solution, i.e. j. 1.0 liters of additive/ha. In all cases, it was confirmed that the amount of 1.0 l of additive/ha is sufficient. Deviations of the amount of water from the ratio of the calculated recommended amount of foliar fertilizer per 1 ha did not play a fundamental role.

Any overdose of the additive did not change the resulting pH of the mixture, it is rather a certainty for the operator of the sprayer. The advantage of the technical solution is that the plants will use the excess of the additive as nutrients after application.

Regarding the combination of foliar fertilizer and additive pesticide, the type of pesticide in the amount usually used did not change the resulting pH of the spray mixture. Only the tested foliar fertilizer affected the resulting pH, as the contributions of the amount of water and the presence of the pesticide to the resulting reaction were negligible. It is therefore possible to use all the active substances that are contained in Table 1 and for which it is stated that they require an acidic pH.

As for the combination of the pesticide itself with the additive, all the active substances contained in Table 1 which are indicated to require an acidic pH can also be used. For easier use, it is also possible to use a dose of 1.0 l of additive/ha, so that double the recommended amount of additive does not occur. However, as already mentioned, the advantage of the technical solution is that the excess ingredients will be used by the plants as nutrients.

If only foliar fertilizers were applied, there is no need to use the additive.

Table 9 shows the minimum amount of the additive that was measured when using the products of the applicant of the technical solution. These are the doses of fertilizers used for an area of 1 ha (10,000 m ² ). The data will also be applicable to other manufacturers, as the nature of the produced foliar fertilizers is similar for different companies.

Table 9 Minimum amount of additive P16 for adjusting the pH to 5.5 with a spray mixture volume of 250 liters for various agricultural products

Preparation (for representatives of groups, name of active substance, concentration) Dose of the preparation (l/ha) The minimum amount of additive P16 for adjustment to pH = 5.5 (l/ha) Amisan Mn Zn (aqueous solution of urea and ammonium sulfate, total N 228.0 g/l, of which amidic N 182.0 g/l; inorganic Mn 0.3 g/l and Zn 0.3 g/l 10 0.26 Amisan 10 0.26 Amisan B 10 0.30 Phosphamide 9 1.00 FORTE alfa (phenol) (complex of nutrients and specific organic stress-relieving substances, especially Mg, Zn(EDTA), Mn (EDTA), Cu (EDTA) and B (MEA) as well as humates and amino acids) 4 0.13 FORTE beta (phenol) 4 0.26 FORTE gamma (phenol) 4 0.87 CAMPOFORT Forte (nutrients: N: 152 g/l, P2O5: 36 g/l, K2O: 36 g/l, Mn, Zn, Cu, Fe (chelates) + B, Mo and biologically active organic substances; all components in full dissolved active forms) 10 0.65 CAMPOFORT Plus 10 0.26 CAMPOFORT Garant P 10 0.43 CAMPOFORT Garant K 10 0.22 CAMPOFORT Guarantor Ca 10 0.09 CAMPOFORT Ultra Ca 10 0.09 CAMPOFORT Special B 10 0.87

Preparation (for representatives of groups, name of active substance, concentration) Dose of the preparation (l/ha) The minimum amount of additive P16 for adjustment to pH = 5.5 (l/ha) CAMPOFORT Special Zn 10 0.35 CAMPOFORT Special Qty 10 0.22 CAMPOFORT Special Fe 10 0.39 CAMPOFORT Special Cu 10 0.35 K-gel (nutrients: K2O: 175 g/l, S: 58 g/l S and organic gel-forming substances) 5 0.30 Boron 150 (nutrients: B 150 g/l in dissolved active form of monoethanolamine borate) 1 1.00 Magnesium 140 1 0.17 Zinc 120 1 0.13 Sulfur 165 1 0.30 NanoFYT Si 1 0.22

It is clear from Table 9 that the recommended dosage of 1.0 l/ha fully covers all the mentioned combinations and in many cases has a reserve for the use of another fertilizer in the given mixture.

From Table 9, it is also clear that some foliar fertilizers are significantly more resistant to changing the originally alkaline pH to an acidic one (an example is the Boron 150 product for boron application, which is applied in the form of monoethanolamine borate).

Example 5

Use of additive P16 prepared in example 3 for pesticides and mixtures of foliar fertilizers with pesticides

The adjustment of the pH of the spray mixture using the additive P16 was tested for the often used joint application of the pesticide gamma-cyhalothrin from the group of pyrethroids in the form of Nexide® (manufactured by Cheminova A/S) and boron in the form of Bór 150 (monoethanolamine borate, manufactured by Agra Group, a. s.) . A hectare dose of 0.08 liters of NEXIDE® and 1 liter of Boron 150 dissolved in approx. 250 liters of water is used for winter rape. In the event that an additive according to the technical solution is not added to this mixture, the resulting pH of the spray mixture is around pH = 8.5, which means that the effectiveness of NEXIDE® on pests is severely limited. By adding the additive P16 in a dose of 1.0 liter/ha to the mentioned spray mixture, the resulting pH dropped to a value of 5.5, which is the optimum for the action of this pesticide.

Example 6

pH stability when using P16 additive prepared in example 3, comparison with commercial preparations

After hitting the leaf, the concentration of the spray mixture gradually increases due to evaporation. When using acidifying pH regulators that do not contain a buffer system, due to the gradual increase in the concentration of acids by evaporation, there is a significant drop in the pH on the leaf, which makes the effectiveness of the pesticides less than optimal. The use of the additive according to the technical solution, on the other hand, makes it possible to maintain the necessary pH even with a strong increase in the concentration of the mixture.

The evaporation process is simulated in this example by increasing the concentration of the spray mixture by one and two orders of magnitude. The influence of the additive P16 in a low dose (300 ml/ha) on the pH of the spray mixture containing the pesticide Nexide® (manufacturer Cheminova A/S) in the dose recommended by the manufacturer was analyzed. It is known that the effectiveness of this pesticide is significantly affected by pH. The effect of the additive P16 is then compared with unbuffered citric acid and with commercially available preparations for adjusting the pH of the spray mixture Akti pH (BioAktiv CZ, s. r. o., Czech Republic), Sentinel (Brian Lewis Agriculture Ltd., Great Britain), Tron pH (AgriStar - agrochemicals, s. r. o., Czech Republic) and H2O Clean (Almiro energy for vegetation, s. r. o., Czech Republic). Citric acid monohydrate was used in a dose of 52 g/ha needed to adjust the pH of the spray mixture to 5.50 at a mixture dose of 200 l/ha. Commercially available preparations were used in the recommended doses according to the label, in the case of the indicated range, the middle dose was used. The results of the measured pH are summarized in Table 10.

Table 10 Composition of spray mixtures and measured pH

Composition of the mixture The resulting pH of the mixture 300 ml P16 additive + 80 ml Nexide + 200 l water 5,16 300 ml P16 additive + 80 ml Nexide + 20 l water 4.91 300 ml P16 additive + 80 ml Nexide + 2 l water 4.82

Composition of the mixture The resulting pH of the mixture 52 g citric acid monohydrate + 80 ml Nexide + 200 l water 5.50 52 g citric acid monohydrate + 80 ml Nexide + 20 l water 2.91 52 g citric acid monohydrate + 80 ml Nexide + 2 l water 2.29 125 ml of Akti pH + 80 ml of Nexide + 200 l of water 6.51 125 ml of Akti pH + 80 ml of Nexide + 20 l of water 2.62 125 ml of Akti pH + 80 ml of Nexide + 2 l of water 1.88 600 ml Sentinel + 80 ml Nexide + 200 l water 5.17 600 ml Sentinel + 80 ml Nexide + 20 l water 3.45 600 ml Sentinel + 80 ml Nexide + 2 l water 3.15 125 ml Tron pH + 80 ml Nexide + 200 l water 5.68 125 ml Tron pH + 80 ml Nexide + 20 l water 2.35 125 ml Tron pH + 80 ml Nexide + 2 l water 1.73 160 ml H2O Clean + 80 ml Nexide + 200 l water 6.34 160 ml H2O Clean + 80 ml Nexide + 20 l water 6.89 160 ml H2O Clean + 80 ml Nexide + 2 l water 7.43

Additive P16 and preparation Sentinel adjusted the pH of the spray mixture (dose of mixture 200 l/ha) to values that are in the required range of pH 4.8 to 5.5. The recommended dosages of the commercial preparations Akti pH, Tron pH and H2O Clean could not ensure the reduction of the pH value of the spray mixture to the target value of pH < 5.5.

During the simulated evaporation of water from the mixture to tenths and hundredths volume, the pH value of the mixture stabilized with the P16 additive was maintained in the optimal range of 4.8 to 5.5. In the case of citric acid and the commercial preparations Akti pH, Sentinel and Tron pH, there was a significant decrease in pH, which went beyond the pH value suitable for the stability of the active substances. Extreme values of pH < 2 achieved in one-hundredth volume of the mixture can lead to plant stress and the formation of necrosis on the leaves. H2O Clean did not show a significant decrease in pH in any variant.

Example 6 documents the high efficiency of the additive according to the technical solution for the stability of the pH of the spray mixture even with a strong increase in concentration, which occurs during evaporation of the spray on plant leaves.

Industrial applicability

The technical solution can be used as an additive to increase the efficiency of spraying mixtures in agriculture, horticulture and forestry, such as mixtures containing pesticides and/or fertilizers, especially mixtures of pesticides with one or more foliar fertilizers.

Claims (14)

CLAIMS FOR PROTECTION 1. Additive for increasing the efficiency of spraying mixtures in agriculture, horticulture and forestry, characterized by the fact that it is in the form of an aqueous solution containing at least one carboxylic acid, which is partially neutralized to the appropriate salt, while the carboxylic acid is selected from acetic acid, propionic acid, citric, lactic and glycolic, at least one cation of the corresponding salt is selected from K ⁺ , NH4 ⁺ , Na ⁺ , HO-(CH2)2-NH3 ⁺ , CH3CH2(OH)CH2NH3 ⁺ , HO-(CH2)2-NH(CH3 )2 ⁺ , [HO-(CH2)2-]2NH2 ⁺ , Mg ²⁺ , Ca ²⁺ , Zn ²⁺ , the sum of the molar concentrations of acids and their salts is in the range of 6 to 14 mol/l, the degree of acid neutralization is in the range 0.3 to 0.9. 2. Additive according to claim 1, characterized in that the pH of the solution is in the range of 4.0 to 6.0. 3. Additive according to claim 1, characterized in that the carboxylic acid is selected from acetic and propionic acid, while the sum of the molar concentrations of the acids and their salts is in the range of 6 to 10 mol/l and the degree of neutralization of the acids is in the range of 0.3 to 0 ,6. 4. Additive according to claim 1, characterized in that the carboxylic acid is acetic acid, while the sum of the molar concentrations of the acid and its salts is in the range of 6.5 to 9.3 mol/l and the degree of neutralization of the acid is in the range of 0.4 to 0 ,6. 5. Additive according to claims 3 or 4, characterized in that the pH of the solution is in the range of 4.5 to 5.8. 6. Additive according to claim 4, characterized in that the corresponding salt cations are selected from K ⁺ and NH4 ⁺ . 7. Additive according to claim 6, characterized in that the molar ratio of cations K ⁺ and NH4 ⁺ is 1:1, while the sum of the molar concentrations of the acid and its salts is in the range of 8.0 to 8.6 mol/l and the degree of neutralization of the acid is 0.5. 8. Additive according to claims 6 or 7, characterized by up to 5.6. 9. Additive according to any one of claims 1 to 8, in y z n urea up to a concentration of 3.4 mol/l. 10. Additive according to any one of claims 1 to 8, in y z n betaine up to a concentration of 0.18 mol/l. 11. Additive according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the pH of the solution is in the range of 4.8, characterized in that it further contains urea up to a concentration of 3 .4 mol/l and betaine up to a concentration of 0.18 mol/l. 12. Additive according to claim 7, characterized in that it contains acetic acid with a concentration of 4.14 mol/l, ammonium acetate with a concentration of 2.06 mol/l, potassium acetate with a concentration of 2.06 mol/l, urea with a concentration of 0 .85 mol/l and betaine with a concentration of 19.6 mmol/l. 13. Additive according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it contains up to 10% by weight. from the additive of at least one of the usual auxiliary substances of agrochemical mixtures selected from the group of surface-active substance, antifreeze additive, auxiliary penetration additive, anti-stress additive, inorganic particles, pigments, dyes and defoamers. 14. Additive according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that its application dose is in the range of 0.05 to 2 l/ha, more preferably 0.1 to 1.5 l/ha, most preferably 1.0 l/ha of the treated area .