Novel crop nutritional composition

Abstract

In particular, the present invention relates to a crop nutrient and enrichment composition comprising elemental sulfur in the range of 1% to 90% by weight of the total composition, at least one trace nutrient selected from selenium and vanadium in their elemental form, or salts, complexes, or derivatives thereof, wherein the elemental content of selenium or vanadium in the composition is in the range of 0.001% to 10% by weight of the total composition, and at least one nonionic or anionic surfactant, wherein the composition comprises particles in the size range of 0.1 microns to 30 microns, and the composition is in the form of water-dispersible granules or an aqueous suspension. The present invention also relates to a process for preparing the crop nutrient and enrichment composition. The present invention further relates to a method for enhancing nutrient uptake or improving plant health and yield by treating plants, plant propagation material, locus or parts thereof, seeds, seedlings, or surrounding soil with the crop nutrient and enrichment composition.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a crop nutrient and enrichment composition comprising elemental sulfur, at least one trace nutrient selected from selenium and vanadium, and at least one pesticidally acceptable excipient, wherein the composition has particles within a size range of 0.1 microns to 30 microns. More particularly, the present invention relates to a crop nutrient and fortification composition in the form of water dispersible granules or an aqueous suspension, comprising elemental sulfur in the range of 1% to 90% by weight of the total composition, at least one trace nutrient selected from selenium and vanadium in their elemental form or salts, complexes or derivatives thereof, wherein the content of elemental selenium or vanadium is in the range of 0.001% to 10% by weight of the total composition, and at least one surfactant selected from nonionic and anionic surfactants in the range of 0.1% to 40% by weight of the total composition, wherein the composition has particles in the size range of 0.1 microns to 30 microns.

[0002] The present invention further relates to methods for improving plant health, plant yield, and enhancing nutrient uptake by plants, comprising treating at least one of a plant, plant propagation material, a location or plant part thereof, a seed, a seedling, or the surrounding soil with the crop nutrient and fortifying composition of the present invention.

[0003] The present invention further relates to a method of treating plants to meet their nutritional requirements by making nutrients such as sulfur, selenium and vanadium available to the plants and by liberating other micronutrients and trace elements present in the soil that were previously unavailable due to a variety of factors, primarily soil degradation caused by the excessive use of synthetic fertilizers or antagonism between nutrients. [Background technology]

[0004] In describing embodiments of the present invention, specific terminology is chosen for the sake of clarity, however, it is understood that the present invention is not intended to be limited to the specific terminology so chosen, and that each specific term includes all technical equivalents that operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose.

[0005] Nutrients play a crucial role in plant growth and development. Both poor and insufficient availability of nutrients affect plant metabolism, leading to poor growth or lack of physiological development of plants. As a result, plants become more susceptible to disease and pest attack. Therefore, providing sufficient and balanced nutrition in a way that maximizes nutrient uptake by plants remains a major challenge.

[0006] In parallel, plants as food sources for humans and animals are well known to provide nutrients necessary to regulate the body's biochemical functions. Nutrient deficiencies contribute substantially to the global disease burden. Crop biofortification offers a promising strategy to increase the content of specific nutrients.

[0007] The use of fertilizers to provide nutrients to plants and prevent the deterioration of soil health has been considered an essential part of crop management. However, excessive and injudicious application of fertilizers, especially chemical fertilizers such as urea, DAP, etc., can cause serious imbalances in soil pH and nutrient antagonisms, resulting in nutrient-deficient crops. In addition to the above, environmental conditions such as drought, biotic and abiotic stress, and soil health also affect the yield and quality of agricultural products. Furthermore, leaching of nutrients during heavy rainfall not only leads to a lack of nutrient availability for plant uptake, but also leads to groundwater contamination.

[0008] In addition, another challenge is to address nutrient antagonism when multiple macronutrients, secondary macronutrients, micronutrients, and trace nutrients are involved in fertilization. The interactions between different types of plant nutrients are highly complex and can be either antagonistic or synergistic depending on the element / nutrient mixture and its composition, concentration, etc., which can affect nutrient use efficiency. Therefore, meeting food requirements in terms of both quantity and nutrient content and still providing farmers with better economic benefits is a challenging task.

[0009] Sulfur is an essential plant nutrient long known for its role as a fertilizer. Sulfur deficiency has become widespread in most agricultural regions of the world over the past few decades, resulting in sulfur being identified as a limiting factor for high yields and fertilizer efficiency. One reason for the increase in sulfur deficiency in recent years is the global trend toward the use of desulfurized fuels to meet stricter emission standards, resulting in a lack of soil sulfur replenishment, which was previously largely met due to the presence of atmospheric sulfur delivered in the form of rainwater. Other reasons for sulfur deficiency are the difficulty in obtaining sulfur in a plant-absorbable form, sulfur losses caused by leaching and soil pH, and the insolubility of elemental sulfur in water.

[0010] Selenium and vanadium are trace elements that are not considered essential for plants, which may be one of the reasons for the lack of effective commercial products that provide these nutrients with high nutrient utilization efficiency. Although selenium is not essential for plants, it is an essential trace nutrient required for balanced nutrition in animals and humans. The primary source of selenium in animals and humans is diet, which in turn depends on the soil selenium content and its bioavailability to crops. Selenium deficiency affects approximately 500 million to 1 billion people worldwide due to inadequate dietary intake (NDA / BLA Multi-disciplinary Review and Evaluation NDA 209379, US FDA). Furthermore, selenium deficiency in humans has been linked to several types of cancer, heart disease, and other chronic and life-threatening conditions (Gupta et al., "Selenium in soils and crops, its deficiencies in livestock and humans: Implications for management," Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, 31:11-14, 1791-1807, 2000). Additionally, selenium is considered a beneficial element for higher plants, enhancing antioxidant metabolism, photosynthesis, secondary metabolites, and carbohydrate production in plant leaves. Selenium deficiency in plants leads to stunted plant growth and chlorosis of leaves. Selenium uptake by plants is governed by various environmental factors, such as soil pH and the concentration of other competing plant nutrients.

[0011] Vanadium is known for its dual role in the environment, as it can exert both beneficial and harmful effects on plants and humans. Vanadium also stimulates antioxidant function and helps improve the nutritional uptake of phosphorus, iron, copper, zinc, and molybdenum in plants. Vanadium deficiency in humans has been associated with growth retardation, bone deformities, and infertility, while vanadium deficiency affects plant growth and yield.

[0012] Although the benefits of trace nutrients such as elemental sulfur and selenium and vanadium are well known, their deficiency has become widespread in most agricultural regions of the world over the past few decades, resulting in these nutrients being considered limiting factors for improving plant growth, high yields, and fertilizer efficiency. The reasons for these nutrient deficiencies include soil pH imbalances, nutrient antagonisms, etc., caused by excessive and injudicious use of chemical fertilizers. Furthermore, the deficiency of these trace nutrients in plants affects the health of animals and humans.

[0013] Interactions between different types of plant nutrients can be either antagonistic or synergistic. Application of excess nutrients can cause plants to experience "nutrient antagonism," whereby excess of a particular element blocks the absorption of another element needed by the plant. This can occur with elements of similar size and charge (positive or negative), resulting in a deficiency in the plant. For example, sulfur and selenium have similar chemical and physical properties, so sulfur can be substituted for selenium in plant metabolism. This leads to their competition for uptake, transport, and absorption into the plant. Additionally, the antagonistic properties of Se and trace nutrients when combined have also been reported (The effects of selenium and other micronutrients on the antioxidant activities and yield of corn (Zea mays L.) under drought stress, Nour Ali Sajedi, Mohammad Reza Ardakani, Hamid Madani, Ahmad Naderi, and Mohammad Miransari, Physiol Mol Biol Plants (July-September 2011) 17(3):215-222).

[0014] Furthermore, a review article (Selenium Biofortification and Interaction With Other Elements in Plants, Front Plant Sci. 2020;11:586421) reports that nitrate, selenide, and selenite ions can individually and collectively antagonize or compete with each other's uptake, and that high nitrogen applications can reduce selenium uptake by plants.

[0015] Furthermore, vanadium has been reported to interact antagonistically with potassium, magnesium, and manganese in plant leaves (Garcoa-Jiméanez A et al., (2018), PLoS ONE 13(8):e0201908). A negative correlation between vanadium and iron has also been reported (Effect of Vanadium on Dry Matter and Nutrient Concentration in Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) (2016) AJCS 10(2):199-206).

[0016] Therefore, it is difficult to develop a crop nutrient and enrichment composition containing elemental sulfur and at least one trace nutrient selected from selenium or vanadium that can successfully meet the nutritional requirements of plants and ultimately be available for human diet.Therefore, there is a need for a crop nutrient and enrichment product that addresses the shortcomings discussed above.

[0017] Another problem in achieving effective product is to identify composition and formulate it into the right kind of formulation, because the efficacy of active substance also depends on the type of formulation and other ingredients used in composition.The big problem with some crop nutrients or fertilizers or plant growth promotion products is that when applied, they exist in unusable form, and due to their rapid migration into soil or their physical form and characteristics, they are not absorbed well by plants or do not penetrate into soil quickly.Therefore, the nutrients available to plants are less, and therefore these products have lower nutrient utilization efficiency.

[0018] Some prior art discloses selenium-containing fertilizers. However, these contain selenium in combination with nitrogen fertilizers such as ammonium sulfate, lime nitrogen, or urea, or NPK fertilizers. However, such compositions do not make selenium readily available for plant uptake, because increasing the use of nitrogen reduces selenium uptake.

[0019] Furthermore, such prior art products are either difficult to apply in the field due to their poor physical characteristics, or are not as effective as needed and therefore not readily available for absorption by plants. For example, powder compositions not only have problems with practical application such as dust generation, but also pose risks to users, primarily due to eye irritation, inhalation risks, and skin irritation.

[0020] Moreover, such formulations are not easy to disperse, and tend to clog nozzles when applied by dripping, making them unsuitable for use in irrigation systems.Furthermore, these compositions are also known to have poor suspending properties, which leads to the random and non-uniform distribution of active ingredients in target area, which will cause undesirable effects and cause the problem of effective delivery of nutrients to plants or crops, leading to poor uptake of nutrients by plants.Due to such problems, these compositions also need to be used in large quantities, which makes them uneconomical and environmentally unsafe.

[0021] U.S. Patent No. 4,847,087 discloses a sulfur and selenium composition for application to pastures to provide selenium to herbivores gradually and over a long period of time. The composition is in the form of a porous structure prepared by dissolving elemental selenium in molten elemental sulfur and cooling to form a solid solution. The process for producing such a product has several disadvantages, the most important of which are fire and explosion hazards. Another problem is the heterogeneity of the particle size and shape of the composition and the slow release of selenium, which results in poor efficacy in the field. Furthermore, once solidified, the molten elemental sulfur composition does not release sulfur, and sometimes granules are found intact in the soil even one season after crop harvest.

[0022] Chinese Patent No. 109453736 discloses a multi-component complex attapulgite soil conditioner obtained by adsorbing sulfur and calcium as calcium sulfate onto attapulgite powder, mixing it with silica sol containing selenium and zinc as zinc selenite, gelling, granulating, and drying the mixture to obtain a silicon-sulfur-selenium-zinc multi-element complex soil conditioner with a silica sol coating on the attapulgite powder. These types of silica sol-coated granules release small amounts of nutrients and trace elements such as silicon, selenium, and zinc after high-temperature calcination. Because they are designed to release the active substances very slowly and only under high-temperature conditions, the active substances remain trapped in the soil for long periods of time, making them unavailable for plant uptake and depriving plants of their immediate nutritional requirements. Nutritional deficiencies in young plants make them susceptible to various diseases, ultimately hindering their growth and yield.

[0023] Chinese Patent No. 112321350 discloses a soluble fertilizer for foliar application containing sodium selenite, sulfur as sulfate, manganese sulfate, zinc sulfate, magnesium sulfate, calcium chloride, ammonium molybdate, alkyl polyglucoside, and chitosan quaternary ammonium salt. These types of compositions that provide sulfur in sulfate form, i.e., calcium sulfate, ammonium sulfate, etc., have proven ineffective because they tend to leach during heavy rainfall or irrigation and cannot be absorbed by plants, which in turn causes groundwater pollution. As soil salinity increases, plants are unable to draw as much water and nutrients from the soil. This not only results in a significant decrease in efficiency but also has serious environmental consequences.

[0024] Therefore, proper crop nutrition is crucial for optimizing crop growth and metabolism, which in turn contributes to improving crop yield and produce quality. [Prior art documents] [License]

[0025] [License 1] U.S. Patent No. 4,847,087 [License 2] Chinese Patent No. 109453736 Detail Book [License 3] Chinese Patent No. 112321350 Detail Book [Non-licensed literature]

[0026] [Non-licensed Document 1] NDA / BLA Multi-disciplinary Review and Evaluation NDA 209379, US FDA [Non-licensed Document 2] グプタ(Gupta)ら, Selenium in soils and crops, its deficiencies in livestock and humans: Implications for management, Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, 31:11~14, 1791~1807, 2000 [Non-licensed Document 3] The effects of selenium and other micronutrients on the antioxidant activities and yield of corn(Zea mays L.)under drought stress Nour Ali Sajedi&Mohammad Reza Ardakani&Hamid Madani&Ahmad Naderi&Mohammad Miransari、Physiol Mol Biol Plants(July-September 2011)17(3):215~222 [Non-licensed Document 4] Selenium Biofortification and Interaction With Other Elements in Plants, Front Plant Sci.2020;11:586421 [Non-patent document 5] Garcoa-JimeAnez A et al. (2018), PLoS ONE 13(8):e0201908 [Non-patent document 6] Effect of Vanadium on dry matter and nutrient concentration in sweet basil(Ocimum basilicum L.)(2016)AJCS 10(2):199~206 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0027] No suitable compositions are known that comprise elemental sulfur and at least one trace nutrient selected from selenium and vanadium, which would be available to the plant in effective amounts and thus meet the balanced nutritional requirements of the plant with application of reduced doses of the composition, and address the drawbacks associated with known compositions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0028] This need is solved in accordance with the present invention by providing a crop nutrient and fortifying composition comprising an effective amount of elemental sulfur in the range of 1% to 90% by weight of the total composition, an effective amount of at least one trace nutrient selected from selenium and vanadium in their elemental forms, salts, complexes or derivatives thereof, wherein the content of elemental selenium or vanadium is in the range of 0.001% to 10% by weight of the total composition, and at least one surfactant selected from nonionic and anionic surfactants in the range of 0.1% to 40% by weight of the total composition, wherein the composition is in the form of water-dispersible granules or an aqueous suspension, and the composition comprises particles in the size range of 0.1 to 30 microns.

[0029] The present invention provides (i) elemental sulfur; (ii) at least one trace nutrient selected from selenium and vanadium in their elemental forms or salts or complexes or derivatives thereof; (iii) at least one surfactant selected from nonionic and anionic surfactants; wherein the composition is in the form of a water-dispersible granule or aqueous suspension and comprises particles in the size range of 0.1 microns to 30 microns.

[0030] The present invention is particularly (i) elemental sulfur in the range of 1% to 90% by weight of the total composition; (ii) at least one trace nutrient selected from selenium and vanadium in their elemental forms or salts or complexes or derivatives thereof, wherein the content of elemental selenium or vanadium is in the range of 0.001% to 10% by weight of the total composition; (iii) at least one surfactant selected from nonionic and anionic surfactants in the range of 0.1% to 40% by weight of the total composition; A crop nutrient and enrichment composition comprising: The present invention relates to a crop nutrient and enrichment composition, wherein the composition is in the form of a water-dispersible granule or an aqueous suspension, and the composition comprises particles within the size range of 0.1 microns to 30 microns.

[0031] The present invention further comprises: (i) elemental sulfur in the range of 1% to 90% by weight of the total composition; (ii) at least one trace nutrient selected from selenium and vanadium in their elemental forms or salts or complexes or derivatives thereof, wherein the content of elemental selenium or vanadium is in the range of 0.001% to 10% by weight of the total composition; (iii) at least one surfactant selected from nonionic and anionic surfactants in the range of 0.1 to 40% by weight of the total composition; 1. A process for the preparation of a crop nutrient and enrichment composition in the form of water-dispersible granules or an aqueous suspension, comprising: The process relates to a composition comprising particles within the size range of 0.1 microns to 30 microns.

[0032] The present invention also relates to methods for enhancing nutrient uptake and improving plant health and yield by treating plants, crops, plant propagation material, locus or part thereof, seeds, seedlings, or surrounding soil with the crop nutrient and fortifying compositions of the present invention.

[0033] The present invention further relates to a method of treating plants to meet their nutritional requirements by making nutrients such as sulfur, selenium and vanadium available to the plants and by releasing other micronutrients and trace elements present in the soil that were previously unavailable due to a variety of factors, primarily nutrient competition or soil degradation caused by the excessive use of synthetic fertilizers. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0034] When describing embodiments of the present invention, specific terms are selected for clarity. However, it is not intended that the present invention be limited to the specific terms selected, and it should be understood that such specific terms include all technical equivalents that operate in a similar manner to accomplish the same purpose. Any numerical ranges listed herein are understood to include all subranges encompassed. Also, unless otherwise indicated, the percentages of components in compositions are presented as weight percents.

[0035] Groupings of alternative elements or embodiments of the invention disclosed herein are not to be construed as limitations. Each group member may be referenced and claimed individually or in any combination with other members of the group or other elements found herein. One or more members of a group may be included in or deleted from a group for reasons of convenience and / or patentability.

[0036] As used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, the meanings of "a," "an," and "the" include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Also, as used in the description herein, the meaning of "in" includes "in" and "on," unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0037] As used herein, the terms "comprising," "including," "having," "containing," "with," and the like, should be understood to be open-ended, i.e., meaning including but not limited to. The terms "preferred" and "preferably" refer to embodiments of the invention that may yield certain benefits, under certain circumstances.

[0038] In any aspect or embodiment described herein below, the phrase comprising may be replaced by the phrase "consisting of" or "consisting essentially of" or "consisting substantially of." In these aspects or embodiments, the composition being described includes, or comprises, or consists of, or consists essentially of, or consists substantially of the specific ingredients recited therein, excluding other ingredients or excipients not specifically recited therein.

[0039] Throughout this specification, a reference to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, the appearances of the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0040] In some embodiments, numbers expressing quantities of ingredients, concentrations, and other properties used to describe and claim certain embodiments of the present invention should be understood to be modified in some instances by the term "about." Accordingly, in some embodiments, the numerical parameters set forth in the written specification are approximations that may vary depending on the desired properties sought to be obtained by a particular embodiment. In some embodiments, the numerical parameters should be construed in light of the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques. Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scope of some embodiments of the present invention are approximations, the numerical values ​​set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely as possible. However, any numerical value inherently contains certain errors necessarily resulting from the standard deviation found in their respective testing measurements.

[0041] The recitation of ranges of values ​​herein is merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, and unless otherwise indicated herein, each separate value is incorporated herein as if it were individually listed herein.

[0042] Also, any numerical range recited herein should be understood to be intended to include all subranges subsumed therein. For example, a range of "1 to 10" is intended to include all subranges between (and including) the recited minimum value of 1 and the recited maximum value of 10, i.e., having a minimum value of 1 or greater and a maximum value of 10 or less. Also, unless otherwise indicated, percentages of ingredients in a composition are presented as weight percent.

[0043] All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples or exemplary language (e.g., "etc.") provided with respect to certain embodiments herein is intended merely to better elucidate the invention and does not impose limitations on the scope of the invention as otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element essential to the practice of the invention.

[0044] As used herein, the terms "plant" or "crop" are interchangeable and wherever the term "plant" is used, it shall also refer to vegetation of a similar nature, i.e., crops, trees, shrubs, herbs, etc. The term "plant" refers to all physical parts of a plant, including seeds, seedlings, saplings, roots, tubers, stems, stalks, leaves, and fruits. The term plant includes transgenic and non-transgenic plants.

[0045] The term "location" of a plant as used herein is intended to encompass the location where the plant is growing, where the plant propagation material of the plant is sown or placed in soil.

[0046] The term "plant propagation material" is understood to denote reproductive parts of plants such as seeds, vegetative material such as cuttings or tubers, roots, fruits, tubers, bulbs, rhizomes and plant parts, as well as germinated plants and young plants that are transplanted after germination or emergence from the soil. These young plants may be protected by a total or local treatment by immersion before transplanting.

[0047] The term "derivatives" as used in this application is intended to encompass minerals and ores containing minerals such as selenium and vanadium. The term derivatives is also intended to encompass compounds from which selenium and vanadium can be obtained in a form that can be absorbed by plants.

[0048] The term "salt" as used in the present invention is intended to encompass compounds containing selenium and vanadium, with selenium compounds including selenium dioxide and vanadium compounds including vanadium oxide.

[0049] The term "sulfur" as used in the compositions refers to elemental sulfur (S) obtained via natural or synthetic sources. The term includes allotropes of elemental sulfur, such as plastic (amorphous) sulfur, monoclinic sulfur, orthorhombic sulfur composed of S molecules, and other ring molecules such as S and S. The term also includes sulfur produced via petrochemical processing and refining. The term also includes "biological sulfur." ​​The term also includes elemental sulfur produced via microbial processes.

[0050] Selenium refers to elemental selenium or selenium in the form of its salts, derivatives or complexes.

[0051] Vanadium refers to vanadium in the form of its salts, its derivatives or complexes.

[0052] As used herein, "WG" or "WDG" refers to water-dispersible granules, which are defined as formulations that rapidly disperse or dissolve when added to water to form a fine particle suspension. Water-dispersible granules are formulated into small, easily measurable granules by blending and agglomerating crushed active ingredients with surfactants and other formulation excipients that disperse into finer / primary particles when added to water. Water-dispersible granules can be obtained by spray drying or by an extrusion process.

[0053] "Fast release" or "instant release" or "instant dispersal" can be used interchangeably and are applicable to granules that disperse rapidly to release nutrients.

[0054] As defined herein, the term "aqueous suspension" is a composition in which solid particles are dispersed or suspended in a liquid. The terms "suspension concentrate" or "aqueous suspension" or "aqueous dispersion" or "SC composition" may be used interchangeably.

[0055] Furthermore, the active doses of the active substances in the compositions applied in the field experiments are elementally active.

[0056] Nutrient use efficiency (NUE) is defined as a measure of how well a plant uses available mineral nutrients. Improving NUE is an essential prerequisite for extending crop production to marginal lands where nutrient availability is low, but it is also a method for reducing the use of inorganic fertilizers.

[0057] The particle size of a composition is defined as the size of particles of the composition in the form of water-dispersible granules (WG) or aqueous suspension (SC) as a whole, including elemental sulfur, selenium, vanadium, surfactants, and other excipients, if any. D50 is the particle size corresponding to a cumulative percentage of 50%. D50 is also called the median particle size or median particle size, and represents the average of 50% of the total particles being smaller than a given size. D90 is used to indicate particle size distribution, representing the average of 90% of the total particles being smaller than a given size. D90 is also the particle size corresponding to a cumulative percentage of 90%.

[0058] The present invention relates to a crop nutrient and enrichment composition comprising elemental sulfur and at least one trace nutrient selected from selenium and vanadium in their elemental forms, or salts, complexes or derivatives thereof, and at least one surfactant selected from nonionic and anionic surfactants, wherein the composition comprises particles within the size range of 0.1 microns to 30 microns.

[0059] The composition is in the form of a water-dispersible granule or aqueous suspension. The crop nutrient and fortifying composition comprises elemental sulfur, at least one trace nutrient selected from selenium and vanadium in their elemental forms, or salts, complexes, or derivatives thereof, and at least one surfactant selected from nonionic and anionic surfactants.

[0060] According to further embodiments, the crop nutrition and fortification composition comprises fine particles in the size range of 0.1 microns to 30 microns and exhibits improved physical properties in terms of dispersibility, suspendability, viscosity, spontaneity of dispersion, wetting and pourability or flowability.

[0061] More particularly, the present invention relates to a crop nutrient and fortification composition comprising elemental sulfur in the range of 1% to 90% by weight of the total composition, at least one trace nutrient selected from selenium and vanadium in their elemental form, or salts, complexes or derivatives thereof, wherein the elemental content of selenium or vanadium in the composition is in the range of 0.001% to 10% by weight of the total composition, and at least one surfactant selected from nonionic and anionic surfactants in the range of 0.1% to 40% by weight of the total composition, wherein the composition is in the form of water dispersible granules or an aqueous suspension, and the composition comprises particles in the size range of 0.1 microns to 30 microns.

[0062] The inventors of the present invention have surprisingly found that compositions in the form of water-dispersible granules and aqueous suspensions comprising an effective amount of elemental sulfur, an effective amount of at least one trace nutrient selected from selenium and vanadium in their elemental forms, or salts, complexes or derivatives thereof, and at least one surfactant selected from nonionic and anionic surfactants, demonstrate a synergistic effect compared to the activity of the individual active ingredients alone.

[0063] In addition to the synergistic effects of the compositions of the present invention, the inventors have surprisingly determined that a crop nutrient and enrichment composition in the form of water dispersible granules or an aqueous suspension comprising elemental sulfur in the range of 1% to 90% by weight of the total composition, at least one trace nutrient selected from selenium and vanadium in their elemental form, or salts, complexes or derivatives thereof, wherein the elemental content of selenium or vanadium is in the range of 0.001% to 10% by weight of the total composition, and at least one surfactant selected from nonionic and anionic surfactants in the range of 0.1% to 40% by weight of the total composition, wherein the particles in the composition are in the size range of 0.1 microns to 30 microns, provides superior crop nutrition and enrichment and improves yield.

[0064] Furthermore, when the composition is in the form of water-dispersible granules or aqueous suspension, it improves the suspension and dispersibility of elemental sulfur and trace nutrients when applied via soil or foliage, thereby enhancing the physical characteristics of the formulation.The inventors of the present invention have surprisingly found that when the composition is in the form of water-dispersible granules or suspension, comprising elemental sulfur and at least one trace nutrient selected from selenium and vanadium, and the particle size of the composition is within the range of 0.1 to 30 microns, it not only enhances the stability of the formulation, but also improves the absorption of sulfur, selenium and / or vanadium when applied via soil or foliage, thereby providing crop enhancement and fortification, which in turn provides excellent results in terms of yield, plant growth, vitality and nutritional value, and disease prevention.The crop nutrient and fortification composition with a specific particle size range increases the surface area of ​​elemental sulfur, selenium and vanadium particles, thereby allowing the product to cover a larger surface area, thereby enabling biological effectiveness at a substantially lower dose.

[0065] The present inventors have surprisingly discovered that compositions comprising elemental sulfur and at least one of selenium and vanadium in specific concentrations not only demonstrate synergistic effects but also overcome shortcomings associated with the absorption of iron, potassium, magnesium, and manganese.

[0066] According to some embodiments, elemental sulfur is present in a range of 1% to 90% by weight of the total composition. According to some embodiments, elemental sulfur is present in a range of 1% to 80% by weight of the total composition. According to some embodiments, elemental sulfur is present in a range of 1% to 70% by weight of the total composition. According to some embodiments, elemental sulfur is preferably present in a range of 1% to 65% by weight of the total composition. According to some embodiments, elemental sulfur is preferably present in a range of 1% to 60% by weight of the total composition. According to some embodiments, elemental sulfur is present in a range of 10% to 90% by weight of the total composition. According to some embodiments, elemental sulfur is present in a range of 10% to 80% by weight of the total composition. According to some embodiments, elemental sulfur is present in a range of 10% to 70% by weight of the total composition. According to some embodiments, elemental sulfur is preferably present in a range of 10% to 60% by weight of the total composition. According to some embodiments, elemental sulfur is preferably present in the range of 20% to 90% by weight of the total composition. According to some embodiments, elemental sulfur is preferably present in the range of 20% to 80% by weight of the total composition. According to some embodiments, elemental sulfur is preferably present in the range of 30% to 90% by weight of the total composition. According to some embodiments, elemental sulfur is preferably present in the range of 30% to 80% by weight of the total composition. According to some embodiments, elemental sulfur is preferably present in the range of 40% to 90% by weight of the total composition. According to some embodiments, elemental sulfur is preferably present in the range of 40% to 80% by weight of the total composition.

[0067] According to a further embodiment, the at least one trace nutrient is selected from selenium and vanadium in their elemental form, or salts thereof, complexes thereof or derivatives thereof.

[0068] According to some embodiments, the elemental selenium content in the composition is in the range of 0.001 to 10% by weight of the total composition. According to some embodiments, the elemental selenium content in the composition is in the range of 0.01 to 10% by weight of the total composition. According to some embodiments, the elemental selenium content in the composition is preferably in the range of 0.01 to 5% by weight of the total composition. According to some embodiments, the elemental selenium content in the composition is preferably in the range of 0.1 to 10% by weight of the total composition. According to some embodiments, the elemental selenium content in the composition is preferably in the range of 0.1 to 5% by weight of the total composition.

[0069] According to some embodiments, the elemental content of vanadium in the composition is in the range of 0.001 to 10 wt.% of the total composition. According to some embodiments, the elemental content of vanadium in the composition is in the range of 0.01 to 10 wt.% of the total composition. According to some embodiments, the elemental content of vanadium in the composition is preferably in the range of 0.01 to 5 wt.% of the total composition. According to some embodiments, the elemental content of vanadium in the composition is preferably in the range of 0.1 to 10 wt.% of the total composition. According to some embodiments, the elemental content of vanadium in the composition is preferably in the range of 0.1 to 5 wt.% of the total composition.

[0070] According to one embodiment, the at least one trace nutrient is selected from selenium and vanadium, and the trace nutrient selected from selenium and vanadium is present in its elemental form or in the form of a salt thereof, a derivative thereof or a complex thereof.

[0071] According to a further embodiment, the derivative or source of trace nutrients in the composition can include minerals. The trace nutrients can also be in the form of ores. The ores can include, but are not limited to, oxides, silicates, carbonate ores, sulfide ores, or halide ores.

[0072] According to a further embodiment, the selenium or vanadium salts include water-soluble or water-insoluble salts.

[0073] According to further embodiments, the water-insoluble selenium salts include, but are not limited to, selenium, selenium carbonate, vanadium selenide, magnesium selenide, manganese selenide, selenium sulfide, copper selenide, iron selenide, molybdenum selenide, cobalt selenide, bismuth selenide, zinc selenide, zinc selenite, copper selenite, calcium selenite, magnesium selenite, manganese selenite, or cobalt selenite. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that other water-insoluble selenium salts can be utilized without departing from the scope of the present invention. (Review the list.)

[0074] According to further embodiments, the water-soluble selenium salts include, but are not limited to, selenium dioxide, selenourea, sodium selenide, potassium selenide, ammonium selenide, sodium selenite, potassium selenite, ammonium selenite, iron selenite, sodium selenate, magnesium selenate, potassium selenate, calcium selenate, copper selenate, ammonium selenate, iron selenate, cobalt selenate, or zinc selenate. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that other water-soluble salts of selenium can be utilized without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0075] According to further embodiments, selenium derivatives include, but are not limited to, potassium selenate, selenium sulfide, selenious acid, selenium oxychloride, selenic acid, selenium yeast, etc. However, one skilled in the art will recognize that other selenium derivatives may be utilized without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0076] According to some embodiments, selenium in the form of its salt, derivative, or complex is present in the range of 0.001% to 30% by weight of the total composition. According to some embodiments, at least one selenium in the form of its salt, derivative, or complex is present in the range of 0.01% to 30% by weight of the total composition. According to some embodiments, selenium in the form of its salt, derivative, or complex is present in the range of 0.01% to 20% by weight of the total composition. According to some embodiments, selenium in the form of its salt, derivative, or complex is preferably present in the range of 0.1% to 30% by weight of the total composition. According to some embodiments, selenium in the form of its salt, derivative, or complex is preferably present in the range of 0.1% to 20% by weight of the total composition.

[0077] According to further embodiments, the water-insoluble vanadium salts include, but are not limited to, vanadium(II) oxide, vanadium(IV) oxide, vanadium(III) oxide, vanadium selenide, vanadium pentoxide, copper vanadate, bismuth vanadium oxide, or bismuth vanadate, although one skilled in the art will recognize that other water-insoluble salts of vanadium may be utilized without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0078] According to further embodiments, the water-soluble vanadium salts include, but are not limited to, vanadyl sulfate, sodium vanadate, sodium metavanadate, potassium metavanadate, vanadyl oxalate, or ammonium metavanadate, although one skilled in the art will recognize that other water-soluble vanadium salts may be utilized without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0079] According to further embodiments, vanadium derivatives include, but are not limited to, vanadyl acetylacetonate, sodium metavanadate, and ammonium metavanadate, although one skilled in the art will recognize that other vanadium derivatives may be utilized without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0080] According to a further embodiment, the trace nutrients selected from selenium and vanadium in the composition can be in the form of minerals, or refined or processed ores, or ores containing trace nutrients. Selenium ores include, but are not limited to, achbarite, ferrocerite, downeyite, etc. Vanadium ores include, but are not limited to, karelianite; paramontroseite; shcherbinaite, patronite, munilites, and metamunilites. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that other vanadium- and selenium-containing minerals and ores can be used without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0081] According to some embodiments, vanadium in the form of its salt, derivative, or complex is present in the range of 0.001% to 30% by weight of the total composition. According to some embodiments, vanadium in the form of its salt, derivative, or complex is present in the range of 0.01% to 30% by weight of the total composition. According to some embodiments, vanadium in the form of its salt, derivative, or complex is present in the range of 0.01% to 20% by weight of the total composition. According to some embodiments, vanadium in the form of its salt, derivative, or complex is preferably present in the range of 0.1% to 30% by weight of the total composition. According to some embodiments, vanadium in the form of its salt, derivative, or complex is preferably present in the range of 0.1% to 20% by weight of the total composition.

[0082] According to some embodiments, the plant nutrition and enrichment compositions of the present invention comprise particles within a size range of 0.1 microns to 30 microns. According to some embodiments, the plant nutrition and enrichment compositions of the present invention comprise particles within a size range of 0.1 microns to 25 microns. According to some embodiments, the plant nutrition and enrichment compositions of the present invention comprise particles within a size range of 0.1 microns to 20 microns. According to some embodiments, the plant nutrition and enrichment compositions of the present invention comprise particles within a size range of 0.1 microns to 15 microns. According to some embodiments, the plant nutrition and enrichment compositions of the present invention comprise particles within a size range of 0.1 microns to 10 microns.

[0083] According to another embodiment, the crop nutrition and enrichment composition of the present invention comprises particles having a particle size distribution with a D50 of about 20 microns. According to another embodiment, the crop nutrition and enrichment composition of the present invention comprises particles having a particle size distribution with a D50 of about 15 microns. According to another embodiment, the crop nutrition and enrichment composition of the present invention comprises particles having a particle size distribution with a D50 of about 10 microns. According to another embodiment, the crop nutrition and enrichment composition of the present invention comprises particles having a particle size distribution with a D50 of about 8 microns. According to another embodiment, the crop nutrition and enrichment composition of the present invention comprises particles having a particle size distribution with a D50 of about 5 microns.

[0084] According to another embodiment, the crop nutrient and enrichment compositions of the present invention comprise particles having a particle size distribution with a D90 of about 30 microns. According to another embodiment, the crop nutrient and enrichment compositions of the present invention comprise particles having a particle size distribution with a D90 of about 20 microns. According to another embodiment, the crop nutrient and enrichment compositions of the present invention comprise particles having a particle size distribution with a D90 of about 15 microns. According to another embodiment, the crop nutrient and enrichment compositions of the present invention comprise particles having a particle size distribution with a D90 of about 10 microns.

[0085] According to another embodiment, the crop nutrition and fortification composition of the present invention comprises particles having a particle size distribution of about 10 microns D50 and 15 microns D90. According to another embodiment, the crop nutrition and fortification composition of the present invention comprises particles having a particle size distribution of about 5 microns D50 and 10 microns D90.

[0086] According to some embodiments, the crop nutrient and enrichment composition, when in the form of water-dispersible granules, has granules within a size range of 0.05 mm to 5 mm. According to further embodiments, the granular crop nutrient and enrichment composition, when in the form of granules, may have at least one dimension within a size range of 0.05 mm to 5 mm.

[0087] According to some embodiments, the crop nutrition and enrichment composition in the form of water-dispersible granules is in the size range of 0.05 mm to 4 mm. According to further embodiments, the crop nutrition and enrichment composition in the form of water-dispersible granules may have at least one dimension in the size range of 0.05 mm to 4 mm.

[0088] According to certain embodiments, the crop nutrient and enrichment composition in the form of water-dispersible granules is preferably in the size range of 0.05 mm to 3 mm. According to further embodiments, the crop nutrient and enrichment composition in the form of water-dispersible granules may have at least one dimension in the size range of 0.05 mm to 3 mm.

[0089] According to certain embodiments, the crop nutrient and enrichment compositions of the present invention are devoid of fertilizers that primarily contain ammonium sulfate or urea or nitrogen fertilizers or rock phosphate or other conventional fertilizers.

[0090] According to one embodiment, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising: i. elemental sulfur in the range of 1% to 90% by weight of the total composition; ii. at least one trace element selected from selenium and vanadium in their elemental forms, or salts, complexes or derivatives thereof, wherein the content of elemental selenium or vanadium is in the range of 0.001% to 10% by weight of the total composition; iii. at least one surfactant selected from nonionic and anionic surfactants in the range of 0.1% to 40% by weight of the total composition; 1. A crop nutrient and enrichment composition in the form of a water-dispersible granule or aqueous suspension comprising: The composition comprises particles within a size range of 0.1 microns to 30 microns. It relates to crop nutrition and enrichment compositions.

[0091] According to one embodiment, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising: i. elemental sulfur in the range of 1% to 90% by weight of the total composition; ii. selenium in its elemental form or a salt, complex, derivative or mixture thereof, wherein the content of elemental selenium ranges from 0.001% to 10% by weight of the total composition; iii. at least one nonionic or anionic surfactant in the range of 0.1% to 40% by weight of the total composition; 1. A crop nutrient and enrichment composition in the form of a water-dispersible granule or aqueous suspension comprising: The composition comprises particles within a size range of 0.1 microns to 30 microns. It relates to crop nutrition and enrichment compositions.

[0092] According to one embodiment, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising: i. elemental sulfur in the range of 1% to 90% by weight of the total composition; ii. vanadium in its elemental state or a salt, complex, derivative or mixture thereof, wherein the content of elemental vanadium is in the range of 0.001% to 10% by weight of the total composition; iii. at least one nonionic or anionic surfactant in the range of 0.1% to 40% by weight of the total composition; 1. A crop nutrient and enrichment composition in the form of a water-dispersible granule or aqueous suspension comprising: The composition comprises particles within a size range of 0.1 microns to 30 microns. It relates to crop nutrition and enrichment compositions.

[0093] According to one embodiment, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising: i. elemental sulfur in the range of 1% to 90% by weight of the total composition; ii. Elemental selenium or salts, complexes, derivatives or mixtures thereof, wherein the content of elemental selenium is in the range of 0.001% to 10% by weight of the total composition; iii. vanadium in its elemental state or a salt, complex, derivative or mixture thereof, wherein the content of elemental vanadium is in the range of 0.001% to 10% by weight of the total composition; iv. at least one nonionic or anionic surfactant in the range of 0.1% to 40% by weight of the total composition; 1. A crop nutrient and enrichment composition in the form of a water-dispersible granule or aqueous suspension comprising: The composition comprises particles within a size range of 0.1 microns to 30 microns. It relates to crop nutrition and enrichment compositions.

[0094] According to one embodiment, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising: i. elemental sulfur in the range of 20% to 90% by weight of the total composition; ii. at least one trace element selected from selenium and vanadium in their elemental forms, or salts, complexes or derivatives thereof, wherein the content of elemental selenium or vanadium is in the range of 0.001% to 10% by weight of the total composition; iii. at least one nonionic or anionic surfactant in the range of 0.1% to 40% by weight of the total composition; A water-dispersible granule comprising: The composition comprises particles within a size range of 0.1 microns to 30 microns. It relates to water-dispersible granules.

[0095] According to one embodiment, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising: i. elemental sulfur in the range of 1% to 70% by weight of the total composition; ii. at least one trace element selected from selenium and vanadium in their elemental forms, or salts, complexes or derivatives thereof, wherein the content of elemental selenium or vanadium is in the range of 0.001% to 10% by weight of the total composition; iii. at least one nonionic or anionic surfactant in the range of 0.1% to 40% by weight of the total composition; An aqueous suspension comprising: The composition comprises particles within a size range of 0.1 microns to 30 microns. It relates to an aqueous suspension.

[0096] According to some embodiments, the composition further comprises at least one pesticidally acceptable excipient. According to further embodiments, the pesticidally acceptable excipient is present in a range of 0.1% w / w to 98% w / w of the total composition. According to further embodiments, the pesticidally acceptable excipient is present in a range of 0.1% w / w to 95% w / w of the total composition.

[0097] According to certain embodiments, the composition comprises one or more agriculturally acceptable excipients selected from one or more of surfactants, disintegrants, fillers or carriers or diluents, spreading agents, colorants, anti-caking agents, binders, buffers or pH adjusters or neutralizing agents, pigments, stabilizers, anti-foaming or defoaming agents, penetrating agents, structuring agents, humectants, adhesives, anti-freeze or freezing point depressants, chelating or complexing or sequestering agents, and preservatives. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that additional agriculturally acceptable excipients can be utilized without departing from the scope of the present invention. Agriculturally acceptable excipients are commercially produced and available through various companies.

[0098] According to some embodiments, the surfactants used in the crop nutrition and fortification compositions of the present invention include one or more of emulsifiers, wetting agents, and dispersing agents. According to some embodiments, the surfactants used in the compositions include one or more of anionic, nonionic, and polymeric surfactants.

[0099] Anionic surfactants include salts of fatty acids, polycarboxylates, alkyl ether sulfates, alkyl sulfates, alkylaryl sulfates, alkylaryl sulfonates, aryl sulfonates, lignin sulfonates, alkyl diphenyl ether disulfonates, polystyrene sulfonates, salts of alkyl phosphates, alkylaryl phosphates, styrylaryl phosphates, salts of polyoxyethylene alkyl ether sulfates, sodium alpha olefin sulfonates, alkylbenzene sulfonates or their salts, sodium lauroyl sarcosinate, sulfosuccinates, polyacrylates, alkyl ether phosphates, salts of polyoxyethylene alkylaryl phosphates, sulfosuccinate-mono and other diesters, phosphate esters, alkyl naphthalene sulfonates-isopropyl and butyl derivatives, alkylaryl ether phosphorus The surfactants include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following: acid salts, salts of polyoxyethylene aryl ether phosphate esters, mono-alkyl sulfosuccinates, aromatic hydrocarbon sulfonates, ammonium lauryl sulfate, soaps, soap substitutes, sodium alkyl sulfates, sodium dodecyl sulfates, sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate, sodium laurate, sodium laureth sulfate, sodium nonanoyloxybenzenesulfonate, alkyl carboxylates, sodium stearates, alpha-olefin sulfonates, naphthalenesulfonates, alkylnaphthalenesulfonic acid fatty acid salts, naphthalenesulfonate condensates-sodium salts, fatty alcohol sulfates, alkylnaphthalenesulfonate condensates-sodium salts, naphthalenesulfonic acid condensates condensates-sodium salts, salts of naphthalenesulfonic acid condensed with formaldehyde or alkylnaphthalenesulfonic acid condensed with formaldehyde, or salts or derivatives thereof. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that different anionic surfactants can be used without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0100] Nonionic or polymeric surfactants include polyol esters, polyol fatty acid esters, ethoxylated and propoxylated fatty alcohols, EO and PO block copolymers, di- and tri-block copolymers; polysorbates, alkyl polysaccharides, polyoxyethylene glycols, sorbitan derivatives, fatty acid esters of sorbitan (spans) and their ethoxylated derivatives (tweens), cocamide monoethanolamine (MEA), decyl, narrow range ethoxylates, oleyl alcohol, PEG-10, polysorbate, polysorbate 20, polysorbate 80, sorbitan, sorbitan monolaurate, sorbitan monostearate, tristearin. The surfactants may be one or more of the following: sorbitan acid, stearyl alcohol, castor oil ethoxylates, polyglycol ethers, polyadducts of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide, polyoxyethylene sorbitan, fatty acid polyglycerides, polyoxyethylene alkyl ethers, polyoxyethylene alkylaryl ethers, polyoxyethylene styrylaryl ethers, polyoxyethylene glycol alkyl ethers, alcohol ethoxylates—C6 to C16 / 18 alcohols, linear and branched, alcohol alkoxylates—various hydrophobic materials and EO / PO contents and ratios, polyoxyethylene hydrogenated castor oil, salts or derivatives thereof. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that different nonionic or polymeric surfactants may be utilized without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0101] According to some embodiments, the surfactant is present in an amount of 0.1% to 40% by weight of the total composition. According to some embodiments, the surfactant is present in an amount of 0.1% to 30% by weight of the total composition. According to some embodiments, the surfactant is present in an amount of 0.1% to 20% by weight of the total composition.

[0102] According to some embodiments, the dispersing agent used in the crop nutrition and fortification composition includes, but is not limited to, a non-ionic dispersing agent selected from one or more of polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyvinyl alcohol, polyoxyethylene alkyl ether, polyoxyethylene alkylphenyl ether, ethoxylated fatty acid, fatty alcohol ethoxylate; alkyl ethoxylate; EO-PO block and graft copolymer. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that different non-ionic dispersing agents can be used without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0103] According to one embodiment, the dispersant used in the crop nutrition and fortification composition includes, but is not limited to, an anionic dispersant selected from one or more of tristyrylphenol ethoxylate phosphate esters; lignin sulfonates, phenylnaphthalene sulfonates, alkali metals, alkylaryl sulfonates, alkyl sulfonates, a mixture of the sodium salt of naphthalene sulfonate urea formaldehyde condensate and the sodium salt of phenolsulfonic acid formaldehyde condensate, polycarboxylates, sodium alkylbenzene sulfonates, sodium salts of sulfonated naphthalenes, sodium naphthalene sulfonate formaldehyde condensates, condensation products of arylsulfonic acid and formaldehyde, polycyclic aromatic sulfonates, sodium alkylaryl sulfonates, and kraft lignin. However, those skilled in the art will understand that different anionic dispersants can be used without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0104] According to some embodiments, the dispersant is present in an amount of 0.1% to 40% by weight of the total composition. According to some embodiments, the dispersant is present in an amount of 0.1% to 30% by weight of the total composition. According to some embodiments, the dispersant is present in an amount of 0.1% to 20% by weight of the total composition.

[0105] According to one embodiment, the wetting agent used in the crop nutritional composition includes, but is not limited to, one or more of phenol naphthalene sulfonate, alkyl naphthalene sulfonate, sodium alkyl naphthalene sulfonate, sodium naphthalene sulfonate, dibutyl naphthalene sulfonic acid, alkylaryl sulfonate, dioctyl sulfosuccinate, polyoxyethoxylated fatty alcohol, alkane sulfonate, alkyl benzene sulfonate, alkyl ether phosphate, alkyl ether sulfate, and alkyl sulfosuccinic acid monoester, salt, and derivatives thereof.However, those skilled in the art will understand that different wetting agents can be used without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0106] According to some embodiments, the humectant is present in an amount of 0.1% to 30% by weight of the total composition. According to some embodiments, the humectant is present in an amount of 0.1% to 20% by weight of the total composition. According to some embodiments, the humectant is present in an amount of 0.1% to 10% by weight of the total composition.

[0107] In some embodiments, the carrier used in the crop nutrition and fortification compositions of the present invention includes, but is not limited to, one or more of a solid carrier, a filler, or a diluent. In other embodiments, the carrier includes a mineral carrier, a plant carrier, a synthetic carrier, or a water-soluble carrier. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that different carriers can be used without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0108] Solid carriers include natural minerals such as clays, such as china clay, acid clay, kaolin, such as kaolinite, dickite, nakruite, and synthetic and diatomaceous silica, mica, such as pyrophyllite, talc, silica, such as cristobalite and quartz, such as attapulgite and sepiolite, vermiculite, laponite, pumice, bauxite, hydrated alumina, perlite, sodium bicarbonate, limestone, natural and synthetic silicates, silica, surface-modified silica, zeolites, diatomaceous earth, loess, mirabilite, white carbon, hydrated lime, synthetic silicic acid, starch, modified starch, cellulose, plant carriers such as cellulose, rice husk, wheat flour, wood flour, starch, rice bran, wheat bran, and soy flour, sodium caseinate, sucrose, salt of sodium, potassium pyrophosphate, sodium tripolyphosphate, or derivatives or mixtures thereof. Commercially available silicates are under the Aerosil trademark, Sipernat trademarks as Sipernat® 22S and CALFLO E, and Kaolin 1777.

[0109] In some embodiments, the carrier is present in an amount of 0.1% to 95% by weight of the composition. In further embodiments, the carrier is present in an amount of 0.1% to 80% by weight of the composition. In further embodiments, the carrier is present in an amount of 0.1% to 70% by weight of the composition. In further embodiments, the carrier is present in an amount of 0.1% to 50% by weight of the composition.

[0110] According to certain embodiments, anti-foaming or defoaming agents used in the crop nutrition and enrichment compositions of the present invention include, but are not limited to, one or more of silica, siloxane, silicon dioxide, polydimethylsiloxane, alkyl polyacrylate, ethylene oxide / propylene oxide copolymer, silicone oil, and magnesium stearate or derivatives thereof. Preferred anti-foaming agents include silicone emulsions (e.g., Silicon® SRE from Rhodia, Wacker, or Rhodorsil®), long-chain alcohols, fatty acids, and fluorine-containing organic compounds. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that different anti-foaming agents can be utilized without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0111] According to some embodiments, the anti-foaming agent is present in an amount of 0.01% to 20% by weight of the total composition. According to some embodiments, the anti-foaming agent is present in an amount of 0.01% to 10% by weight of the total composition.

[0112] According to certain embodiments, the pH adjuster, buffer, or neutralizer used in the composition includes both organic and inorganic acids and bases, as well as mixtures thereof. According to further embodiments, the pH adjuster, buffer, or neutralizer includes, but is not limited to, one or more of organic acids, inorganic acids, and alkali metal compounds or salts, or derivatives thereof. According to certain embodiments, organic acids include, but are not limited to, citric acid, malic acid, adipic acid, fumaric acid, maleic acid, succinic acid, and tartaric acid, or salts, derivatives thereof, and one or more of the mono-, di-, or tribasic salts of these acids or derivatives thereof. According to certain embodiments, salts of inorganic acids include, but are not limited to, one or more of alkali metal salts, such as sodium chloride, sodium nitrate, potassium nitrate, sodium sulfate, potassium sulfate, sodium monohydrogen phosphate, potassium monohydrogen phosphate, sodium dihydrogen phosphate, potassium dihydrogen phosphate, etc. Mixtures can also be used to create the pH adjuster, buffer, or neutralizer. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that different pH adjusters can be used without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0113] According to one embodiment, the pH adjuster or buffer is present in an amount of 0.01% to 20% by weight of the total composition.

[0114] According to certain embodiments, anti-caking agents used in the crop nutritional compositions include, but are not limited to, one or more of polysaccharides, fumed and precipitated silica (white carbon), petroleum resins, Foammaster® soap L sodium stearate, Brij® 700 polyoxyethylene (100) stearyl ether, sodium acetate, sodium metasilicate, sodium alkyl sulfosuccinate, or derivatives thereof. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that different anti-caking agents can be utilized without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0115] According to one embodiment, the anti-caking agent is present in an amount of 0.1% to 20% by weight of the total composition.

[0116] According to certain embodiments, the spreading agent used in the composition includes, but is not limited to, one or more of copolymers of maleic acid and styrene compounds, (meth)acrylic acid copolymers, fatty alcohols, vegetable oils such as cottonseed or mineral oils, petroleum distillates, trisiloxanes and modified trisiloxanes, or derivatives thereof, although one skilled in the art will recognize that different spreading agents can be utilized without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0117] According to one embodiment, the spreading agent is present in an amount of 0.01% to 20% w / w of the total composition.

[0118] According to certain embodiments, the binder used in the composition includes, but is not limited to, one or more of paraffin, polyamide resin, polyacrylate, polyoxyethylene, wax, latex, polyvinylpyrrolidone, gums such as xanthan gum, vegetable oils such as cottonseed, or mineral oils, petroleum distillates, modified trisiloxanes, polyglycols, synthetic resin emulsions, or salts or derivatives thereof, however, those skilled in the art will recognize that different binders can be utilized without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0119] According to one embodiment, the adhesive agent is present in an amount of 0.01% to 30% w / w of the total composition.

[0120] In some embodiments, structuring agents used in the crop nutritional compositions include, but are not limited to, one or more of thickeners, viscosity modifiers, tackifiers, suspending aids, rheology modifiers, or anti-settling agents. The structuring agent prevents settling of the active ingredient particles after prolonged storage.

[0121] According to some embodiments, the structuring agent used in the composition includes, but is not limited to, one or more of: polyacrylic, polysaccharide, cellulose derivative, cellulose derivative, copolymer of polyvinyl alcohol and derivative; clay, for example, kaolin, smectite, attapulgite and gum, for example, guar gum, xanthan gum, gelatin, dextrin, fumed silica, mixture of fumed silica and fumed aluminum oxide, swellable polymer, poly(ethylene glycol), stachyose, cellulose, for example, hemicellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, ethylcellulose, hydroxyethylcellulose, hydroxy-methylethylcellulose, hydroxyethylpropylcellulose, methylhydroxyethylcellulose, methylcellulose; vegetable starch, for example, corn starch and potato starch.However, those skilled in the art will understand that different structuring agents can be used without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0122] Preferred structuring agents include one or more of xanthan gum, aluminum silicate, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, methylcellulose, polysaccharides, alkaline earth metal silicates, clay, gelatin, and polyvinyl alcohol.

[0123] In some embodiments, the structuring agent is present in an amount of 0.01% to 20% by weight of the composition. In some embodiments, the structuring agent is present in an amount of 0.01% to 10% by weight of the composition. In some embodiments, the structuring agent is present in an amount of 0.01% to 5% by weight of the composition.

[0124] According to certain embodiments, the antifreeze or freezing point depressant used in the composition includes, but is not limited to, one or more of polyhydric alcohols, such as ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, propylene glycol, glycerol, monohydric or polyhydric alcohols, glycol ethers, glycerol, although one skilled in the art will recognize that different antifreeze agents may be utilized without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0125] According to certain embodiments, the antifreeze or freezing point depressant is present in an amount of 0.01% to 30% by weight of the total composition.

[0126] According to certain embodiments, the chelating or complexing or sequestering agent used in the composition is a polycarboxylic acid, such as polyacrylic acid and various hydrolyzed poly(methyl vinyl ether / maleic anhydride); N-hydroxyethyliminodiacetic acid, nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), N,N,N',N'-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, N-hydroxyethyl-N,N',N'-ethylenediaminetriacetic acid, and N,N,N',N",N"-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid; alpha-hydroxy acids, such as citric acid, tartaric acid, and gluconic acid; orthophosphates, disodium phosphate, monosodium phosphate condensed phosphates, such as sodium tripolyphosphate, tetrasodium pyrophosphate, sodium hexametaphosphate, and sodium tetrapolyphosphate; ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA), N-hydroxyethyl-ethylenediaminetriacetic acid (HEDTA), ethylenediaminediacetic acid (EDDA), ethylenediaminedi(o-hydroxyphenylacetic acid) (EDDHA), cyclohexanediaminetetraacetic acid (CDTA), fulvic acid, urmic acid, nucleic acid, cyclodextrin, humic acid, and pyrophosphate. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that different chelating agents can be utilized without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0127] According to one embodiment, the chelating agent is present in an amount of 0.01% to 30% by weight of the total composition.

[0128] According to some embodiments, the penetrant used in the composition includes, but is not limited to, one or more of alcohol, glycol, glycol ether, ester, amine, alkanolamine, amine oxide, quaternary ammonium compound, triglyceride, fatty acid ester, fatty acid ether, N-methylpyrrolidone, dimethylformamide, dimethylacetamide, or dimethyl sulfoxide, polyoxyethylene trimethylolpropane monooleate, polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate, polyoxyethylene trimethylolpropane dioleate, polyoxyethylene trimethylolpropane trioleate, polyoxyethylene sorbitol hexaoleate. However, those skilled in the art will understand that different penetrants can be used without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0129] According to one embodiment, the penetrant is present in an amount of 0.01% to 30% by weight of the total composition.

[0130] According to some embodiments, the moisturizer is selected from one or more of polyoxyethylene / polyoxypropylene copolymers, particularly block copolymers, but not limited to these.Other moisturizers are propylene glycol, monoethylene glycol, hexylene glycol, butylene glycol, ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, poly(ethylene glycol), poly(propylene glycol), glycerol, etc.; polyhydric alcohol compounds such as propylene glycol ethers, and their derivatives.However, those skilled in the art will understand that different moisturizers can be used without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0131] According to one embodiment, the humectant is present in the range of 0.1% to 40% by weight of the total composition.

[0132] According to certain embodiments, stabilizers used in the crop nutrition and fortification compositions include, but are not limited to, one or more of peroxide compounds, such as hydrogen peroxide and organic peroxides, zeolites, antioxidants, such as phenolic compounds, phosphate compounds, EDTA, sodium sulfite, citric acid, citrate salts, etc. However, one skilled in the art will recognize that other conventionally known stabilizers may be utilized without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0133] According to one embodiment, the stabilizer is present in the range of 1% to 30% by weight of the total composition.

[0134] According to certain embodiments, the preservatives are formic acid and derivatives of 2H-isothiazol-3-ones (so-called isothiazolone derivatives), such as alkylisothiazolones (e.g. 2-methyl-2H-isothiazol-3-one, MIT; chloro-2-methyl-2H-isothiazol-3-one, CIT), benzisothiazolones (e.g. 1,2-benzisothiazol-3(2H)-one, BIT, commercially available as Proxel® from Arch Biocides Ltd.) or 2-methyl-4,5-trimethylene-2H-isothiazol-3-one (MTIT), Proxel® from Arch Biocides Ltd. or Acticide® RS from Thor Chemie and Kathon® MK from Lanxess, sodium propionate (Sodium The preservatives may be selected from one or more of the following: sodium benzoate, propylparaben, sodium propylparaben (Sodium), potassium sorbate, potassium benzoate, phenylmercuric nitrate, phenylethyl alcohol, sodium, ethylparaben, methylparaben, butylparaben, benzyl alcohol, benzethonium chloride, and cetylpyridinium chloride; and the antioxidants may include, but are not limited to, one or more of imidazole and imidazole derivatives (e.g., urocanic acid), 4,4'-thiobis-6-t-butyl-3-methylphenol, 2,6-di-t-butyl-p-cresol (BHT), pentaerythrityl tetrakis[3-(3,5-di-t-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)]propionate; and amine antioxidants. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that other conventional preservatives may be utilized without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0135] According to one embodiment, the preservative is present in the range of 0.01% to 2% by weight of the total composition.

[0136] According to certain embodiments, pigments and colorants are selected from, but are not limited to, synthetic chemicals obtained from various manufacturers. Pigments and colorants can be in lake form and water-soluble or water-insoluble. Dyes can be solvent dyes, acid dyes, or basic dyes. Examples of such products include, but are not limited to, Unisperse Red 3855, Pigmosol Agro Red 3785, and Pigment 15. However, one skilled in the art will recognize that other conventionally known pigments and colorants can be utilized without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0137] According to one embodiment, pigments and colorants are present in the range of 0.01% to 5% by weight of the total composition.

[0138] According to some embodiments, the disintegrants used in the crop nutrition and fortification compositions include, but are not limited to, inorganic water-soluble salts, such as sodium chloride; water-soluble organic compounds, such as agar, hydroxypropyl starch, carboxymethyl starch ether, tragacanth, cross-linked sodium carboxymethylcellulose, sodium tripolyphosphate, sodium hexametaphosphate, metal stearates, cellulose powder, dextrin, methacrylate copolymer, Polyplasdone® XL-10 (cross-linked polyvinylpyrrolidone), and poly(vinylpyrrolidone). However, those skilled in the art will understand that other conventionally known disintegrants can be used without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0139] According to one embodiment, the disintegrant is present in the range of 0.5% to 15% by weight of the total composition.

[0140] According to certain embodiments, the binding agents or binders used in the crop nutrition and fortification compositions include, but are not limited to, one or more of maltodextrin, carbohydrates, including mono-, di-, oligo-, and polysaccharides, complex organic substances, synthetic organic polymers, or derivatives and combinations thereof, although those skilled in the art will recognize that other conventionally known binding agents may be utilized without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0141] According to one embodiment, the binder is present in the range of 0.1% to 10% by weight of the total composition.

[0142] Surprisingly, it has been found that the crop nutrition and fortification compositions of the present invention enhance and improve physical properties such as dispersibility, suspendability, wettability, viscosity, pourability, flowability and spontaneity of dispersion, providing ease of handling and also reducing material loss during handling of the product during packaging and field application.

[0143] Wettability is the state or condition of being wettable and can be defined as the degree to which a solid is wetted by a liquid, as measured by the adhesive forces between the solid and liquid phases. The wettability of a granular composition is measured using standard CIPAC test MT-53, which describes a procedure for determining the time to complete wetting of a wettable formulation. A weighed amount of the granular composition is dropped from a defined height into water in a beaker, and the time to complete wetting is determined.

[0144] According to some embodiments, the compositions of the present invention have a wettability of less than 2 minutes. According to some embodiments, the compositions have a wettability of less than 1 minute.

[0145] The dispersibility of the water-dispersible granular compositions of the present invention is determined according to the standard CIPAC test, MT174. According to some embodiments, the water-dispersible granular composition has a dispersibility of at least 30%. According to some embodiments, the water-dispersible granular composition has a dispersibility of at least 50%. According to some embodiments, the water-dispersible granular composition has a dispersibility of at least 70%. According to some embodiments, the water-dispersible granular composition has a dispersibility of at least 90%. Upon contact with water, the compositions of the present invention disperse uniformly into finer particles within the size range of 0.1 microns to 30 microns.

[0146] According to certain embodiments, crop nutrition and fortification compositions in the form of water-dispersible granules exhibit almost instantaneous dispersion, thus making the active substances readily available to the crop.

[0147] According to some embodiments, the composition demonstrates greater than 85% dispersibility under ATS. According to some embodiments, the composition demonstrates greater than 70% dispersibility under ATS. According to some embodiments, the composition demonstrates greater than 50% dispersibility under ATS. According to some embodiments, the composition demonstrates greater than 40% dispersibility under ATS.

[0148] Abrasion resistance determines the resistance of a granular material to wear. The present granular composition has good abrasion resistance. Samples can be tested for abrasion according to the CIPAC Handbook test "MT 178.2 - Abrasion Resistance of Granules." According to some embodiments, the abrasion resistance of the granular composition of the present invention is at least 50%. According to some embodiments, the abrasion resistance of the granular composition of the present invention is at least 80%. According to some embodiments, the abrasion resistance of the granular composition of the present invention is at least 90%.

[0149] According to one embodiment, the compositions of the present invention in the form of water-dispersible granules or aqueous suspensions pass the wet sieve retention test. This test is used to determine the amount of non-dispersible material in a formulation applied as a dispersion in water. The wet sieve retention value of pesticide compositions in the form of liquid suspensions and granules is measured by using the standard CIPAC test MT-185, which describes a procedure for measuring the amount of material retained on a sieve. A sample of the formulation is dispersed in water, and the resulting suspension is transferred to a sieve and washed. The amount of material retained on the sieve is determined by drying and weighing.

[0150] According to some embodiments, the compositions of the present invention in the form of water-dispersible granules or aqueous suspensions have a wet sieve retention value of less than 2% on a 75 micron sieve. According to some embodiments, the compositions have a wet sieve retention value of less than 0.2% on a 75 micron sieve. A wet sieve retention value of less than 2% indicates that the composition helps prevent clogging of nozzles or filter equipment in the formulation process.

[0151] Suspensionability is defined as the amount of active ingredient suspended after a given time in a column of liquid of a specified height, expressed as a percentage of the amount of active ingredient in the original suspension. The test for suspensionability is performed as per the CIPAC Handbook, "MT 184 Test for Suspensionability".

[0152] In some embodiments, the compositions of the present invention have a suspendability of at least 30%. In some embodiments, the compositions have a suspendability of at least 60%. In some embodiments, the compositions have a suspendability of at least 80%. In some embodiments, the compositions have a suspendability of at least 90%.

[0153] According to some embodiments, the compositions of the present invention demonstrate excellent suspendability under accelerated storage conditions (ATS). According to some embodiments, the compositions demonstrate greater than 85% suspendability under ATS. According to some embodiments, the compositions demonstrate greater than 60% suspendability under ATS. According to some embodiments, the compositions demonstrate greater than 40% suspendability under ATS.

[0154] According to certain embodiments, the crop nutrition and enrichment composition in the form of an aqueous suspension is not highly concentrated and is easily pourable. The viscosity of a fluid is a measure of its resistance to gradual deformation due to shear or tensile stresses.

[0155] According to some embodiments, the viscosity of the aqueous suspension is determined according to CIPAC MT-192. The sample is transferred to a standard measurement system. Measurements are performed under different shear conditions to determine the apparent viscosity. The temperature of the liquid is kept constant throughout the test. According to some embodiments, the liquid suspension composition has a viscosity of 200 cps to 2000 cps at 25°C and is pourable. According to some embodiments, the liquid suspension composition has a viscosity of 200 cps to 1000 cps at 25°C.

[0156] According to some embodiments, aqueous suspension compositions have a viscosity of less than 2000 cps at 25° C. According to some embodiments, liquid suspension compositions have a viscosity of less than 1000 cps at 25° C. Compositions that are too viscous and highly concentrated tend to form a solid and become unpourable, and are therefore undesirable.

[0157] According to certain embodiments, the liquid suspension compositions of the present invention are easily pourable. Pourability is a measure of the percentage of residue.

[0158] According to one embodiment, the pourability of the composition is determined by allowing the composition to stand for 24 hours and determining the amount remaining in the container after a standardized pouring procedure, as per CIPAC MT-148.1. The container is rinsed, the amount remaining is determined, and the maximum rinse residue is calculated as a percentage. According to a further embodiment, the pourability of the composition is less than 5% rinse residue. According to a further embodiment, the pourability of the composition is preferably less than 2.5% rinse residue.

[0159] According to some embodiments, dispersion spontaneity is measured according to CIPAC MT 160. This involves preparing a 250 ml mixture of formulation and water, with a single inversion of the graduated cylinder to mix. After standing under defined conditions, the top nine-tenths is removed, and the remaining one-tenth is assayed chemically, gravimetrically, or by solvent extraction. Dispersion spontaneity is easily calculated. According to some embodiments, suspension concentrate compositions have a dispersion spontaneity of 30%. According to some embodiments, compositions have a dispersion spontaneity of 60%. According to some embodiments, compositions have a dispersion spontaneity of 80%. According to some embodiments, compositions have a dispersion spontaneity of 95%.

[0160] According to some embodiments, the compositions of the present invention demonstrate excellent stability against heat, light, temperature, and solidification. According to some embodiments, the compositions exhibit stability for at least 3 years. According to further embodiments, the compositions exhibit stability for at least 2 years. According to further embodiments, the compositions exhibit stability for at least 1 year. According to further embodiments, the compositions exhibit stability for at least 6 months.

[0161] According to some embodiments, the crop nutrition and enrichment composition in the form of water-dispersible granules has a hardness of less than 4 Newtons. According to further embodiments, the crop nutrition composition in the form of water-dispersible granules has a hardness of less than 3 Newtons. According to further embodiments, the crop nutrition composition in the form of water-dispersible granules has a hardness of less than 2 Newtons. According to further embodiments, the crop nutrition composition in the form of water-dispersible granules preferably has a hardness of less than 1 Newton.

[0162] More preferably, the crop nutritional composition in the form of water-dispersible granules has zero hardness. Reference to zero hardness refers to the fact that the hardness of the granules cannot be measured by a hardness measuring device. The hardness exhibited by the granules can be estimated by a hardness tester, such as that provided by the Vinsyst portable benchtop hardness tester VTHT series.

[0163] According to one embodiment, the present invention relates to a process for preparing a crop nutrient and enrichment composition in the form of a water-dispersible granule or aqueous suspension of the present invention, comprising a homogeneous mixture of elemental sulfur in a concentration range of 1% to 90% by weight of the total composition, at least one trace nutrient selected from selenium and vanadium in their elemental form or salts, complexes, or derivatives thereof, wherein the content of elemental selenium or vanadium is in the range of 0.001% to 10% by weight of the total composition, and at least one surfactant selected from nonionic and anionic surfactants in the range of 0.1 to 40% by weight of the total composition, wherein the composition comprises particles in the size range of 0.1 to 30 microns.

[0164] According to further embodiments, the crop nutrition and fortification composition in the form of water dispersible granules is prepared by various techniques such as spray drying, fluid bed granulation, extrusion, freeze drying, spheronization, etc.

[0165] According to one embodiment, there is provided a process for preparing a crop nutrient and fortification composition in the form of water dispersible granules, comprising: a. i. elemental sulfur in the range of 1% to 90% by weight of the total composition; ii. one or more trace nutrients selected from selenium and vanadium in their elemental forms or salts or complexes or derivatives thereof, wherein the content of elemental selenium or vanadium is in the range of 0.001% to 10% by weight of the total composition; and iii. one or more surfactants selected from nonionic and anionic surfactants in the range of 0.1 to 40% by weight of the total composition; milling the homogenous admixture in water to obtain a slurry or wet mix in which the particles of the composition are in the size range of 0.1 microns to 30 microns; b. drying the slurry or wet mix in a spray dryer, fluid bed dryer, or any suitable granulation equipment to obtain water dispersible granules; The water-dispersible granules are further sieved to remove undersized and oversized granules to obtain the desired size.

[0166] According to another embodiment, the crop nutrient and fortification composition in the form of water dispersible granules comprises: i) elemental sulfur in the range of 1% to 90% by weight of the total composition; ii) one or more trace nutrients selected from selenium and vanadium in their elemental form or salts or complexes or derivatives thereof, wherein the content of elemental selenium or vanadium is in the range of 0.001% to 10% by weight of the total composition; and iii) one or more surfactants selected from nonionic and anionic surfactants in the range of 0.1 to 40% by weight of the total composition; It can also be made by dry-milling a homogeneous mixture of the dry powders in an air mill or jet mill to obtain a homogeneous mixture with a fine particle size. Water is added to the dry powder and the mixture is blended to obtain a dough or paste or wet mix, which is then extruded through an extruder to obtain granules containing particles in the size range of 0.1 micron to 30 microns. The water-dispersible granules are further sieved to remove undersized and oversized granules and obtain the desired size.

[0167] According to certain embodiments, the process for preparing the aqueous suspension composition involves homogenizing a mixture of one or more trace nutrients selected from elemental sulfur, selenium and vanadium in their elemental forms or salts or complexes or derivatives thereof, and at least one surfactant selected from nonionic and anionic surfactants to obtain a suspension, and wet-milling the resulting suspension to obtain a composition having a particle size range of 0.1 to 30 microns.

[0168] The process for preparing an aqueous suspension involves homogenizing one or more excipients by feeding them into a vessel equipped with a stirring device. One or more trace nutrients selected from elemental sulfur and its elemental forms, selenium and vanadium, or salts, complexes, or derivatives thereof, are added to the homogenized mixture, and the mixture is continuously stirred for about 5 to 10 minutes until the entire mixture is homogenized. The resulting suspension is then passed through a wet mill to obtain a desired particle size within the range of 0.1 to 30 microns. If necessary, one or more excipients, such as a structuring agent or, optionally, a biocide or preservative, are added to the resulting suspension while being continuously homogenized. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that the process or process parameters can be modified, altered, or changed to obtain a suspension concentrate composition without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0169] The present invention relates to a process for preparing a crop nutrient and fortifying composition in the form of an aqueous suspension, comprising: a. i. elemental sulfur in the range of 1% to 90% by weight of the total composition; ii. one or more trace nutrients selected from selenium and vanadium in their elemental forms or salts or complexes or derivatives thereof, wherein the content of elemental selenium or vanadium is in the range of 0.001% to 10% by weight of the total composition; and iii. one or more surfactants selected from nonionic and anionic surfactants in the range of 0.1 to 40% by weight of the total composition; milling the homogenous blend in water to obtain a homogenous suspension in which the particles of the composition are within the size range of 0.1 microns to 30 microns; b. adding a structuring agent and other excipients, if necessary, and the remainder water to obtain an aqueous suspension; The present invention also relates to a process including:

[0170] According to one embodiment, the present invention provides a method for enhancing nutrient uptake and improving plant health and yield, comprising: i. elemental sulfur in a concentration range of 1% to 90% by weight of the total composition; ii. at least one trace nutrient selected from selenium and vanadium in their elemental form or salts or complexes or derivatives thereof, wherein the content of elemental selenium or vanadium is in the range of 0.001% to 10% by weight of the total composition; and iii. at least one surfactant selected from nonionic and anionic surfactants in the range of 0.1 to 40% by weight of the total composition; by treating the plant, plant propagation material, location or part thereof, seed, seedling or surrounding soil with a crop nutrient and enrichment composition comprising: The method also relates to a composition in the form of a water-dispersible granule or an aqueous suspension, the composition comprising particles in the size range of 0.1 to 30 microns.

[0171] The composition can be applied by various methods. The method of applying to soil includes any suitable method that ensures that the composition penetrates into the soil, such as seedling tray application, broadcast application, furrow application, soil drench, soil injection, drip irrigation, sprinkler irrigation, seed treatment, seed painting and other such methods.The composition can also be applied in the form of foliar spray.

[0172] The application rate or dose of the composition will depend on the type of use, the type of crop, or the specific active ingredients in the composition, but will be such that the crop nutritional active ingredients are in an effective amount to provide the desired effect (crop nutrition, crop yield, etc.).

[0173] It has been observed that the compositions of the present invention, comprising specific concentrations of elemental sulfur and at least one trace nutrient selected from elemental forms of selenium and vanadium, or salts, complexes, or derivatives thereof, and at least one surfactant selected from nonionic and anionic surfactants, when formulated in the form of water-dispersible granules or aqueous suspensions with specific particle sizes, enhance the availability of nutrients for plant uptake, which in turn results in improved crop yield and enhanced physiological characteristics of the crop. It has also been observed that the compositions of the present invention prevent the leaching of these nutrients, and the synergistic effects in the compositions maximize their availability for crop uptake, increasing overall yield at reduced application doses. Thus, it has been observed that the compositions of the present invention demonstrate enhanced, effective, and superior field performance at reduced doses.

[0174] It was even more surprising to observe that balanced nutrient uptake leads to healthier plants that can withstand pest infestations, higher nutrient yields in all types of soil, and ultimately improved overall soil health. By providing a multi-nutrient solution with improved uptake by crops at reduced doses, along with ease of field application, the composition of the present invention meets crop needs while acting as a nutrient-use efficient composition, making it economically beneficial and environmentally friendly. [Example]

[0175] Preparation example: The following examples illustrate the basic methodology and versatility of the compositions of the present invention. The selenium and vanadium sources exemplified in the preparation examples can be replaced by any other salts or derivatives as described herein, varying the claimed concentration ranges, respectively. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0176] A. Water-dispersible granular compositions (WDG or WG): Example 1: Water-dispersible granules (WG) containing 45% elemental sulfur and 7% selenium dioxide (Se=5%) 46 parts of Sulphur technical was blended with 7.20 parts of selenium dioxide, 5 parts of a mixture of naphthalenesulfonic acid and phenolsulfonic acid condensation product salts, 10 parts of sodium lignosulfonate, 27.8 parts of clay in 100 parts of water and ground to an average particle size of less than 3 microns. To the blended ground slurry, 4 parts of sodium citrate was added and stirred for 1 hour, and the material was then spray dried / fluid bed dried to give a product with a granule size of less than 1.5 mm.

[0177] The composition had a suspendability of 83%, a wet sieve retention on a 75 micron sieve of 0.11%, a dispersibility of 78%, an attrition resistance of 92% and a wetting time of 10 seconds.

[0178] Example 2: Water-dispersible granules (WG) containing 70% elemental sulfur and 13% iron selenide (Se=7.61%) 71 parts of technical sulfur was blended with 13.2 parts of iron selenide, 5 parts of a mixture of salts of naphthalene sulfonic acid and phenol sulfonic acid condensation products, 8.2 parts of sodium lignosulfonate in 100 parts of water and ground to an average particle size of less than 2.5 microns. 2.6 parts of sodium alkylnaphthalene sulfonate condensate was added to the blended ground slurry and stirred for 1 hour, then the material was spray dried / fluid bed dried to obtain a product with a granule size of less than 1 mm.

[0179] The composition had a suspendability of 81%, a wet sieve retention on a 75 micron sieve of 0.11%, a dispersibility of 78%, an attrition resistance of 92.3% and a wetting time of 5 seconds.

[0180] Example 3: Water-dispersible granules (WG) containing 90% elemental sulfur and 0.25% iron selenide (Se=0.15%) 91 parts technical sulfur was mixed with 0.26 parts iron selenium, 6 parts sodium lignosulfonate, 2.74 parts sodium alkylnaphthalene sulfonate in 100 parts water and ground to an average particle size of less than 2 microns. The ground slurry was then spray dried / fluid bed dried to obtain a product with a granule size of less than 1 mm.

[0181] The composition had a suspendability of 71%, a wet sieve retention on a 75 micron sieve of 0.13%, a dispersibility of 72%, an attrition resistance of 96.4% and a wetting time of 10 seconds.

[0182] Example 4: Water-dispersible granules (WG) containing 50% elemental sulfur and 2% vanadium pentoxide (V=1%) 51 parts technical sulfur was mixed with 2.2 parts vanadium pentoxide, 10 parts sodium lignosulfonate, 4 parts sodium citrate, and 5 parts salt of a condensation product of naphthalenesulfonic acid and phenolsulfonic acid, 27.8 parts clay, and 100 parts water, and ground to an average particle size of less than 5 microns. The ground slurry was then spray dried / fluid bed dried to obtain a product with a granule size of less than 2.5 mm.

[0183] The composition had a suspendability of 71%, a wet sieve retention on a 75 micron sieve of 0.02%, a dispersibility of 69%, an attrition resistance of 93.2% and a wetting time of 8 seconds.

[0184] Example 5: Water-dispersible granules (WG) containing 90% elemental sulfur and 0.14% vanadium (II) oxide (V=0.15%) 91 parts technical sulfur was mixed with 0.145 parts vanadium(II) oxide, 4.36 parts sodium lignosulfonate, 3 parts a mixture of salts of naphthalenesulfonic acid and phenolsulfonic acid condensation products, and 1.495 parts clay in 110 parts water and ground to an average particle size of less than 7 microns. The ground slurry was then spray dried / fluid bed dried to yield a product with a granule size of less than 3 mm.

[0185] The composition had a suspendability of 65%, a wet sieve retention on a 75 micron sieve of 0.13%, a dispersibility of 62%, an attrition resistance of 97.2% and a wetting time of 5 seconds.

[0186] Example 6: Water-dispersible granules (WG) of 60% elemental sulfur + 14% selenium dioxide (Se = 10%) + 0.5% vanadyl sulfate (V = 0.10%) 60.7 parts of technical sulfur was mixed with 14.4 parts of selenium dioxide, 0.530 parts of vanadyl sulfate, 6 parts of Kraft lignin polymer, 2.47 parts of sodium alkylnaphthalene sulfonate condensate, 15.9 parts of clay in 120 parts of water and ground to an average particle size of less than 7 microns. The ground slurry was then spray dried / fluid bed dried to obtain a product with a granule size of less than 1 mm.

[0187] The composition had a suspendability of 73%, a wet sieve retention on a 75 micron sieve of 0.08%, a dispersibility of 71%, an attrition resistance of 98.2% and a wetting time of 4 seconds.

[0188] Example 7: Water-dispersible granules (WG) containing 30% elemental sulfur and 0.004% potassium metavanadate (V=0.001%) 30.3 parts of technical sulfur was mixed with 0.005 parts of potassium metavanadate, 6.255 parts of sodium lignosulfonate, 2.74 parts of sodium alkylnaphthalene sulfonate condensate, 60.7 parts of clay in 120 parts of water and ground to an average particle size of less than 5 microns. The ground slurry was then spray dried / fluid bed dried to obtain a product with a granule size of less than 1 mm.

[0189] The composition had a suspendability of 70%, a wet sieve retention on a 75 micron sieve of 0.06%, a dispersibility of 68%, an attrition resistance of 97% and a wetting time of 5 seconds.

[0190] Example 8: Water-dispersible granules (WG) containing 85% elemental sulfur and 0.002% selenium dioxide (Se=0.001%) 86 parts technical sulfur was mixed with 0.002 parts selenium dioxide, 2 parts sodium lauryl sulfate, 8 parts sodium lignosulfonate, 2 parts sodium alkylnaphthalene sulfonate condensate, 1.998 parts clay in 100 parts water and ground to an average particle size of less than 4 microns. The ground slurry was then spray dried / fluid bed dried to obtain a product with a granule size of less than 1 mm.

[0191] The composition had a suspendability of 68%, a wet sieve retention on a 75 micron sieve of 0.04%, a dispersibility of 62%, an attrition resistance of 98% and a wetting time of 4 seconds.

[0192] Example 9: Water-dispersible granules (WG) containing 80% elemental sulfur and 5.5% zinc selenide (Se=3%) 81 parts of technical sulfur were mixed with 5.7 parts of zinc selenide, 9.3 parts of sodium lignosulfonate, 4 parts of a salt of a naphthalene sulfonic acid condensation product in 100 parts of water and ground to an average particle size of less than 4 microns. The ground slurry was then spray dried / fluid bed dried to obtain a product with a granule size of less than 1 mm.

[0193] The composition had a suspendability of 86%, a wet sieve retention on a 75 micron sieve of 0.01%, a dispersibility of 80%, an attrition resistance of 97% and a wetting time of 2 seconds.

[0194] Example 10: Water-dispersible granules (WG) containing 10% elemental sulfur and 18% vanadium pentoxide (V=10%) 10.3 parts technical sulfur was mixed with 18.20 parts vanadium pentoxide, 32.5 parts bentonite, 1 part sodium isopropyl naphthalene sulfonate, 15 parts talc, 15 parts clay, 5 parts sodium lignosulfonate, 3 parts sodium lauryl sulfate in 100 parts water and ground to an average particle size of less than 4 microns. The ground slurry was then spray dried / fluid bed dried to yield a product with a granule size of less than 1 mm.

[0195] The composition had a suspendability of 75%, a wet sieve retention on a 75 micron sieve of 0.02%, a dispersibility of 67%, an attrition resistance of 97% and a wetting time of 4 seconds.

[0196] B. Aqueous suspension (SC) Example 11: Suspension concentrate (SC) of 55% elemental sulfur and 0.45% iron selenide (Se=0.26%) 25 parts of sodium alkylnaphthalenesulfonate condensate and 50 parts of propylene glycol were added to 330 parts of water and homogenized by feeding them into a vessel equipped with a stirring device. 560 parts of sulfur powder and 0.46 parts of iron selenide were further added to the homogenized mixture, and the mixture was continuously stirred for approximately 10 minutes until the entire mixture was homogenized. 10 parts of polyalkylene oxide-modified heptamethyltrisiloxane and 0.5 parts of polydimethylsiloxane emulsion were added to the mixture while continuously homogenizing to obtain a liquid suspension. The resulting suspension was then passed through a wet mill to reduce particle size. 1.3 parts of xanthan gum, 1 part of 1,2-benzisothiazolin-3-one, the remaining water, and 0.5 parts of polydimethylsiloxane emulsion were then added while continuously homogenizing to obtain a liquid suspension.

[0197] The composition had particle sizes of 1.52 microns D10, 2.82 microns D50, and 3.91 microns D90, a viscosity of 780 cps, and a suspendability of 89%. The pourability rinsed residue was found to be 0.89%. A dispersion spontaneity of 85% and a wet sieve retention at 75 microns of 0.04% were observed.

[0198] Example 12: Suspension concentrate (SC) of 10% elemental sulfur and 28% copper selenide (Se=10%) 25 parts of alkyl polyalkylene glycol ether and 100 parts of ethylene glycol were added to 280 parts of water and homogenized by feeding them into a vessel equipped with a stirring device. 110 parts of sulfur powder and 283 parts of copper selenide were further added to the homogenized mixture, and the mixture was continuously stirred for approximately 10 minutes until the entire mixture became homogenous. 15 parts of polycarboxylate and 0.4 parts of polydimethylsiloxane emulsion were added to the mixture while continuously homogenizing to obtain a liquid suspension. The resulting suspension was then passed through a wet mill to reduce particle size. 1.8 parts of xanthan gum, 1 part of 1,2-benzisothiazolin-3-one, the remaining water, and 0.4 parts of polydimethylsiloxane emulsion were then added while continuously homogenizing to obtain a liquid suspension.

[0199] The composition had particle sizes of 2.11 microns D10, 3.78 microns D50, and 4.52 microns D90, a viscosity of 610 cps, and a suspension of 90%. The rinse residue pourability was found to be 0.74%. A dispersion spontaneity of 88% and a wet sieve retention at 75 microns of 0.12% were observed.

[0200] Example 13: Suspension concentrate (SC) of 40% elemental sulfur and 9% vanadium pentoxide (Va=5%) 25 parts of sodium alkylnaphthalenesulfonate condensate and 70 parts of glycerol were added to 320 parts of water and homogenized by feeding them into a vessel equipped with a stirring device. 410 parts of sulfur powder and 93 parts of vanadium pentoxide were further added to the homogenized mixture, and the mixture was continuously stirred for approximately 10 minutes until the entire mixture became homogenous. 5 parts of polymeric surfactant and 0.4 parts of polydimethylsiloxane emulsion were added to the above mixture while continuously homogenizing to obtain a liquid suspension. The resulting suspension was then passed through a wet mill to reduce particle size. Next, 1.2 parts of xanthan gum, 0.5 parts of 1,2-benzisothiazolin-3-one, 0.5 parts of a mixture of methylisothiazolinone and methylchloroisothiazolinone, the remaining water, and 0.4 parts of polydimethylsiloxane emulsion were added while continuously homogenizing to obtain a liquid suspension.

[0201] The composition had particle sizes of 1.34 microns D10, 2.56 microns D50, and 4.21 microns D90, a viscosity of 720 cps, and a suspension of 95%. The pourability of the rinse residue was found to be 0.84%. A dispersion spontaneity of 90% and a wet sieve retention at 75 microns of 0.06% were observed.

[0202] Example 14: Suspension Concentrate (SC) of 35% Elemental Sulfur and 13% Vanadium(II) Oxide (V=10%) 30 parts of sodium alkylnaphthalenesulfonate condensate and 70 parts of propylene glycol were added to 300 parts of water and homogenized by feeding them into a vessel equipped with a stirring device. 357 parts of sulfur powder and 133 parts of vanadium(II) oxide were then added to the homogenized mixture, and the mixture was continuously stirred for approximately 10 minutes until the entire mixture became homogenous. 20 parts of polyalkylene oxide-modified heptamethyltrisiloxane and 0.4 parts of polydimethylsiloxane emulsion were added to the above mixture with continuous homogenization to obtain a liquid suspension. The resulting suspension was then passed through a wet mill to reduce particle size. 1.8 parts of xanthan gum, 1 part of 1,2-benzisothiazolin-3-one, the remaining water, and 0.4 parts of polydimethylsiloxane emulsion were then added with continuous homogenization to obtain a liquid suspension.

[0203] The composition had particle sizes of 1.62 microns D10, 2.93 microns D50, and 4.90 microns D90, a viscosity of 580 cps, and a suspension of 91%. The rinse residue pourability was found to be 0.42%. A dispersion spontaneity of 90% and a wet sieve retention at 75 microns of 0.12% were observed.

[0204] Example 15: Suspension concentrate (SC) of 45% elemental sulfur and 0.5% vanadyl sulfate (V=0.15%) 25 parts of sodium alkylnaphthalenesulfonate condensate and 95 parts of ethylene glycol were added to 270 parts of water and homogenized by feeding them into a vessel equipped with a stirring device. 460 parts of sulfur powder and 5.3 parts of vanadyl sulfate were further added to the homogenized mixture, and the mixture was continuously stirred for approximately 10 minutes until the entire mixture became homogenous. 10 parts of polyalkylene oxide-modified heptamethyltrisiloxane and 0.4 parts of polydimethylsiloxane emulsion were added to the above mixture while continuously homogenizing to obtain a liquid suspension. The resulting suspension was then passed through a wet mill to reduce particle size. 2.3 parts of magnesium aluminum silicate, 1 part of 1,2-benzisothiazolin-3-one, the remaining water, and 0.4 parts of polydimethylsiloxane emulsion were then added while continuously homogenizing to obtain a liquid suspension.

[0205] The composition had particle sizes of 2.11 microns D10, 3.78 microns D50, and 4.51 microns D90, a viscosity of 900 cps, and a suspension of 94%. The pourability of the rinse residue was found to be 0.82%. A dispersion spontaneity of 91% and a wet sieve retention at 75 microns of 0.04% were observed.

[0206] Example 16: Suspension concentrate (SC) of 55% elemental sulfur and 0.14% selenium dioxide (Se=0.10) 5 parts of sodium alkylnaphthalenesulfonate condensate and 70 parts of propylene glycol were added to 320 parts of water and homogenized by feeding them into a vessel equipped with a stirring device. 560 parts of sulfur powder and 1.45 parts of selenium dioxide were further added to the homogenized mixture, and the mixture was continuously stirred for approximately 10 minutes until the entire mixture became homogenous. 20 parts of a solution of modified styrene-maleic anhydride copolymer and 0.5 parts of a polydimethylsiloxane emulsion were added to the above mixture while continuously homogenizing to obtain a liquid suspension. The resulting suspension was then passed through a wet mill to reduce particle size. 1.2 parts of xanthan gum, 1 part of 1,2-benzisothiazolin-3-one, the remaining water, and 0.5 parts of the polydimethylsiloxane emulsion were then added while continuously homogenizing to obtain a liquid suspension.

[0207] The composition had particle sizes of 1.34 microns D10, 2.66 microns D50, and 4.23 microns D90, a viscosity of 800 cps, and a suspension of 93%. The pourability of the rinse residue was found to be 0.82%. The spontaneity of the dispersion was 87% and the wet sieve retention at 75 microns was 0.08%.

[0208] Field Study: Field trial 1: To study the synergistic effects of a composition containing elemental sulfur and selenium or vanadium in water-dispersible granular (WG) form on growth and yield in tomato. A field trial was conducted to study the effect of elemental sulfur and selenium in combination on growth and yield in tomato crops. The trial was conducted in a randomized block design (RBD) with six treatments including an untreated control replicated four times during the kharif season. Test product samples, sulfur, selenium, and vanadium, alone and in combination, were applied as soil fertilizer at the prescribed doses. Tomato crops in the trial field were grown in accordance with good agricultural practices. Seeds of tomato, Abhilash, were used in the study and planted at a spacing of 120 cm between rows and 45 cm between plants. The experimental details are as follows:

[0209] [Table 1]

[0210] At 50 DAA, plant height observations were made from 10 randomly selected plants per treatment per replicate, and the average was calculated. Plant vigor (0-200%) was recorded at 50 DAA as visual observations, where the UTC scale was always 100%. Yield observations were recorded at harvest, and the average data are presented in Table 1.

[0211] [Table 2]

[0212] From the observed data in Table 1, it can be seen that compositions T1 and T2, as an embodiment of the present invention, demonstrate synergistic behavior.

[0213] "Synergism" is as defined by Colby SR in his article entitled "Calculation of the synergistic and antagonistic responses of herbicide combinations," published in Weeds, 1967, 15, pp. 20-22. The expected effect of a given combination of two active ingredients can be calculated as follows: E=X+Y-(XY) / 100 During the ceremony, E = expected effect in % of a mixture of two products X and Y at a defined dose X = % observed effect of product A Y = % observed effect of product B

[0214] The synergy factor (SF) is calculated by Abbott's formula (Equation (2) (Abbott), 1925) SF = observed effect / expected effect In the formula, SF>1 for a synergistic reaction; SF<1 for an antagonistic reaction; SF=1 for an additive reaction.

[0215] A synergistic effect of the combination can be inferred if the percentage yield effect observed for the combination is greater than the expected percentage, an additive effect can only be inferred if the percentage yield effect observed for the combination is equal to the expected percentage, and an antagonistic effect of the combination can be inferred if the percentage yield effect observed for the combination is lower than the expected percentage.

[0216] From the data presented in Table 1, the synergistic behavior of the combination of the present invention in the form of WDG can be observed in the yield of tomato crops.

[0217] Based on the data and calculations, the expected percentage increase in tomato yield for the combination of elemental sulfur and selenium was 22.23%. However, from Table 1 above, it can be clearly seen that treatment T1 with water-dispersible granules (WG) of 80% elemental sulfur + 2.5% zinc selenide (Se 1.37%) as an embodiment of the present invention showed a 29.41% increase in yield over the untreated control. Similarly, the expected percentage increase in tomato yield for the combination of elemental sulfur and vanadium was 18.47%. However, treatment T2 with water-dispersible granules (WG) of 80% elemental sulfur + 2% vanadium pentoxide (Va 1.12%) as an embodiment of the present invention showed a 25% increase in yield over the untreated control.

[0218] The synergy factors for treatments T1 and T2 were 1.32 and 1.35, respectively, illustrating the synergistic properties of the compositions. Thus, treatments T1 and T2 with the WDG composition according to an embodiment of the present invention demonstrated synergistic effects compared to the application of the individual active substances. The results were even more surprising when treatments T1 and T2 and individual treatments T3-T5 were applied with the same doses of active substances, i.e., 16,000 g / ha sulfur, 274 g / ha selenium, and 224 g / ha vanadium. The observed results also show that plant height and plant vigor in tomato crops were found to be higher in treatments T1 and T2 compared to the individual application of the active substances.

[0219] Field trial 2: To study the synergistic effects of a composition containing elemental sulfur and selenium / vanadium in aqueous suspension (SC) form on growth and yield in eggplant. The trial was conducted during the kharif season in a randomized block design (RBD) with six treatments, including an untreated control, replicated four times. A plot size of 40 square meters (8m x 5m) was maintained for each treatment. The compositions tested included elemental sulfur and selenium / vanadium in combination or alone. The eggplant crop at the trial site was grown in accordance with good agricultural practices. Seeds of eggplant, Pusa purple long, were used in the study and planted at a spacing of 120cm between rows and 45cm between plants. The experimental details are as follows:

[0220] [Table 3]

[0221] Plant height observations were made at 50 DAA from 10 randomly selected plants per treatment per replicate and the mean was calculated. Yield observations were recorded at harvest and the mean data are shown in Table 2.

[0222] [Table 4]

[0223] From the data presented in Table 2, it can be concluded that treatments T1 and T2 as an embodiment of the present invention demonstrate synergistic behavior. This synergistic behavior of the combination of the present invention in the form of an aqueous suspension (SC) can be observed from the yield of the eggplant crop.

[0224] Based on the data and calculations, the expected percentage increase in eggplant yield for the combination of elemental sulfur and selenium was 31.20%. However, from Table 2 above, it can be clearly seen that treatment T1 with 45% elemental sulfur + 1% iron selenide (Se 0.59%) SC, as per an embodiment of the present invention, demonstrated a 38.46% increase in yield over the untreated control. Similarly, for the combination of elemental sulfur and vanadium, the expected percentage increase in eggplant yield was 29.99%. However, treatment T2 with 45% elemental sulfur + 1% vanadium(II) oxide (V = 0.76%) SC, as per an embodiment of the present invention, demonstrated a 35.38% increase in yield over the untreated control.

[0225] The synergistic factors for treatments T1 and T2 are 1.23 and 1.17, respectively, which illustrate the synergistic properties of the compositions. Thus, treatments T1 and T2 using the SC composition according to an embodiment of the present invention demonstrated synergistic effects compared to the application of individual active substances. The results were even more surprising when treatments T1 and T2 of the present invention and independent treatments T3 to T5 were applied with the same active substance dosage, i.e., 15,750 g / ha sulfur, 207 g / ha selenium, and 266 g / ha vanadium. Furthermore, it was found that the plant height of eggplant crops was higher in treatments T1 and T2 compared to the application of individual active substances.

[0226] Field Trial 3: To study the synergistic effects of compositions containing elemental sulfur and selenium in rice (rice) The trial was conducted in a randomized block design (RBD) with six treatments, including an untreated control, replicated four times during the kharif season. A plot size of 40 square meters (8m x 5m) was maintained for each treatment. Rice crops in the trial sites were grown in accordance with Good Agricultural Practices. Seeds of rice variety Gurjari were used to raise seedlings, and 25-day-old seedlings were used for transplanting in the trial sites with a planting spacing of 30cm between rows and 25cm between plants. The details of the experiment are as follows:

[0227] [Table 5]

[0228] Plant vigor (0-200%) was recorded 50 days after application as a visual observation, where the UTC scale was always 100%. Yield observations were recorded at harvest and average data are presented in Table 3 to summarize the efficacy of the claimed compositions.

[0229] [Table 6]

[0230] Herein, the inventors tested compositions containing a combination of elemental sulfur and selenium in WG and SC forms as per embodiments of the present invention compared to the stand-alone actives, and the average data of all observations is presented in Table 3 to illustrate the impact of a combination of elemental sulfur and selenium as per embodiments of the present invention on rice yield.

[0231] From Table 3, it can be observed that treatment T1 with a composition comprising WG, 75% elemental sulfur + 6% selenium dioxide (4.27% Se), as per an embodiment of the present invention, demonstrated a 40.70% increase in yield over the untreated control, which is higher than the expected yield increase for treatment T1, i.e., 22.37%. Therefore, it can be concluded that treatment T1, as per an embodiment of the present invention, demonstrated synergistic behavior.

[0232] It was surprising to observe that treatments T2 and T3 with the compositions of the present invention demonstrated enhanced yields compared to the expected yields, even when applied at reduced doses compared to the stand-alone active substances. The same trends were observed for plant vigor and other growth parameters such as plant height, green color depth, etc.

[0233] It can therefore be concluded that the compositions of the present invention comprising a combination of elemental sulfur and selenium in WG and SC forms as an embodiment of the present invention have demonstrated superior efficacy in terms of increased yield and improved physiological parameters of plants compared to the standalone active substances when applied at reduced doses.

[0234] Field Trial 4: Investigating the effect of particle size distribution in compositions containing elemental sulfur and selenium / vanadium combinations in wheat The trial was conducted in a randomized block design (RBD) with 12 treatments including an untreated control replicated four times during the rabi season. A plot size of 30 square metres (6m x 5m) was maintained for each treatment. Wheat crops at the trial sites were grown in accordance with good agricultural practices.

[0235] [Table 7]

[0236] Observations for number of shoots were recorded from 10 randomly selected plants per treatment per replicate and average values ​​were calculated at 40 DAA, observations for yield were made at harvest and the average data are presented in Table 4 to list the efficacy of elemental sulfur and selenium / vanadium compositions having particles within the size range of 0.1 to 30 microns prepared according to embodiments of the present invention compared to compositions having particle sizes greater than 0.1 to 30 microns.

[0237] [Table 8]

[0238] [Table 9]

[0239] From the data presented in Table 4, it can be seen that treatments with compositions comprising elemental sulfur and selenium / vanadium according to embodiments of the present invention, i.e., T1 through T3, in which the particles of the composition were in the size range of 0.1 to 30 microns, demonstrated significant increases in yield and nutrient uptake compared to the same compositions, i.e., T4 through T8, in which the particles were in the size range of greater than 0.1 to 30 microns. For example, treatment T3 with a composition comprising WG, 65% sulfur and 7% vanadium(IV) oxide (Va 4.30%), with a particle size in the range of 0.1 to 30 microns according to embodiments of the present invention, demonstrated a yield increase of approximately 42.42% over the control, higher than the expected yield increase of 24.07% calculated according to Colby's formula, whereas treatment T8 with a composition having a particle size of 0.1 to 50 microns showed a yield increase of only 14.81%, far below the expected yield increase. The results were even more surprising when treatments T3 and T8, which contained combinations of elemental sulfur and vanadium with different particle size ranges, and stand-alone treatments T9 and T11, were applied to the soil at the same dose of active substance, i.e., 13,000 g / ha sulfur and 860 g / ha vanadium.

[0240] Similarly, treatment T2 with WG 65% elemental sulfur + 7% iron selenide (4.1% Se) with particles of the composition within the size range of 0.1 to 30 microns, as an embodiment of the present invention, showed superior yield compared to treatments T4 to T7 with the same composition with particles within the size range of 0.1 to over 30 microns, even though the same active dose of 13,000 g / ha sulfur and 820 g / ha selenium was applied in all these treatments.

[0241] Furthermore, from the above table it can be seen that treatment T1 with a composition consisting of WG, 65% elemental sulfur + 7% iron selenide (4.1% Se) with particles in the size range of 0.1 to 10 microns as per an embodiment of the present invention, demonstrated the highest yield and nutrient uptake even though it was applied at reduced doses, i.e., 9750 g / ha sulfur and 615 g / ha selenium, compared to the other treatments which were applied at higher doses of 13000 g / ha sulfur and 820 g / ha selenium.

[0242] Similarly, it can be observed that treatments T1 to T3 with the composition of the present invention demonstrated superior uptake of nutrients such as iron, potassium, magnesium, along with sulfur, selenium, and vanadium, as compared to the other treatments. Thus, it can be seen that the composition of the present invention, whose particles are in the size range of 0.1 microns to 30 microns, facilitated the uptake of nutrients present in the composition as well as the availability of nutrients present in the soil for uptake by the crop.

[0243] From the foregoing data, it can be concluded that compositions containing elemental sulfur and selenium or vanadium having particles within the size range of 0.1 to 30 microns are synergistic in nature and demonstrated significantly higher uptake and higher yield of nutrients. Thus, the compositions of the present invention, in the form of the claimed compositions, have been found to have very high nutrient utilization efficiency.

[0244] Field trial 5: To study the efficacy of a composition containing elemental sulfur and selenium compared to the individual active substances at reduced doses in tomatoes (pot trial) The trial was conducted in a randomized block design (RBD) with 12 treatments, including an untreated control, replicated four times during the rainy season. A plot size of 4 square meters (2m x 2m) was maintained for each treatment. The compositions being evaluated included elemental sulfur, selenium / vanadium, in combination or alone, along with traditional fertilizer practices (NPK). Tomato crops at the trial site were grown in accordance with good agricultural practices. Tomato, Abhilash, seeds were used in the study and planted at a plant spacing of 60cm between rows and 30cm between plants. The details of the experiment are as follows:

[0245] [Table 10]

[0246] Observations for plant height and stem circumference were recorded at 70 DAA, and the observed and average yield data at harvest are presented in Table 5, which lists the efficacy of compositions of the present invention in water-dispersible granular and aqueous suspension form, prepared according to embodiments of the present invention and applied at reduced doses, compared to the stand-alone active substance.

[0247] [Table 11]

[0248] From the data presented in Table 5, it can be seen that treatments T1 to T7 with compositions according to embodiments of the present invention comprising elemental sulfur and selenium, elemental sulfur and vanadium, and elemental sulfur, selenium and vanadium demonstrated higher yields, along with improved growth parameters such as green color, plant height, pod number, nodule number, plant vigor, etc., compared to stand-alone application of the actives and traditional fertilizer practices, even at reduced active doses.

[0249] It can be seen that treatment T1 with 80,000 g / ha of the composition of the present invention comprising the SC of 20% elemental sulfur + 0.5% potassium selenate (Se 0.18%) + 1% vanadium pentoxide (Va 0.56%) as an embodiment of the present invention, at a dose of 16,000 g / ha sulfur + 143 g / ha selenium + 448 g / ha vanadium, showed an increase in yield of 43.94% over the untreated plot, while the individual treatments with 17,500 g / ha sulfur (T8), 830 g / ha selenium (T9) and 840 g / ha vanadium (T10) showed increases in yield of only 16.67%, 7.58% and 6.06%, respectively.

[0250] In addition, treatment T7 with 25000 g / ha of a composition comprising WG as an embodiment of the present invention, elemental sulfur 70% + potassium selenite 8.64% (Se 3.32%) + vanadium pentoxide 6% (Va 3.36%), also showed superior plant growth and a 48.48% increase in yield compared to the untreated control, significantly higher than the individual active substances, even though applied at the same doses, i.e., 17500 g / ha sulfur, 830 g / ha selenium and 840 g / ha vanadium.

[0251] Similarly, it can be observed that treatments T2 through T6 also demonstrated superior plant growth and tomato yield compared to the stand-alone actives. The results were even more surprising when treatments T2 through T6, which included a combination of elemental sulfur and selenium or vanadium, were applied at reduced active doses compared to stand-alone treatments T8 through T10. Furthermore, it can be seen from the above table that treatments T1 through T7 with compositions according to embodiments of the present invention demonstrated superior yield and plant growth compared to traditional fertilizer practices (treatment T11).

[0252] From the foregoing data, it can be concluded that a composition comprising a homogeneous mixture of elemental sulfur and selenium and / or vanadium, having particles within the size range of 0.1 to 30 microns, provides surprisingly high on-site efficacy with application of the composition at reduced dosages, making it commercially inexpensive and environmentally friendly.

[0253] Field Trial 6: To evaluate the efficacy of different formulations of elemental sulfur and selenium in comparison to a combination of selenium and sulfur in the sulfate form and other prior art granular formulations in tomatoes. The trial was conducted during the kharif season in a randomized block design (RBD) with nine treatments, including an untreated control, replicated four times. A plot size of 40 square meters (8m x 5m) was maintained for each treatment. Tomato crops at the trial site were grown in accordance with good agricultural practices. Tomato, Arka vishal seeds, were used in the study and planted at a spacing of 120cm between rows and 45cm between plants. The experimental details are as follows:

[0254] [Table 12]

[0255] Plant height observations were made at 45 DAA from 10 randomly selected plants per treatment per replicate and the mean was calculated. Yield observations were recorded at harvest and the mean data are presented in Table 6.

[0256] [Table 13]

[0257] Herein, the inventors have tested compositions comprising a combination of elemental sulfur and selenium as embodied in the present invention in comparison to compositions having sulfur in the sulfate form, i.e., calcium sulfate or ammonium sulfate, and other prior art compositions to demonstrate the effect of a combination of elemental sulfur and selenium as embodied in the present invention on tomato yield, a plant growth parameter.

[0258] From the data presented in Table 6, it can be seen that T1, T2 and T3 with the compositions of the present invention, i.e., compositions comprising a combination of elemental sulfur and selenium in the form of water dispersible granules, demonstrated significant increases in plant height, yield, etc. in tomato crops compared to the other treatments, i.e., T4-T8.

[0259] From the above table, it can be observed that treatment T1, which was a composition comprising a homogeneous mixture of 40% elemental sulfur and 5% elemental selenium in WG form according to an embodiment of the present invention, showed a yield enhancement of around 30.88% over the untreated control, while treatment T4, which was a composition comprising a combination of 40% elemental sulfur and 5% elemental selenium prepared according to U.S. Pat. No. 4,847,087, in which the elemental selenium was dissolved in molten sulfur (porous particles), showed a yield increase of only 13.24%. The yield increase was all the more surprising because treatments T1 and T4 were applied at approximately the same dose of active substance, i.e., 6800 g / ha sulfur and 850 g / ha selenium.

[0260] Similarly, when treatment T2 with a composition of the invention comprising a homogeneous mixture of 75% elemental sulfur in the form of WG and 7.61% potassium selenite (2.93% Se) is compared with treatment T5 with a composition comprising granules of sulfur in the sulfate form, i.e., 80% ammonium sulfate (19.2% S) and 1.95% potassium selenite (0.75% Se), when applied at approximately the same active doses, i.e., 11,000 g / ha of sulfur and 430 g / ha of selenium, it can be observed that T2 provides a yield increase of 42.65% over the untreated control, which is higher than the expected yield increase calculated according to Colby's method, i.e., 16.96%, while T5 shows a yield increase of only 14.71%, which is not only significantly lower than that of T2 but also lower than the expected yield increase, indicating the antagonistic nature of the composition.

[0261] Furthermore, treatment T3 with a composition comprising a homogeneous mixture of 20% elemental sulfur in the form of WG and 5% zinc selenite (Se 2.1%) as per an embodiment of the present invention demonstrated a yield enhancement of around 39.71% over the untreated control, while treatment T6 with a silica-coated granular composition comprising a combination of sulfur in the sulfate form, i.e., 75% calcium sulfate and 5% zinc selenite (Se 2.05%), prepared as per Chinese Patent No. 109453736, demonstrated a yield increase of only 8.82% over the untreated control. The yield increase was all the more surprising because treatment T3 was applied at a lower dose of active substance compared to treatment T6.

[0262] This unexpected and surprising increase in yield observed with the compositions of the present invention in the form of water-dispersible granules containing a homogeneous combination of elemental sulfur and selenium was not observed with prior art compositions prepared using sulfur from the sulfate form or fused sulfur (porous compositions) or silica-coated granules. The same trends were observed with plant height and other growth parameters such as plant vigor, fruit weight, branch number, and flower number.

[0263] The superior efficacy of the composition of the present invention is due to the homogeneous combination of elements, sulfur and selenium, in WDG and SC formulations and specific particle sizes of 0.1 to 30 microns; the same effect was not observed if any of these elements were altered.

[0264] Furthermore, the inventors of the present invention have also tested the WDG and SC compositions of the present invention on other crops such as chili pepper, cowpea, etc. It has been observed that the compositions of the present invention can also enhance crop yield and crop characteristics such as straw weight, crop green color depth, plant height, fruit weight, improve photosynthesis, increase stress tolerance, and also enhance the nutritional value of the crop.

[0265] The composition of the present invention has been observed to demonstrate enhanced, effective, and superior performance in the field. The composition of the present invention minimizes the number of applications or the amount of nutrients, fertilizers, or pesticides. Moreover, the composition of the present invention exhibits surprisingly high field efficacy compared to known compositions, even when applied at reduced dosages. The composition is highly safe for users and the environment. This novel composition improves plant yield, balanced uptake of all nutrients, reduces leaf yellowing, and helps plant physiological parameters, providing a nutritious crop.

[0266] Additionally, various advantageous properties associated with compositions according to the present invention include, but are not limited to, improved stability, improved toxicological and / or ecotoxicological behavior, improved crop characteristics including crop yield, crop quality and characteristics, and other benefits well known to those skilled in the art.

[0267] From the foregoing, it will be seen that numerous modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the true spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the present invention. It is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific embodiments illustrated is intended or should be inferred.

Claims

1. i. elemental sulfur in the range of 1% to 90% by weight of the total composition; ii. at least one trace nutrient selected from selenium and vanadium in their elemental form or salts or complexes or derivatives thereof, wherein the content of elemental selenium or vanadium is in the range of 0.001% to 10% by weight of the total composition; iii. at least one surfactant selected from nonionic and anionic surfactants in the range of 0.1% to 40% by weight of the total composition; A crop nutrient and enrichment composition comprising: the composition is in the form of a water-dispersible granule or an aqueous suspension, the composition comprising particles in the size range of 0.1 to 30 microns; 1. A crop nutrient and enrichment composition comprising:

2. 2. The crop nutrient and fortifying composition of claim 1, wherein the selenium salt, derivative or complex is selected from the group consisting of selenium, selenium carbonate, vanadium selenide, magnesium selenide, manganese selenide, selenium sulfide, copper selenide, iron selenide, molybdenum selenide, cobalt selenide, bismuth selenide, zinc selenide, copper selenite, calcium selenite, magnesium selenite, manganese selenite, cobalt selenite, selenium dioxide, selenourea, sodium selenide, potassium selenide, 1. A crop nutrient and fortifying composition comprising a selenium-containing compound selected from one or more of copper selenide, ammonium selenite, sodium selenite, potassium selenite, ammonium selenite, iron selenite, zinc selenite, sodium selenate, magnesium selenate, potassium selenate, calcium selenate, copper selenate, ammonium selenate, iron selenate, downyite, atchabarite, potassium selenate, selenium sulfide, selenious acid, selenium oxychloride, selenic acid, and selenium yeast.

3. 2. The crop nutrient and fortifying composition of claim 1, wherein the vanadium salt, derivative, or complex is selected from one or more of vanadium(II) oxide, vanadium(IV) oxide, vanadium(III) oxide, vanadium selenide, vanadium pentoxide, vanadyl oxalate, bismuth vanadium oxide, copper vanadate, vanadyl sulfate, sodium vanadate, sodium metavanadate, potassium metavanadate, bismuth vanadate, ammonium metavanadate, vanadyl acetylacetonate, sodium metavanadate, and ammonium metavanadate.

4. 10. The crop nutrition and enrichment composition of claim 1, wherein the surfactant comprises one or more of an emulsifier, a wetting agent, and a dispersing agent.

5. 5. The crop nutrient and fortification composition of claim 4, wherein the anionic dispersant is selected from the group consisting of lignin sulfonates or alkali metal, alkaline earth metal and ammonium salts thereof, phenylnaphthalene sulfonates, alkylaryl sulfonates or their sodium salts, sodium alkylbenzene sulfonates, alkyl sulfonates, polycarboxylates, sodium salts of sulfonated naphthalenes, sodium naphthalene sulfonate formaldehyde condensates, condensation products of arylsulfonic acids and formaldehyde, polycyclic aromatic sulfonates, a mixture of the sodium salt of a naphthalene sulfonate urea formaldehyde condensate and the sodium salt of a phenolsulfonic acid formaldehyde condensate, tristyrylphenol ethoxylate phosphate esters, and mixtures thereof.

6. 5. The crop nutrient and fortification composition of claim 4, wherein the non-ionic dispersant is selected from polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyvinyl alcohol, polyoxyethylene alkyl ethers, polyoxyethylene alkylphenyl ethers, fatty acids, ethoxylated fatty acids, fatty alcohol ethoxylates, alkyl ethoxylates; EO-PO block copolymers; graft copolymers, addition products of ethylene oxide and fatty acid esters, polyoxyethylene alkyl esters, polyoxyethylene sorbitan alkyl esters, ethoxylated alkylphenols, polyoxyethylene styryl phenyl ethers or mixtures thereof.

7. 10. The crop nutrient and fortification composition of claim 1, wherein the composition further comprises a pesticidally acceptable excipient selected from one or more of fillers or carriers or diluents, disintegrants, spreading agents, structuring agents, colorants, anti-caking agents, binders, buffers or pH adjusters or neutralizing agents, tackifiers, pigments, stabilizers, anti-foaming or defoaming agents, anti-settling agents, penetrating agents, preservatives, humectants, sticking agents, anti-freeze or freezing point depressants, chelating or complexing or sequestering agents.

8. 2. The crop nutrient and fortification composition of claim 1, wherein the aqueous suspension composition further comprises a structuring agent selected from one or more of thickening agents, suspending agents or suspending aids, viscosity or rheology modifiers, tackifiers and anti-settling agents in the range of 0.01 to 5% w / w of the total composition.

9. 10. The crop nutrient and enrichment composition of claim 1, I(a). Elemental sulfur in the range of 1% to 90% by weight of the total composition, and selenium in its elemental form or salts or complexes or derivatives or mixtures thereof, wherein the content of elemental selenium is in the range of 0.001% to 10% by weight of the total composition; or I(b). Elemental sulfur in the range of 1% to 90% by weight of the total composition, and vanadium in its elemental form or a salt or complex or derivative or mixture thereof, wherein the content of elemental vanadium is in the range of 0.001% to 10% by weight of the total composition; or I(c). Elemental sulfur in the range of 1% to 90% by weight of the total composition, selenium in its elemental form or salts or complexes or derivatives or mixtures thereof, with the elemental selenium content being in the range of 0.001% to 10% by weight of the total composition, and vanadium in its elemental form or salts or complexes or derivatives or mixtures thereof, with the elemental vanadium content being in the range of 0.001% to 10% by weight of the total composition, and II. at least one surfactant selected from nonionic and anionic surfactants in the range of 0.1% to 40% by weight of the total composition; Including, the composition is in the form of a water-dispersible granule or an aqueous suspension, the composition comprising particles in the size range of 0.1 to 30 microns; 1. A crop nutrient and enrichment composition comprising:

10. 10. The crop nutrient and enrichment composition of claim 1, wherein said composition has a D50 of less than 5 microns and a D90 of less than 10 microns.

11. 10. The crop nutrient and enrichment composition of claim 1, wherein said water-dispersible granular composition has a dispersibility of at least 40%.

12. 10. The crop nutrition and enrichment composition of claim 1, wherein the aqueous suspension composition has a pourability of less than 5% rinse residue.

13. 10. The crop nutrition and enrichment composition of claim 1, wherein the aqueous suspension composition has a viscosity of 150 cps to 2000 cps at 25°C.

14. 10. A process for the preparation of a crop nutrient and enrichment composition in the form of water-dispersible granules according to claim 1, comprising: a. i. elemental sulfur in the range of 1% to 90% by weight of the total composition; ii. one or more trace nutrients selected from selenium and vanadium in their elemental form or salts or complexes or derivatives thereof, wherein the content of elemental selenium or vanadium is in the range of 0.001% to 10% by weight of the total composition; and iii. one or more surfactants selected from nonionic and anionic surfactants in the range of 0.1% to 40% by weight of the total composition; in water to obtain a slurry or wet mix in which the particles of said composition are in the size range of 0.1 microns to 30 microns; b. drying the slurry or wet mix to obtain granules; A process comprising:

15. 10. A process for the preparation of a crop nutrient and enrichment composition in the form of an aqueous suspension according to claim 1, comprising: a. i. elemental sulfur in the range of 1% to 90% by weight of the total composition; ii. one or more trace nutrients selected from selenium and vanadium in their elemental forms or salts or complexes or derivatives thereof, wherein the content of elemental selenium or vanadium is in the range of 0.001% to 10% by weight of the total composition; and iii. one or more surfactants selected from nonionic and anionic surfactants in the range of 0.1 to 40% by weight of the total composition; in water to obtain a homogeneous suspension in which the particles of said composition are in the size range of 0.1 microns to 30 microns; b. adding a structuring agent and other excipients, if required, and the remainder water to obtain an aqueous suspension; A process comprising:

16. 1. A method for enhancing nutrient uptake by a crop plant to improve its health or yield, comprising: i. elemental sulfur in the range of 1% to 90% by weight of the total composition; ii. at least one trace nutrient selected from selenium and vanadium in their elemental forms or salts or complexes or derivatives thereof, wherein the content of elemental selenium or vanadium is in the range of 0.001% to 10% by weight of the total composition; and iii. at least one surfactant selected from nonionic and anionic surfactants, in the range of 0.1% to 40% by weight of the total composition; treating at least one of a plant, plant propagation material, location or part thereof, seed, seedling, or surrounding soil with a composition comprising the composition is in the form of a water-dispersible granule or an aqueous suspension, the composition comprising particles in the size range of 0.1 to 30 microns; A method characterized by:

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