Herbicide composition and weed control method

Abstract

The present invention provides a herbicide composition and a weed control method that have excellent control effects against weeds. [Solution] A herbicide composition comprising pyraflufenethyl and 2,4-D-trolamine salt.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a herbicidal composition and a method for controlling weeds.

Background Art

[0002] Currently, numerous herbicides are used for the purpose of controlling weeds. As active ingredients of such herbicides, for example, 2,4-D and pyraflufen-ethyl are known (see Non-Patent Document 1). Further, a herbicidal composition comprising pyraflufen-ethyl and 2,4-D is known (see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Literature

Patent Literature

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Non-Patent Literature

[0004]

Non-Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a herbicidal composition having an excellent control effect against weeds and a method for controlling weeds.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0006] The present inventors have found that the combined use of pyraflufen-ethyl and 2,4-D trolamine salt exhibits an excellent control effect against weeds. The present invention includes the following aspects.

[0007] [1] A herbicide composition comprising pyraflufenethyl and a 2,4-D-trolamine salt. [2] The herbicide composition according to [1], wherein the weight ratio of pyraflufenethyl to the acid equivalent of the 2,4-D-trolamine salt is in the range of 1:1 to 1:100. [3] The herbicide composition according to [1], wherein the weight ratio of pyraflufenethyl to the acid equivalent of the 2,4-D-trolamine salt is in the range of 1:15 to 1:50. [4] A method for controlling weeds, comprising the step of applying pyraflufenethyl and 2,4-D-trolamine salt together or separately in any order. [5] The method according to [4], wherein the weight ratio of pyraflufenethyl to the acid equivalent of the 2,4-D-trolamine salt is in the range of 1:1 to 1:100. [6] The method according to [4], wherein the weight ratio of pyraflufenethyl to the acid equivalent of the 2,4-D-trolamine salt is in the range of 1:15 to 1:50. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] This invention makes it possible to control weeds with high effectiveness. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The herbicide composition of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as the "present invention composition") comprises pyraflufenethyl and a 2,4-D-trolamine salt.

[0010] Pyraflufen-ethyl is a compound described on page 1053 of The Pesticide Manual Twentieth Edition (hereinafter referred to as the Pesticide Manual), published by the British Crop Production Council (BCPC), and can be produced by known methods. Furthermore, 2,4-D-trolamine salt is the salt of 2,4-D described on page 304 of the Pesticide Manual, and the compound described as "2,4-D-trolamine" on page 315 of the Pesticide Manual. 2,4-D-trolamine salt can be prepared by known methods.

[0011] The compositions of the present invention are typically formulations prepared by mixing pyraflufen ethyl and 2,4-D-trolamine salt with a carrier such as a solid carrier or a liquid carrier, and adding formulation aids such as surfactants as needed. Preferred dosage forms of such formulations are aqueous suspension concentrates, oil dispersions, wettable powders, water dispersible granules, granules, oil-in-water emulsions, water-in-oil emulsions, and emulsifiable concentrates. In the composition of the present invention, the total content of pyraflufenethyl and the acid equivalent of 2,4-D-trolamine salt is usually in the range of 0.01 to 99% by weight, preferably 1 to 80% by weight.

[0012] The weight ratio of pyraflufenethyl to the acid equivalent of the 2,4-D-trolamine salt in the composition of the present invention is usually in the range of 1:1 to 1:100, and may be in the range of 1:1 to 1:50, 1:1 to 1:20, 1:5 to 1:100, 1:5 to 1:50, 1:5 to 1:20, 1:10 to 1:100, 1:10 to 1:50, 1:15 to 1:100, or 1:15 to 1:50.

[0013] Preferred weight ratios of pyraflufenethyl to the acid equivalent of 2,4-D-trolamine salt in the compositions of the present invention include 1:1, 1:1.2, 1:1.5, 1:1.7, 1:2, 1:2.5, 1:3, 1:4, 1:5, 1:7, 1:10, 1:15, 1:20, 1:30, 1:40, 1:50, 1:75, and 1:100.

[0014] Preferred weight ratios of pyraflufenethyl to the acid equivalent of 2,4-D-trolamine salt in the compositions of the present invention include 1:15, 1:20, 1:30, 1:40, 1:50, 1:75, and 1:100.

[0015] The composition of the present invention is used to control weeds. The method of using the composition of the present invention is in accordance with the weed control method of the present invention described later. The composition of the present invention exhibits a synergistic weed control effect against a wide range of weeds, which is greater than what would be expected from the weed control effects of pyraflufenethyl and 2,4-D-trolamine salt used individually. It can effectively control a wide range of weeds in agricultural fields and vegetable fields where conventional tillage and no-till farming are practiced, as well as in orchards and non-agricultural lands, without causing phytotoxicity that would be problematic for useful plants.

[0016] The compositions of the present invention may further contain other pesticide active ingredients, such as insecticides, nematicides, and fungicides. Examples of such insecticides, nematicides, and fungicides include neonicotinoid compounds, diamide compounds, carbamate compounds, organophosphorus compounds, biological nematicides, and other insecticides, as well as azole compounds, strobilurin compounds, metalaxyl compounds, SDHI compounds, other fungicides, and plant growth regulators.

[0017] The weed control method of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as the "method of the present invention") comprises a step of applying pyraflufenethyl and 2,4-D-trolamine salt together or separately in any order (hereinafter referred to as the "application step"). The application step is carried out in agricultural fields, vegetable fields, orchards, or non-agricultural land, and in the application step, pyraflufenethyl and 2,4-D-trolamine salt are applied to areas where weeds are present or will be present. When pyraflufenethyl and 2,4-D-trolamine salt are applied together, the composition of the present invention may be used, or a composition containing pyraflufenethyl and a composition containing 2,4-D-trolamine salt may be used in combination. When pyraflufenethyl and 2,4-D-trolamine salt are applied separately, the composition containing pyraflufenethyl is applied first, followed by the composition containing 2,4-D-trolamine salt, or they are applied in the reverse order. Compositions containing pyraflufenethyl and compositions containing 2,4-D-trolamine salt are typically formulations prepared by mixing pyraflufenethyl and 2,4-D-trolamine salt with carriers such as solid and liquid carriers, respectively, and adding formulation aids such as surfactants as needed.

[0018] Methods for applying pyraflufenethyl and 2,4-D-trolamine salt include, for example, spraying pyraflufenethyl and 2,4-D-trolamine salt onto the soil (soil treatment) and spraying them onto weeds that have grown (foliar treatment). Soil treatment and foliar treatment are usually carried out by spraying a spray solution obtained by mixing the composition of the present invention with water onto the soil or weeds using a sprayer. The amount of spray solution is usually in the range of 50 to 1000 L / ha, and may be, for example, in the range of 100 to 500 L / ha or 140 to 300 L / ha. When pyraflufenethyl and 2,4-D-trolamine salt are sprayed separately, the composition containing pyraflufenethyl and the composition containing 2,4-D-trolamine salt are sprayed respectively in accordance with the method for spraying the composition of the present invention.

[0019] The application rate of pyraflufen-ethyl and 2,4-D trolamine salt, calculated as the total amount of pyraflufen-ethyl and the acid equivalent of 2,4-D trolamine salt, is usually in the range of 1 to 10000 g / ha, and may for example be in the range of 2 to 5000 g / ha or 5 to 2000 g / ha.

[0020] In the method of the present invention, the weight ratio of pyraflufen-ethyl to the acid equivalent of 2,4-D trolamine salt is usually in the range of 1:1 to 1:100, and may for example be in the range of 1:1 to 1:50, 1:1 to 1:20, 1:5 to 1:100, 1:5 to 1:50, 1:5 to 1:20, 1:10 to 1:100, 1:10 to 1:50, 1:15 to 1:100, or 1:15 to 1:50.

[0021] Preferred examples of the weight ratio of pyraflufen-ethyl to the acid equivalent of 2,4-D trolamine salt in the method of the present invention include 1:1, 1:1.2, 1:1.5, 1:1.7, 1:2, 1:2.5, 1:3, 1:4, 1:5, 1:7, 1:10, 1:15, 1:20, 1:30, 1:40, 1:50, 1:75, and 1:100.

[0022] Note that the spray liquid sprayed in the method of the present invention may contain an adjuvant. The type of adjuvant is not particularly limited. When oil-based adjuvants such as Agri-Dex and MSO (methylated seed oil, which is an esterified mineral oil or vegetable oil (soybean oil or rapeseed oil), such as paraffinic hydrocarbons, naphthenic hydrocarbons, or aromatic hydrocarbons) are included in the spray solution, the adjuvant concentration in the spray solution is 0.25%, 0.5%, 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, 5%, or 6% (volume / volume). When nonionic adjuvants such as Induce (polyoxyalkylene alkyl ethers, polyoxyalkylene fatty acid esters, alkylaryl alkoxylates, or alkylaryl polyoxyalkylene glycols) are included in the spray solution, the adjuvant concentration in the spray solution is 0.05%, 0.1%, 0.25%, or 0.5% (volume / volume). Other adjuvants include, for example, anionic adjuvants such as Gramin S (substituted sulfonates), cationic adjuvants such as Genamin T 200BM (polyoxyethyleneamines), and organosilicon adjuvants such as Silwet L77. The spray solution applied in the method of the present invention may further contain a drift reducing agent such as Intact (polyethylene glycol).

[0023] The pH and hardness of the spray solution prepared in the present invention are not particularly limited, but the pH is usually in the range of 5 to 9, and the hardness is usually in the range of 0 to 500 ppm on the American hardness scale. The time of day for applying pyraflufen ethyl and 2,4-D-trolamine salt is not particularly limited, but is usually between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m., the photon flux density at the application site is usually in the range of 10 to 2500 micromoles / m² / second, the temperature at the application site is usually in the range of 0 to 35 degrees Celsius, and the wind speed is usually 3 MPH or less. The spray pressure when applying pyraflufenethyl and 2,4-D-trolamine salt is not particularly limited, but is usually in the range of 30 to 120 PSI, preferably in the range of 40 to 80 PSI.

[0024] Fields where the application process is carried out include peanut fields, soybean (infinite growth type, finite growth type, semi-finite growth type) fields, corn (horse-tooth, hard-grain, soft-grain, popping, glutinous, sweet, field corn) fields, wheat (bread wheat (hard, soft, medium, red wheat, white wheat), macaroni wheat, spelt wheat, club wheat, each in autumn-sown and spring-sown varieties) fields, barley (two-row barley (=malting barley), six-row barley, hulless barley, glutinous barley, each in autumn-sown and spring-sown varieties) fields, forage crop fields such as sorghum fields and oat fields, industrial crop fields such as cotton (upland, pima) fields, rapeseed fields, and canola (autumn-sown, spring-sown) fields, and sugar crop fields such as sugarcane fields and sugar beet fields.

[0025] The vegetable fields where the application process is carried out include fields where nightshade vegetables (eggplant, tomato, bell pepper, chili pepper, potato, etc.) are grown, fields where cucurbitaceous vegetables (cucumber, pumpkin, zucchini, watermelon, melon, etc.) are grown, fields where cruciferous vegetables (radish, turnip, horseradish, kohlrabi, Chinese cabbage, cabbage, mustard greens, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.) are grown, and fields where daisyaceous vegetables (burdock, garland chrysanthemum, artichoke) are grown. Examples of fields include those for cultivating yoke, lettuce, etc., lily family vegetables (leeks, onions, garlic, asparagus, etc.), parsley family vegetables (carrots, parsley, celery, angelica tree, etc.), amaranth family vegetables (spinach, Swiss chard, etc.), mint family vegetables (perilla, mint, basil, lavender, etc.), strawberry fields, sweet potato fields, yam fields, taro fields, etc.

[0026] Orchards where the application process is carried out include fruit orchards, tea plantations, mulberry plantations, coffee plantations, banana plantations, palm plantations, flowering tree gardens, flowering tree fields, nurseries, tree nurseries, forests, and gardens. Fruit trees include pome fruits (apples, European pears, Japanese pears, quince, cinnamon, etc.), drupes (peaches, plums, nectarines, apricots, prunes, etc.), citrus fruits (Satsuma mandarins, oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruits, etc.), nuts (chestnuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, pistachios, cashews, macadamia nuts, etc.), berries (grapes, blueberries, cranberries, blackberries, raspberries, etc.), persimmons, olives, loquats, etc.

[0027] Examples of non-agricultural land where the application process can be carried out include sports fields, vacant lots, railway tracks, parks, parking lots, roadsides, riverbanks, under power lines, residential areas, and factory sites.

[0028] The crops grown in the fields where the application process is carried out are not limited to any variety commonly cultivated as a crop.

[0029] The aforementioned varieties of plants may include plants that can be produced through natural crossbreeding, plants that can arise through spontaneous mutation, F1 hybrid plants, and transgenic plants (also known as genetically modified plants). These plants generally possess characteristics such as the conferral of herbicide resistance, the accumulation of toxic substances against pests, suppression of susceptibility to diseases, increased yield potential, improved resistance to biological and abiotic stressors, accumulation of substances, and improved storability and processability. In particular, examples of herbicide-resistant plants as defined in WO2024262450 include HT4 cotton, HT5 soybeans, and HT5 corn.

[0030] In the method of the present invention, the nozzle used when applying pyraflufen ethyl and 2,4-D-trolamine salt may be a flat fan nozzle or a drift-reducing nozzle. Examples of flat fan nozzles include the Teejet 110 series and XR Teejet 110 series from Teejet. When these are used at a normal spray pressure, generally in the range of 30 to 120 PSI, the median diameter of the droplet discharged from the nozzle is usually less than 430 microns. A drift-reducing nozzle is a nozzle that reduces drift compared to a flat fan nozzle, and is called an air induction nozzle or pre-orifice nozzle. The median diameter of the droplet discharged from a drift-reducing nozzle is usually 430 microns or more.

[0031] When the method of the present invention is carried out in a field or other area where crops are grown, pyraflufenethyl and 2,4-D-trolamine salt may be applied before sowing the crops, or pyraflufenethyl and 2,4-D-trolamine salt may be applied simultaneously with and / or after sowing the crops. In other words, the number of times pyraflufen ethyl and 2,4-D-trolamine salts are applied is either once before, at the time of, or after sowing of the crop; twice excluding before sowing; twice excluding at the time of sowing; or twice excluding after sowing; or three times, applied at all timings: before sowing, at the time of sowing, and after sowing.

[0032] When pyraflufenethyl and 2,4-D-trolamine salt are applied before sowing crops, they are usually applied from 50 days before sowing until immediately before sowing, preferably from 30 days before sowing until immediately before sowing, more preferably from 20 days before sowing until immediately before sowing, and even more preferably from 10 days before sowing until immediately before sowing. When pyraflufenethyl and 2,4-D-trolamine salt are applied after sowing crops, they are usually applied from immediately after sowing until before flowering, preferably from immediately after sowing until before germination, or during the period when the crop has 1 to 6 true leaves. When applying pyraflufenethyl and 2,4-D-trolamine salts simultaneously with crop sowing, a machine that combines a seeder and a sprayer is used.

[0033] As described above, methods for applying pyraflufen ethyl and 2,4-D-trolamine salt include soil treatment, where pyraflufen ethyl and 2,4-D-trolamine salt are applied to soil where weeds are growing, and foliar treatment, where the salt is applied to weeds that have emerged and are growing. When pyraflufen ethyl and 2,4-D-trolamine salt are applied to growing weeds, the treatment may be a combination of foliar treatment and soil treatment. The timing of application can be determined independently of the crop growth stage described above; for example, foliar treatment may be performed on growing weeds before sowing the crop, or soil treatment may be performed during crop growth. These treatments may be applied uniformly to the land as a surface treatment or as spot treatments.

[0034] The method of the present invention exhibits a synergistic herbicidal effect against a wide range of weeds, exceeding what would be expected from the herbicidal effects of using pyraflufen ethyl and 2,4-D-trolamine salt individually. It can effectively control a wide range of weeds in agricultural fields, vegetable fields, orchards, and non-agricultural land where conventional tillage and no-till farming are practiced, without causing phytotoxicity that would be problematic for useful plants.

[0035] In the method of the present invention, other pesticide active ingredients may be used in combination, such as insecticides, nematicides, and fungicides. Examples of such insecticides, nematicides, and fungicides include neonicotinoid compounds, diamide compounds, carbamate compounds, organophosphorus compounds, biological nematicides, and other insecticides, as well as azole compounds, strobilurin compounds, metalaxyl compounds, SDHI compounds, other fungicides, and plant growth regulators.

[0036] The following are some examples of weeds that can be controlled by the composition or method of the present invention, but are not limited to these. Large-leaved amaranth, water hemp, broom cypress, ragweed, giant ragweed, dwarf edelweiss, wild horsetail, giant horsetail, American morning glory, white lamb, barnyard grass, autumn foxtail grass.

[0037] The weeds mentioned above are not limited to intraspecies mutations. That is, they also include those that have reduced sensitivity to (or resistance to) a particular herbicide. Reduced sensitivity may be due to mutations at the target site (point mutations) or to factors other than point mutations (non-point mutations). Point mutations include those in which amino acid substitutions occur in the target protein due to mutations in the nucleic acid sequence portion (open reading frame) corresponding to the amino acid sequence of the protein, and those in which the target protein is overexpressed due to mutations such as deletion of suppressor sequences in the promoter region, amplification of enhancer sequences, or increase in the copy number of the gene. Factors contributing to decreased sensitivity due to non-point mutations include increased metabolism, malabsorption, impaired translocation, and efflux. Examples of factors contributing to increased metabolism include increased activity of metabolic enzymes such as cytochrome P450 monooxygenase (CYP), aryl acylamidase (AAA), esterase, and glutathione S-transferase (GST). Efflux is caused by transport to vacuoles via ABC transporters.

[0038] In addition to pyraflufenethyl and 2,4-D-trolamine salt, herbicides that may be included in the composition of the present invention, or that may be used in combination with pyraflufenethyl and 2,4-D-trolamine salt in the method of the present invention, include, for example, the following herbicides. These can also be mixed into the composition of the present invention, which contains only pyraflufenethyl and 2,4-D-trolamine salt as active ingredients. Glyphosate potassium salt, glyphosate dimethylamine salt, glyphosate monoethanolamine salt, glufosinate ammonium salt, glyphosate isopropylammonium salt, diflufenican, limisoxafen, icaforin methyl, pyroxasulfone, dicamba diglycolamine salt, dicamba BAPMA salt, flumioxazine, cretodym, methoproxibicyclon, S-metrachlor, metrivudine, nicosulfuron, limosulfuron, acetochlor, mesotrione, isoxaflutol, chlorimulon ethyl, thifensulfuron methyl, chloransrum methyl, imazetapyrammonium salt.

[0039] In the present invention, the ratio of the herbicide that can be used in combination with pyraflufenethyl and 2,4-D-trolamine salt to pyraflufenethyl is usually in the range of 0.01 to 1000 parts by weight, preferably in the range of 0.1 to 300 parts by weight. Specific ratios include 1x, 2x, 4x, 10x, 20x, 40x, 100x, and 200x. In this specification, when the active ingredient of the herbicide is a salt (e.g., potassium glyphosate salt, glyphosate monoethanolamine salt), unless otherwise specified, its weight refers to the acid equivalent.

[0040] In the cultivation of crops according to this invention, plant nutritional management in the same manner as in general crop cultivation can be carried out. The fertilization system may be based on Precision Agriculture or a conventional uniform system. Furthermore, nitrogen-fixing bacteria or mycorrhizal fungi can be inoculated in combination with seed treatment. [Examples]

[0041] The present invention will be described below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0042] First, the evaluation criteria for herbicidal efficacy and phytotoxicity to crops, as shown in the following examples, are presented. [Herbicide effect and phytotoxicity to crops] The weed control effect is evaluated by classifying the results from 0 to 100, with "0" indicating no difference or almost no difference in the emergence or growth state of the test weeds compared to the untreated group, and "100" indicating complete death of the test weeds or complete suppression of emergence or growth. The assessment of phytotoxicity to crops is indicated as follows: "harmless" if little to no phytotoxicity is observed, "minor" if mild phytotoxicity is observed, "medium" if moderate phytotoxicity is observed, and "major" if severe phytotoxicity is observed.

[0043] Example 1 Weeds (Amaranthus philoxeroides, water hemp, ragweed, giant ragweed, Erigeron annuus, Lagerstroemia indica, Kochia crustacean, Barnyard grass, and Setaria viridis) were sown in plastic pots filled with soil. On the same day, 10 g / ha of pyraflufen ethyl + 600, 900, or 1200 g / ha of 2,4-D-trolamine salt (360, 540, and 720 g / ha in acid equivalents, respectively) were sprayed onto the soil surface at a rate of 200 L / ha. The plants were then cultivated in a greenhouse, and HT5 soybeans were sown 7 days later. After another 14 days, the herbicidal effect on weeds and phytotoxicity to HT5 soybeans were investigated. A synergistic weed control effect was confirmed by the combined use of pyraflufen ethyl and 2,4-D-trolamine salt.

[0044] Example 2 Sowing weeds (Amaranthus philoxeroides, water hemp, ragweed, barnyard grass, and foxtail grass) and soybeans in plastic pots filled with soil. On the same day, 25 g / ha of pyraflufen ethyl + 600, 900, or 1200 g / ha (360, 540, and 720 g / ha in acid equivalents, respectively) of 2,4-D-trolamine salt is sprayed onto the soil surface at a rate of 200 L / ha. The plants are then cultivated in a greenhouse, and after 21 days, the effect on weeds and phytotoxicity to HT5 soybeans are investigated. A synergistic weed control effect is confirmed by the combined use of pyraflufen ethyl and 2,4-D-trolamine salt.

[0045] Example 3 Sowing of weeds (Amaranthus philoxeroides, water hemp, ragweed, giant ragweed, dwarf ragweed, cinquefoil, lamb's lath, kochia scoparia, barnyard grass, and foxtail grass) and soybeans in plastic pots filled with soil. Cultivation in a greenhouse followed, and 21 days after sowing, foliar treatment with 10 g / ha of pyraflufen-ethyl + 600, 900, or 1200 g / ha (360, 540, and 720 g / ha, respectively, as acid equivalents) of 2,4-D-trolamine salt at a spray rate of 200 L / ha. Further cultivation in the greenhouse, and 14 days after treatment, the effect on weeds and phytotoxicity to HT5 soybeans were investigated. A synergistic weed control effect was confirmed by the combined use of pyraflufen-ethyl and 2,4-D-trolamine salt.

[0046] Examples 4-6 In each of Examples 1 to 3, RoundupWeatherMax (glyphosate potassium salt 660 g / L, Monsanto) was added to a spray solution containing pyraflufen ethyl and 2,4-D-trolamine salt at an application rate of 2.338 L / ha (32 fluid ounces / acre) and the process was carried out similarly.

[0047] Examples 7-9 In each of Examples 1 to 3, ValorEZ (flumioxazine 480 g / L, manufactured by Valent USA LLC) was added to a spray solution containing pyraflufenethyl and 2,4-D-trolamine salt at a rate of 220 mL / ha (3 fluid ounces / acre) and the procedure was carried out similarly.

[0048] Examples 10-18 In each of Examples 1 to 9, the same procedure is carried out by replacing HT5 soybeans with HT5 corn or HT4 cotton. [Industrial applicability]

[0049] This invention makes it possible to control weeds with high effectiveness.

Claims

1. A herbicide composition comprising pyraflufenethyl and a 2,4-D-trolamine salt.

2. The herbicide composition according to claim 1, wherein the weight ratio of pyraflufenethyl to the acid equivalent of 2,4-D-trolamine salt is in the range of 1:1 to 1:

100.

3. The herbicide composition according to claim 1, wherein the weight ratio of pyraflufenethyl to the acid equivalent of 2,4-D-trolamine salt is in the range of 1:15 to 1:

50.

4. A method for controlling weeds, comprising the step of applying pyraflufenethyl and 2,4-D-trolamine salt together or separately in any order.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the weight ratio of pyraflufenethyl to the acid equivalent of the 2,4-D-trolamine salt is in the range of 1:1 to 1:

100.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the weight ratio of pyraflufenethyl to the acid equivalent of 2,4-D-trolamine salt is in the range of 1:15 to 1:50.