Glyphosate Fatty Acid Herbicide Formulation Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current glyphosate herbicidal formulations exhibit slow visual symptom development and sometimes suffer from less than desired long-term control due to antagonism from other ingredients, and they can separate during prolonged storage, making them unsuitable as fast-acting, ready-to-use concentrates.
Innovation Solution
Aqueous herbicidal compositions comprising 0.1-5% glyphosate, 1.5-5% C8-C12 saturated fatty acids, and 0.5-4% ammonium sulfate, optionally with nonionic surfactants like alkoxylated alcohols, which enhance early symptomology and long-term control while resisting separation upon storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If glyphosate is used alone or with surfactants, then long-term herbicidal control is achieved, but visual symptom development is slow (one week or more)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines glyphosate (for long-term control) with fast-acting herbicides such as fatty acids (pelargonic acid, capric acid), hydrogen peroxide, or paraquat in a single formulation. This merging allows the composition to deliver both rapid visual symptoms (within hours to 2 days) and sustained long-term herbicidal activity, resolving the contradiction between speed of symptom development and duration of control.
2Speed
If fast-acting herbicides are added to accelerate symptom development, then visual effects appear earlier, but antagonism occurs reducing long-term control
Solution Approach 1:
The patent carefully controls the concentration parameters of both glyphosate (0.1-10% a.e.) and fast-acting herbicides (0.1-5% a.e.) to optimize performance. By adjusting these parameters within specific ranges and using agronomically acceptable salts and derivatives, the formulation achieves fast symptom development without antagonism, maintaining reliable long-term control.
3Duration of action of stationary object
If glyphosate formulations are stored for prolonged periods, then availability is improved, but separation of ingredients occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses surfactants and other formulation ingredients as intermediaries to maintain stability during storage. These intermediaries prevent separation of the active ingredients (glyphosate and fast-acting herbicides) from the aqueous solution, allowing the formulation to remain stable and homogeneous during prolonged storage while maintaining effectiveness upon application.
4Quantity of substance
If concentrated formulations are prepared for later use, then storage efficiency is improved, but readiness for immediate use is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent formulates compositions that can serve multiple functions: they can be stored as concentrates for later use, diluted for application, and applied ready-to-use without requiring additional mixing or preparation. The formulation maintains stability in both concentrated and diluted states, providing versatility in storage and application options.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The compositions induce rapid, consistent visual phytotoxic effects and provide prolonged herbicidal control, maintaining stability and effectiveness as both ready-to-use and concentrate formulations.
Implementation Method 1
combining glyphosate or its derivatives with certain fatty acids or their herbicidally active salts... induces fast symptomology in the treated plants due to the fatty acid component
Implementation Method 2
the glyphosate is absorbed by the foliar tissues and translocated throughout the plant
Implementation Method 3
the glyphosate is absorbed by the foliar tissues and translocated throughout the plant
Data Source
AI summary
Aqueous herbicidal glyphosate compositions are provided, particularly sprayable, ready-to-use (RTU) formulations that are capable of inducing early visually apparent phytotoxic effects while minimizing antagonism to the glyphosate component of the composition and preserving the equally desirable attribute of prolonged control of the treated plants. The compositions combine a glyphosate component and a fatty acid component as a fast symptomology active ingredient and, in one embodiment, are enhanced by the concentration of the fatty acid component utilized and the inclusion of an agronomically acceptable inorganic ammonium salt, preferably ammonium sulfate. In another embodiment, the compositions of the present invention include a nonionic surfactant component comprising certain water-soluble, alkoxylated alcohols.