# US 2023/0054591 A1 · Agrochemical gel compositions > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2023/0054591 A1 - Document ID: US20230054591A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/862,857 - Filed: 2022-07-12 - Published: 2023-02-23 - Earliest claimed: 2010-03-12 - Assignees: Monsanto Technology LLC - Applicants: Monsanto Technology LLC - Inventors: William Abraham; Xavier Belvaux; Brian Midgley; Daniel R. Wright - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20230054591A1 ## CPC - A01N 25/04: Dispersions, {emulsions, suspoemulsions, suspension concentrates} or gels (foams A01N25/16) - A01N: PRESERVATION OF BODIES OF HUMANS OR ANIMALS OR PLANTS OR PARTS THEREOF (preservation of food or foodstuff A23); BIOCIDES, e.g. AS DISINFECTANTS, AS PESTICIDES OR AS HERBICIDES (preparations for medical, dental or toiletry purposes which kill or prevent the growth or proliferation of unwanted organisms A61K); PEST REPELLANTS OR ATTRACTANTS; PLANT GROWTH REGULATORS ## Abstract Improved aqueous herbicidal compositions comprising at least one water-soluble herbicide and a gel forming agent are provided. The compositions are generally characterized as pseudoplastic, elastic and having a relatively high stationary viscosity. The compositions provide enhanced foliar retention and resistance to drying thereby allowing for improved uptake of the herbicide into the plants and/or translocation within the plant in order to more effectively kill the plants at reduced application rates in kilograms of herbicide per hectare, even in the absence of a surfactant. Methods for confined application of the compositions of the invention to control the growth of unwanted plants are also provided. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An aqueous agrochemical gel composition comprising: (1) from 0.1 to 5 percent by weight on an acid equivalent basis of a water-soluble agrochemical component comprising at least one water-soluble agrochemical, (2) from 0.1 to 5 percent by weight of a polymeric gel forming agent component comprising at least one polymeric gel forming agent, and (3) from 85 to 98 percent by weight water wherein tan (delta) of the gel composition is less than 1 as measured by oscillation frequency sweep rheometric measurements between about 0.1 and about 600 rad/sec at 0.2 Pa and 1 Pa as measured using a cone and plate viscometer method with a 60 mm 2° acrylic cone and plate at 20° C. and wherein the yield point of the gel composition is at least about 50 dyne/cm2. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The gel composition of claim 1 wherein the yield point is at least about 75 dyne/cm2. ### Claim 3 (canceled) ### Claim 4 (canceled) ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The gel composition of claim 1 wherein the polymeric gel forming component comprises at least one polymeric gel forming agent selected from the group consisting of polyacrylic acid, polyacrylamide, sodium acrylate, alkyl acrylate, hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose, hydroxypropylethyl cellulose, hydroxypropylbutyl cellulose, hydroxypropylpentyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, ethylcellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose phthalate, cellulose acetate acrylic acid ester, polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene copolymer, poly(l-carboxyethylene), carboxypolymethylene prepared from acrylic acid cross-linked with allyl ethers of (polyalkyl)sucrose or pentaerythritol, carboxyvinyl, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl methyl ether, polyvinyl ether, polyvinyl sulfonate, polyethylene glycol, polysucrose, polyglucose, polylactose, polyethylene oxide, poly(ethylene oxide)-co-poly(propylene oxide) block copolymer, poly(ethyloxazoline), gelatin, succinate, dextran, gaur-gum, tragacanth, xanthan gum, sodium alginate, sodium pectinate, acacia gum, Irish moss, karaya gum, guaiac gum, locust bean gum, casein, gelatin, collagen, albumin, cellulose, dextrin, pectin, starch, agar, mannan, and mixtures, copolymers and derivatives thereof. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The gel composition of claim 5 wherein the polymeric gel forming component comprises at least one polymeric gel forming agent selected from the group consisting of polyacrylic acid, carboxymethyl cellulose and polysucrose. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The gel composition of claim 1 wherein tan (delta) of the gel composition is from 0.05 to 0.9. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The gel composition of claim 1 wherein the stationary viscosity of the gel composition is from about 500 to 150,000 mPa second as measured according to a cone and plate viscometer method using a 60 mm 2° acrylic cone and plate at 20° C. with an oscillating frequency of 100 rad/s. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The gel composition of claim 1 wherein the water content is from 90 to 98 percent by weight. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The gel composition of claim 1 wherein the water-soluble agrochemical content is from 0.5 to 5 percent by weight on an acid equivalent basis. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The gel composition of claim 1 wherein the polymeric gel forming agent content is from 1 to 5 percent by weight. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The gel composition of claim 1 wherein the gel composition is a pseudoplastic gel. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The gel composition of claim 1 further comprising a preservative. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The gel composition of claim 1 further comprising a surfactant component comprising at least one surfactant. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The gel composition of claim 14 wherein the surfactant component comprises at least one surfactant selected from the group consisting of alkoxylated tertiary etheramine, alkoxylated quaternary etheramine, alkoxylated tertiary amine oxide, alkoxylated tertiary amine, alkoxylated quaternary amine, alkoxylated etheramine oxide, polyamine, sulfate derivative, sulfonate derivative, phosphate ester of alkoxylated alcohol, alkyl polysaccharide, alkoxylated alcohol, amidoalkylamine, and combinations thereof. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The gel composition of claim 1 wherein the water-soluble agrochemical is selected from the group consisting of herbicides, plant growth regulators, acaricides, insecticides, virucides, algicides, bactericides, fungicides, nematicides, herbicide safeners, plant activators or synergists, and combinations thereof. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The gel composition of claim 16 wherein the water-soluble agrochemical component comprises a water-soluble herbicide. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The gel composition of claim 17 wherein the water-soluble herbicide is selected from the group consisting of 2,4-D, 2,4-DB, aminopyralid, amitrole, asulam, azimsulfuron, beflubutamide, benazolin, bentazon, bispyribac-sodium, bromacil, carbetamide, carfentrazone-ethyl, chlorimuron-ethyl, chlorsulfuron, cinosulfuron, clopyralid, dicamba, dichlorprop, diclofop, diclopyr, difenzoquat, dimethenamid, dimethipin, diquat, DSMA, endothall, ethoxysulfuron, floramsulfuron, florasulam, flucarbazone-sodium, flumetsulam, fluroxypyr, fosamine, glyphosate, glufosinate, glufosinate-P, halosulfuron-methyl, hexazinone, imazamethabenz-m, imazamox, imazapic, imazapyr, imazaquin, imazethapyr, iodosulfuron, MCPA, MCPB, mecoprop, mecoprop-P, MSMA, naptalam, nicosulfuron, paraquat, water- soluble salts of pelargonic acid, penoxsulam, picloram, primisulfuron-methyl, propoxycarbazone-sodium, prosulfuron, pyrithiobac-sodium, sethoxydim, sulfentrazone, sulfosulfuron, tebuthiuron, tepraloxydim, thifensulfuron-methyl, tralkoxydim, triasulfuron, tribenuron-methyl, triclopyr, trifloxysulfuron and triflusulfuron-methyl, salts and esters thereof, and stereoisomers thereof. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The gel composition of claim 18 wherein the water-soluble herbicide is selected from the group consisting of a salt of glyphosate, an ester of glyphosate, and mixtures thereof. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The gel composition of claim 18 wherein the water-soluble herbicide comprises a combination of two or more water-soluble co-herbicides selected from the group consisting of glyphosate, 2,4-D, dicamba, MCPA, MCPB, triclopyr, imazamethabenz-m, imazamox, imazapic, imazapyr, imazaquin, imazethapyr, paraquat, diquat, and salts and esters thereof. ### Claim 21 (depends on 18) The gel composition of claim 18 wherein the water-soluble herbicide comprises a combination of two or more water-soluble co-herbicides selected from the group consisting of glyphosate, 2,4-D, dicamba, MCPA, MCPB, triclopyr, imazamethabenz-m, imazamox, imazapic, imazapyr, imazaquin, imazethapyr, and salts and esters thereof. ### Claim 22 (depends on 18) The gel composition of claim 18 further comprising at least one water-insoluble agrochemical dispersed therein selected from dithiopyr, pyraflufen-ethyl, acifluorfen, aclonifen, bifenox, chlomethoxyfen, chlornitrofen, etnipromid, fluorodifen, fluoroglycofen, fluoronitrofen, fomesafen, furyloxyfen, halosafen, lactofen, nitrofen, nitrofluorfen, oxyfluorfen and atrazine. ### Claim 23 (canceled) ### Claim 24 (canceled) ### Claim 25 (depends on 1) The gel composition of claim 1 consisting essentially of at least one water-soluble agrochemical, at least one polymeric gel forming agent, a preservative and water. ### Claim 26 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21) The gel composition of any one of claims 1 to 21 comprising from 0.5 to 1.5 percent by weight water-soluble agrochemical on an acid equivalent basis, from 2 to 4 percent by weight polymeric gel forming agent and from 94 to 97.5 percent by weight water. ### Claim 27 (depends on 1) A method for confined application of an agrochemical to plants, the method comprising applying the agrochemical gel composition of claim 1 to the plants. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The method of claim 27 wherein the agrochemical gel composition is applied to the foliage of the plants with a hand-held sprayer, a roller or a brush. ### Claim 29 (depends on 27) The method of claim 27 wherein a foliage canopy is formed from the foliage of a plurality of the plants and the agrochemical gel composition is applied to the foliage canopy. ### Claim 30 (depends on 27) The method of claim 27 wherein the agrochemical gel composition is applied to the plants by cut stump application, cut and swab application, stem scraping application or hack and squirt application. ### Claim 31 (canceled) ### Claim 32 (canceled) ### Claim 33 (depends on 26, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88) A method of confined application of a water-soluble herbicide to unwanted plants, the method comprising applying the agrochemical gel composition of claim 26 to the unwanted plants. Claims 34-88: (Canceled)