Wetting agent and use thereof in agriculture
AssigneeConklin Corporation
InventorsJames D. Leonard, Michael J. Lewis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An easily sprayable aqueous composition for stimulating the root development of plants comprises a surface-tension lowering surfactant, an organic liquid solvent; a foam-suppressing agent; and carboxyvinyl polymer with a carboxylic acid equivalent weight above 90. Improved plant growth stimulation is observed when the composition includes a combination of carboxyvinyl polymers of differing equivalent weights. The composition may be applied directly to plant seeds or to plants or the soil surrounding plants by conventional means. The composition may be applied alone or in combination with pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, irrigation water, and the like.
Claims15
In an aqueous composition for stimulating root development of plants, which composition comprises a surface-tension lowering surfactant, a water-compatible organic liquid solvent compatible with said surfactant, a polysiloxane foam-suppressing agent, and one root-development stimulating low equivalent weight solid acrylate copolymer, comprising monomeric units derived from acrylic acid, .alpha.-lower alkyl acrylic acid or mixtures thereof, and an allyl saccharide, said monomeric units derived from said acid or acids being in the acrylate salt form;
- said acrylate copolymer having a molecular weight in excess of 50,000 and a carboxylic acid equivalent weight greater than 72 but less than about 90, the improvement which comprises improving the essentially non-clogging sprayability characteristics of said aqueous composition by means of an essentially non-clogging additive, said essentially non-clogging additive comprising:
- a root-development stimulating, second acrylate copolymer uniformly distributed through said aqueous composition, said second acrylate copolymer being a solid, relatively higher equivalent weight acrylic acid copolymer, comprising monomeric units derived from acrylic acid or .alpha.-lower alkyl acrylic acid or mixtures thereof, and a lower alkyl acrylate or lower alkyl .alpha.-lower alkyl acrylate or mixtures thereof, said relatively higher equivalent weight acrylic acid copolymer having a carboxylic acid equivalent weight greater than 90 and a pH in 1 weight-% aqueous solution of less than about 4;
- the ratio, by weight, of said second acrylate copolymer to said low equivalent weight acrylate copolymer ranging from about 90:10 to about 10:90.
A method for reducing the clogging of a screen element of a spraying means during the spraying, with said means, of a plant-growth stimulating composition, wherein said plant growth stimulating composition comprises a root-development stimulating low equivalent weight solid acrylate copolymer comprised of acrylic acid, .alpha.-lower alkyl acrylic acid or mixtures thereof in the form of a neutralized acrylate salt copolymerized with an allyl saccharide, said monomeric units derived from said acid or acids being in the acrylate salt form;
- said acrylate copolymer having a molecular weight in excess of 50,000 and a carboxylic acid equivalent weight greater than 72 but less than about 90 distributed through an aqueous medium, said method comprising:
- reducing said clogging by including in said composition a root-development stimulating, second acrylate copolymer uniformly distributed through said composition, said second acrylate copolymer being a solid, relatively higher equivalent weight acrylic acid copolymer, comprising monomeric units derived from acrylic acid or .alpha.-lower alkyl acrylic acid or mixtures thereof, and a lower alkyl acrylate or lower alkyl .alpha.-lower alkyl acrylate or mixtures thereof, said relatively higher equivalent weight acrylic acid copolymer having a carboxylic acid equivalent weight greater than 90 and a pH in 1 weight-% aqueous solution of less than about 4;
- the ratio, by weight, of said second acrylate copolymer to said low equivalent weight acrylate copolymer ranging from about 90:10 to about 10:90.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.