Chemical abscission of fruits at low application rates
OwnerMerrill Wilcox, John B. Taylorinventors
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Abstract
The harvesting of fruit, in particular olives and citrus fruit, is aided by inducing abscission by applying to fruit-bearing parts of the plant certain imidazolinone or sulfonylurea compounds. The compounds are applied in aqueous solution or in extremely low concentration in amounts ranging from 15 to 200 ppm, preferably from 20 to 70 ppm, by spraying to the point of incipient run-off.
Claims42
A method of aiding in the harvesting of fruit which comprises inducing abscission of said fruit by applying to a fruit-bearing plant an effective amount of a 2-[4,5-dihydro-4-methyl-4-(1-methylethyl)-5-oxo-1H-imidazol-2-yl]-arylcarb oxylate compound of the formula ##STR4## wherein R is quinolin-3-COOR.sub.1, R.sub.2 -benzene-COOR.sub.1 or 5-R.sub.3 -pyridine-3-COOR.sub.1, in which R.sub.1 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, methyl, ammonium and C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkylamine, R.sub.2 is methyl in the 4- or 5-position, and R.sub.3 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, methyl, ethyl or methoxymethyl.
A method of aiding in the harvesting of fruit which comprises inducing abscission of said fruit by applying to the fruit-bearing plant an effective amount of a sulfonylurea compound of the formula ##STR5## wherein Q is 4-methoxy-6-methyltriazin-2-yl or 4,6 dimethoxytriazin-2 yl, R is hydrogen or methyl and W is 2-methoxycarbonylthiophen-3, 2-(2 methoxyethoxy)phenyl, 2-(3,3,3-trifluoropropyl)phenyl, 2-(2-chloroethoxy)phenyl, 2-chlorophenyl or 2-methoxycarbonylphenyl, or wherein Q is 4-ethoxy-6-methylaminotriazin-2-yl or 4-dimethyl amino-6 (2,2,2-trifluoroethoxy)triazin-2-yl, R is hydrogen and W is 2-methoxycarbonylphenyl or 2-methoxycarbonyl-6-methylphenyl.
A method of aiding in the harvesting of fruit which comprises inducing abscission of said fruit by applying to the fruit-bearing plant an effective amount of a sulfonylurea compound of the formula ##STR6## wherein R.sub.4 is chloro, methyl, methoxy or difluoromethoxy, R.sub.5 is methyl, methoxy or difluoromethoxy, and Y is 3-dimethylaminocarbonylpyridin-2-yl, 4-methoxycarbonyl-3-chloro-1-methyl-1H-pyrazole-5-yl, 1 methyl-4-(2-methyl-2H-tetrazol-5-yl)-pyrazole-5-yl, 2-cyclopropylcarbonylphenylamino, 2-ethoxycarbonylphenyl, 2-methoxy-carbonylphenyl, 2-(3-oxetanyloxy)carbonylphenyl, 2-methoxycarbonylphenylmethyl, 2-ethylsulfonylimidazo[1,2-a]pyridin-3-yl, 3-trifluoromethylpyridin-2-yl, 2-chloroimidazo[1,2-a]pyridin 3-yl or 1-methyl-4-hydroxycarbonylpyrazole-5-yl.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.