The present invention relates to a herbicidal mixture of an imidazolinone herbicide and an adjuvant.
The imidazolinone herbicides of the present invention encompass: imazamox, imazapic, imazapyr, all of those are further specified in e.g. C. D. S. Tomlin, “The Pesticide Manual”, 13th Edition, BCPC (2003), Index 5, 1337-1344 and http://www.hclrss.demon.co.uk/index_cn_frame.html.
Referring to imidazolinone herbicides or specific imidazolinone herbicide species in this application shall mean the compounds as mentioned above, as well as their a) salts, e.g. salts of alkaline or earth alkaline metals or ammonium or organoammonium salts, for instance, sodium, potassium, ammonium, preferably isopropyl ammonium etc.; b) respective isomers, e.g. stereo isomers such as the respective enantiomers, in particular the respective R- or S-enantiomers (including salts, ester, amides), c) respective esters, e.g. carboxylic acid C1-C8-(branched or non-branched) alkyl esters, such as methyl esters, ethyl esters, isopropyl esters, d) respective amides, e.g. carboxylic acid amides or carboxylic acid C1-C8-(branched or non-branched) mono or di alkyl amides, such as dimethylamides, diethylamides, diisopropyl amides or e) any other derivative which contains the above imidazolinone structures as structural moiety.
In particular the term imidazolinone herbicide or reference to specific imidazolinone herbicides herein, such as, imazamox, imazapic, imazapyr, shall include alkylammonium salts, preferably isopropylammonium salts, for example diisopropylammonium- or monoisopropylammonium salts.
Further suitable imidazolinone herbicides are the R-isomers, e.g. R-imazamox, R-imazapic, R-imazapyr, in particular R-imazapyr. These compounds are known e.g. from U.S. Pat. No. 5,973,154 B (American Cyanamid Company) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,339,158 B1 (American Cyanamid Company).
EP 0 356 812 A2 discloses tank-mix compositions of certain herbicides, including imazaquin and imazethapyr, with low foaming nonionic alkylpolyoxyalkylene polyethers and for example anionic surfactants such as partial phosphate esters of monohydroxy-functional polyoxyalkylene ethers.
EP 0 356 812 A is silent as to weed control in the presence of trees.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a herbicidal mixture which comprises herbicidal mixtures of an imidazolinone herbicide and an adjuvant and whose herbicidal activity is higher than the activity of the pure active compound.
This object was achieved by a herbicidal mixture, comprising
