| abstract |
A liquid concentrate composition of an anionic exogenous chemical substance, for example the herbicide glyphosate, is provided. The composition comprises the anionic exogenous chemical substance dissolved or dispersed in water, together with (a) an alkylether surfactant component consisting of one or more surfactants each having the formula R12-O-(CH¿2?CH2O)n((CHR)2O)m-R?13¿ whrein R12 is an aliphatic saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbyl group having about 16 to about 22 carbon atoms, n is an average number of about 5 to about 100, m is an average number of 0 to about 5, one R in each -((CHR)¿2?O)- group is hydrogen and the other R is methyl, and R?13¿ is a hydrogen, C¿1-4? alkyl or C2-4 acyl group; (b) an amine surfactant component; and (c) an emulsifying system comprising acyl phosphatidylcholine and an oil having the formula R?4-CO-Q-R5¿ wherein R4 is a hydrocarbyl group having about 5 to about 21 carbon atoms, R5 is a hydrocarbyl group having 1 to about 14 carbon atoms, the total number of carbon atoms in R?4 and R5¿ is about 11 to about 27, and Q is O or NH. The weight ratio of the alkylether surfactant component to the amine surfactant component is about 1:10 to about 10:1; and the alkylether and amine surfactant components are present in total in an adjuvant amount of about 0.05 to about 0.5 parts by weight per part by weight of the anionic exogenous chemical substance, expressed as acid equivalent. Also provided is a method for eliciting a biological effect in a plant, comprising diluting the liquid concentrate composition in water and applying the resulting plant treatment composition to foliage of the plant. |