WO2024225111A1 - Agricultural composition - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides an agricultural composition capable of uniformly spraying an agrochemical component at a high concentration while using little water, and obtaining a stable controlling effect. Specifically provided is an agricultural composition which is capable of reducing the effects of drift, adhesion, chemical concentration unevenness, chemical permeability and the like in the mechanical spraying of an agrochemical, and contains (a) a polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester and (b) an amide compound, wherein: (a) the polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester comprises a C8-22 straight-chain and/or branched saturated fatty acid and/or unsaturated fatty acid; and (b) the amide compound includes an amide compound represented by formula (1) and/or formula (2) (In formula (1) or formula (2), R is a C9-14 straight-chain or branched saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon, Ra and Rb are each independently a hydrogen atom and/or a C1-4 alkyl group, and x is an integer of 0 to 4.).

Description

Agricultural Compositions

The present invention relates to an agricultural composition that allows for efficient spraying of pesticides and the like. More specifically, it is an agricultural composition that is characterized by containing polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester, which is classified as a food additive and highly safe, and fatty acid amide, which corresponds to a green solvent. This agricultural composition allows for spraying of a high concentration of pesticide ingredients with a small amount of water. Furthermore, even if the distance between the agricultural crop and the sprayer is great, the spraying target can be sprayed evenly, and the pesticide ingredients can be reliably applied to the target. For this reason, it is suitable as an agricultural composition for aerial spraying.

In plant cultivation for the purpose of food supply, in order to obtain a stable yield of agricultural crops, pesticides are often sprayed on the target plants to prevent diseases caused by plant pathogens and damage caused by plant pests. However, spraying pesticides is a heavy workload for agricultural workers, who are getting older, and in order to respond to changes in the natural and social environment, there has been a demand in recent years for the automation of agricultural work, labor savings, and reduction in the amount of pesticide used. As a means to achieve this, a pesticide spraying technology (hereinafter referred to as "drone spraying" in this specification) that uses industrial multi-rotors (hereinafter referred to as "drones" in this specification) has been developed.

The characteristic of drone spraying is that it can spray highly concentrated pesticides using a small amount of water, which reduces the labor and time required for work, and it is expected that the precise spraying by the drone will reduce the amount of pesticide used.
On the other hand, there are some known issues with drone spraying. For example, some pesticide formulations intended for use at high dilution rates disperse the active ingredients in the circulation and mixing functions in the tank of the spraying equipment. However, in the case of drone spraying, there is often no circulation or mixing function in the tank, and the pesticide ingredients may settle or separate in the tank, resulting in uneven spraying. In addition, since the distance between the crop and the sprayer is large in aerial spraying, the water evaporates due to strong friction at the air-liquid interface during the droplet falling process, and the sprayed droplets tend to become small. This makes the sprayed liquid more likely to be blown away by the wind, and there is a concern that the efficacy of the drug may become unstable because a sufficient amount of liquid is not coated on the crop surface. In addition, for pesticides that are effective when absorbed into the plant body (translocating pesticides), the penetration efficiency decreases when the pesticide ingredients are sprayed at a high concentration with a small amount of water, which is also an issue.

Many methods have been reported so far for improving or stabilizing efficacy by improving the adhesion, penetration, and dispersibility of pesticides, or by suppressing the volatilization of pesticide spray solutions. For example, Patent Document 1 reports that an adjuvant composition containing dialkylsulfosuccinic acid and polyoxyethylene alkyl ether stabilizes efficacy by imparting stable adhesion. Patent Document 2 reports that N-substituted pyrrolidones promote the penetration of pesticide active ingredients into plants. Patent Document 3 reports a method for reducing drift by using an alcohol ethoxylate having a characteristic structure with a medium HLB (hydrophile-lipophile balance) of 7 to 9, thereby suppressing the generation of fine particles in the spray solution.
Thus, although there have been reports of methods to improve individual issues in pesticide spraying, there are few reports of simultaneously achieving all of these issues. Furthermore, many of the ingredients used in these reports have a large environmental impact, which contradicts the idea of reducing the amount of pesticide used in light of the current social situation.

Fatty acid esters are emulsifiers obtained from plant-derived raw materials, and because the only components generated by decomposition are low-toxicity fatty acids and alcohols, they have low environmental impact and biotoxicity, and are also used as food additives. In recent years, methods have been developed to improve agricultural chemical spraying techniques using these fatty acid esters.
For example, Patent Literature 4 reports that by using two different types of polyglycerol fatty acid esters, a spreader can be obtained that has high adhesiveness while reducing the risk of phytotoxicity compared to conventional spreaders. Patent Literature 5 reports that it has been found that various fatty acid esters suppress the evaporation of water from the spray solution, and that this is also effective in drone spraying.
However, these conventional technologies do not meet the performance standards required for drone spraying, and there is a demand for higher volatility suppression, adhesion, penetration, and dispersibility.

International Publication No. WO 2008/111482 JP 2022-088619 A JP 2017-036286 A JP 2014-037405 A International Publication No. 2021/206165

The present invention was made in consideration of the problems in the prior art, and aims to provide an agricultural composition that allows for uniform spraying of pesticide ingredients and provides a stable pest control effect. In particular, the objective of the present invention is to provide an agricultural composition that can suppress drift during mechanical spraying of pesticides, improve adhesion of pesticide ingredients, reduce adverse effects such as the penetration of pesticides, etc.

The inventors conducted research to solve these problems and discovered that an agricultural composition containing a polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester composed of linear and/or branched saturated fatty acids and/or unsaturated fatty acids having 8 to 22 carbon atoms and an amide compound has excellent solubility and dispersibility of pesticide ingredients and can provide uniformity in the application of the spray solution, which led to the present invention.

That is, the present invention relates to an invention having the following configuration.
(1) An agricultural composition comprising (a) a polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester and (b) an amide compound,
(a) the polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester is composed of linear and/or branched saturated fatty acids and/or unsaturated fatty acids having 8 to 22 carbon atoms;
(b) The amide compound is an amide compound represented by formula (1) and/or formula (2).

[In the formula (1) or (2), R is a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon having 9 to 14 carbon atoms, Ra and Rb each independently represent a hydrogen atom and/or an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and x is an integer of 0 to 4.]
(2) (b) The agricultural composition according to (1) above, wherein in the amide compound, Ra and Rb in formula (1) are both methyl groups.
(3) (b) The agricultural composition according to (1) above, wherein in the amide compound, x in formula (2) is 2 or 3.
(4) The agricultural composition according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the amide compound (b) is one or more selected from the group consisting of N,N-dimethylcapric acid amide, N,N-dimethyllauric acid amide, N,N-dimethylmyristic acid amide, and N-lauryl-2-pyrrolidone.
(5) The agricultural composition according to any one of (1) to (4) above, wherein the fatty acid constituting the polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester (a) is lauric acid and/or oleic acid.
(6) The agricultural composition according to any one of (1) to (5) above, wherein the average degree of polymerization of ethylene oxide constituting the polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester (a) is 5 to 25.
(7) The agricultural composition according to any one of (1) to (6) above, wherein the HLB of the polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester (a) is 7 to 17.
(8) The agricultural composition according to any one of (1) to (7) above, wherein the mass ratio of the components in the composition is (a) fatty acid ester/(b) amide compound=0.1 to 10.
(9) The agricultural composition according to any one of (1) to (8), comprising one or more selected from the group consisting of pesticides, fertilizers, and biostimulants.
(10) The agricultural composition according to any one of (1) to (9) above, which is for aerial application.
(11) An agricultural spray solution comprising the agricultural composition according to any one of (1) to (10) above diluted with water to contain 100 to 10,000 ppm of (a) a polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester.

The present invention provides a spray solution with excellent miscibility with pesticide components, enabling uniform spraying of the pesticide components. In a more preferred embodiment, the present invention can suppress drift during mechanical spraying of pesticides, improve adhesion of the pesticide components, and reduce adverse effects such as the penetration of the pesticide.
The fatty acid esters used in the present invention are all low in toxicity to living organisms, and many of them have been used as food additives, so the agricultural composition of the present invention is considered to be extremely safe. The agricultural composition of the present invention can be efficiently sprayed even in situations where the agricultural chemical components are highly concentrated and require a small amount of water, such as aerial spraying using a drone, and as a result, it is expected that the labor required for spraying pesticides, the amount of sprayed pesticide, the cost of control, and the environmental load will be reduced.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the water-sensitive paper installation in the water-sensitive paper covering evaluation test of Test Example 3. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the arrangement of rice pots in the adhesion test of Test Example 4. FIG. 3 shows rice specimens in which the adhesion state of the sprayed agent in the adhesion test of Test Example 4 was visualized using a fluorescent pigment.

The agricultural composition of the present invention is an agricultural composition containing (a) a polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester and (b) an amide compound.

The polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester (a) of the present invention is a nonionic surfactant containing at least one fatty acid selected from linear and/or branched saturated and/or unsaturated fatty acids having 8 to 22 carbon atoms. Examples of fatty acids include caprylic acid, capric acid, lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, isostearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, ricinoleic acid, behenic acid, and erucic acid. Of these, caprylic acid, lauric acid, and oleic acid are preferred, lauric acid and oleic acid are more preferred, and lauric acid is particularly preferred.

(a) Polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester is a sorbitan fatty acid ester to which ethylene oxide is added. The degree of polymerization of the ethylene oxide (i.e., the polyoxyethylene portion) of the (a) polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester of the present invention is not particularly limited, but in consideration of the effects of the invention, it is preferably 1 to 100, more preferably 3 to 50, and particularly preferably 5 to 25.

(a) The HLB of the polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester is not particularly limited. HLB (Hydrophile-Lipophile Balance) is an index that indicates the degree of hydrophilicity and lipophilicity of a surfactant and is expressed as a numerical value from 0 to 20. A low HLB indicates a surfactant with high lipophilicity, and a high HLB indicates a surfactant with high hydrophilicity. Therefore, a surfactant with a low HLB is more compatible with hydrophobic systems, and a surfactant with a high HLB is more compatible with hydrophilic systems. In other words, it can be said to be an index that indicates which system a surfactant is more likely to dissolve in, compared to a water/oil system.
In the present invention, the HLB value is a value calculated by the following method, which is Griffin's empirical formula: The saponification value and acid value used are values analyzed according to the general test methods of the standards for food additives and quasi-drug ingredients.

HLB value = 20 (1-S/A)
S: Saponification value of surfactant ester, A: Acid value of fatty acid constituting surfactant

In consideration of the effects of the present invention, (a) the HLB of the polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester is preferably 3 to 20, more preferably 5 to 19, and particularly preferably 7 to 17.

In the present invention, (a) the polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester may be used alone or in combination of two or more kinds in any amount.
In general, when used for spraying agricultural chemicals, the content of (a) polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester is preferably 10 to 20,000 ppm. Considering that the agricultural composition is diluted with water 2 to 10,000 times, preferably 2 to 1,000 times, more preferably 2 to 500 times, when used for spraying, the content of (a) polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester in the agricultural composition of the present invention is preferably 0.0005 to 99% by mass, more preferably 5 to 95% by mass, and particularly preferably 10 to 90% by mass.

The agricultural composition of the present invention contains an amide compound (b) represented by formula (1) and/or formula (2). The amide compound (b) adjusts the physical properties of the composition and has the function of improving handling during use and enhancing storage stability. Furthermore, by combining with the polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester (a), it is used to improve the solubility and dispersibility of the agricultural chemical ingredients, as well as to improve the spray solution, adhesion, and penetration.

[In formula (1) or formula (2), R is a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon having 9 to 14 carbon atoms, Ra and Rb are each independently a hydrogen atom and/or an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and x is an integer from 0 to 4.]

In formula (1), Ra and Rb are hydrogen atoms or alkyl groups having 1 to 4 carbon atoms which may have a substituent, such as hydrogen atoms, methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, hydroxyethyl, polyoxyalkylene, etc. Ra and Rb are preferably alkyl groups having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and more preferably both are methyl groups.

The cyclic amide moiety in formula (2) can be, for example, α-lactam, β-lactam, γ-lactam, δ-lactam, ε-lactam, etc. Preferably, x is 2 or 3, and γ-lactam (2-pyrrolidone) or δ-lactam (2-piperidone) is particularly preferred.

(b) Amide compounds, specifically, for example, N,N-dimethylcapric acid amide, N,N-dimethyllauric acid amide, N,N-dimethylmyristic acid amide, N-lauryl-2-pyrrolidone and the like are preferred, with N,N-dimethylcapric acid amide being particularly preferred.
In the present invention, the amide compound (b) may be used alone or in any combination of two or more kinds in any amount.

The mass ratio of the components (a) and (b) in the agricultural composition of the present invention is not particularly limited, but in consideration of the effects of the invention, it is preferable that (a) polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester/(b) amide compound ((a)/(b)) is 0.01 to 100. (a)/(b) is more preferably 0.1 to 10, and even more preferably 1 to 10.

The agricultural composition of the present invention may contain any additive component within the range that does not impair the physicochemical properties. Optional additives include surfactants, solvents, solid carriers, thickeners, antifreeze agents, preservatives, defoamers, colorants, fragrances, etc. These additive components are not particularly limited as long as they are generally used in agricultural chemicals, and they can be used in any amount, either alone or in a mixture of two or more types.

The surfactant is used for the purpose of increasing the storage stability of the composition, as well as improving emulsifying and dispersing properties when the composition is diluted with water for use, and improving handling. Examples of the surfactant include nonionic surfactants, anionic surfactants, cationic surfactants, and amphoteric surfactants.
Examples of nonionic surfactants include polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene block polymers, polyoxyalkylene alkyl ethers, polyoxyalkylene fatty acid esters, propylene glycol fatty acid esters, (polyoxyalkylene)glycerin fatty acid esters, polyglycerin fatty acid esters, sucrose fatty acid esters, polyoxyalkylene phenyl ethers, polyoxyalkylene alkyl phenyl ethers, polyoxyalkylene styryl phenyl ethers, polyoxyalkylene alkyl amines, polyoxyalkylene alkyl amides, and polyoxyalkylene-modified silicones.
Examples of the anionic surfactant include (polyoxyalkylene) alkyl or aryl sulfates, phosphates, or fatty acid salts, and formaldehyde polymers thereof. Examples of the counter cations include sodium ions, potassium ions, calcium ions, and ammonium ions.
Examples of the cationic surfactant include alkyl ammonium salts, aryl ammonium salts, pyridinium salts, etc. Examples of the counter anions thereof include chloride ions, bromide ions, alkyl sulfonate ions, aryl sulfonate ions, etc.
Examples of amphoteric surfactants include alkylamide-alkyl betaines, alkylamide-alkyl sultaine betaines, and the like.

Examples of the solvent include animal and vegetable oils, mineral oils, paraffin, water, polyethylene glycol, and alcohol.
Examples of solid carriers include minerals or organic substances such as silica gel, clay, silt, bentonite, lactose, and cyclodextrin. By impregnating, adsorbing, or retaining liquid components on these solid carriers, the agricultural composition of the present invention can also be used as a solid formulation.
The total content of the above-mentioned solvents or solid carriers excluding water is usually 0 to 90% by weight, preferably 0 to 50% by weight, and more preferably 0 to 30% by weight, based on the total amount of the composition of the present invention.
Examples of thickeners include xanthan gum, welan gum, guar gum, carboxymethyl cellulose, hydroxymethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxymethylpropyl cellulose, cellulose nanofiber, aluminum silicate, and magnesium silicate.
Examples of antifreeze agents include ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, propylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, glycerin, methanol, and ethanol.
Examples of preservatives include benzisothiazolinone, methylisothiazolinone, triazine, thiabendazole, vitamin B, and the like.
Examples of the antifoaming agent include fatty acids, fatty acid esters, higher alcohols, silicones, and modified silicones.

The agricultural composition of the present invention is an adjuvant composition that imparts an efficient spraying function to pesticides, fertilizers, and biostimulants, and is applied by mixing with pesticides, fertilizers, and biostimulants. Therefore, the present invention also includes a composition that contains the agricultural composition and one or more selected from the group consisting of pesticides, fertilizers, and biostimulants. The content of the pesticide, fertilizer, and biostimulant can be appropriately set in consideration of the efficacy of the application agent.

A preferred use of the agricultural composition of the present invention is as an adjuvant composition that imparts an efficient spraying function to an agricultural chemical, and is applied by mixing with an agricultural chemical ingredient or an agricultural chemical formulation. Therefore, the present application also includes an invention having an embodiment that includes an agricultural chemical ingredient.
The pesticide components to be applied include the active ingredients of chemical pesticides such as insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, miticides, and plant growth regulators. The pesticide active ingredient may be applied to the agricultural composition of the present invention, or the agricultural composition of the present invention may be mixed with an agricultural chemical formulation containing an active ingredient and an additive. The insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, miticides, and plant growth regulators are not particularly limited, but are exemplified below as suitable examples.

Insecticides include acrinathrin, acequinocyl, acetamiprid, acephate, amitraz, alanycarb, allethrin, isoxathion, imidacloprid, indoxacarb MP, esfenvalerate, ethiofencarb, ethiprole, ethylthiometon, etoxazole, etofenprox, emamectin benzoate, levamisole hydrochloride, oxamyl, cadusafos, and cartap hydrochloride. , carbosulfan, clothianidin, clofentezine, chromafenozide, chlorpyrifos, chlorfenapyr, chlorfluazuron, cycloprothrin, dinotefuran, cyfluthrin, dimethoate, spinosad, diazinon, thiacloprid, thiamethoxam, thiodicarb, thiocyclam oxalate, tebufenozide, tebufenpyrad, tefluthrin, teflubenzuron, tralomethrin, thorazepam ... Examples include lufenpyrad, novaluron, halfenprox, bifenazate, bifenthrin, pymetrozine, pyraclofos, pyridaphenthion, pyridaben, pyridalyl, pyriproxyfen, pyrimidifen, pirimiphos-methyl, pyrethrin, fipronil, phenisobromoate, fenothiocarb, fluacrypyrim, flucythrinate, fluvalinate, flufenoxuron, propafos, profenofos, hexythiazox, permethrin, bensultap, benzoepine, benfuracarb, Beauveria bassiana, Beauveria brongiatii, phosalone, machine oil, malathion, mesulfenphos, methomyl, methoxyfenozide, lufenuron, BPMC, BT (Bacillus thuringiensis), methidathion, fenitrothion, isoprocarb, fenthion, and NAC.

Fungicides include acibenzolane S-methyl, azoxystrobin, ambam, sulfur, isoprothiolane, ipconazole, iprodione, iminoctadine albesilate, iminoctadine acetate, imibenconazole, eclonazole, oxadixyl, oxytetracycline, oxpoconazole fumarate, oxolinic acid, kasugamycin, carpropamid, quinomethionate, captan, kresoxim-methyl, chloroneb, cyazofamid, diethofencarb, and dicloxin. Met, diclomedine, dithianon, zineb, difenoconazole, cyflufenamid, diflumetrim, cyproconazole, cyprodinil, simeconazole, dimethomorph, cymoxanil, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Pseudomonas CAB-02, ziram, sulfur hydrate, streptomycin, potassium bicarbonate, sodium bicarbonate, thiadiazine, thiadinil, thiabendazole, thiuram, thiophanate methyl, thifluzamide, tecloftalam, tetraconazole, tebuconazo ol, copper, triadimefon, triazine, Trichoderma atroviride, tricyclazole, triflumizole, trifloxystrobin, triforine, torcurfos-methyl, Bacillus subtilis, validamycin, bitertanol, hydroxyisoxazole, pyrazophos, pyrifenox, pyrimethanil, pyroquilon, famoxadone, fenarimol, fenoxanil, ferimzone, fenbuconazole, fenhexamid, fthalide, furametpyr, fluazinam, fluorimide , fludioxonil, flusulfamide, flutolanil, procymidone, propamocarb hydrochloride, propiconazole, propineb, probenazole, hexaconazole, benomyl, pefurazoate, pencycuron, boscalid, fosetyl, polyoxin, polycarbamate, mancozeb, maneb, myclobutanil, mildiomycin, methasulfocarb, metominostrobin, mepanipyrim, organic copper, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, edifenphos, iprobenfos, chlorothalonil, etc.

Herbicides include ioxynil, azimsulfuron, asuram, atrazine, anilofos, alachlor, isouron, isoxaben, imazaquin, imazapyr, imazosulfuron, indanofan, esprocarb, ethoxysulfone, etobenzanide, chlorate, oxadiazon, oxadiargyl, oxaziclomefone, orthobencarb, oryzalin, cafenstrole, carfentrazone ethyl, carbutilate, quizalofop methyl, cumyluron, glyphosate ammonium salt, glyphosate isopropylamine salt, glyphosate kalium sodium salt, glyphosate trimesium salt, glufosinate, clethodim, clomeprop, chlorphthalim, cyanazine, cyanate, cyclosulfamuron, diquat, dithiopyr, siduron, cinosulfuron, cyhalofop-butyl, diflufenican, dimethamethrin, dinatehnamide, simetryn, symmetryn, sethoxydim, dymron, dazomet, thifensulfuron-methyl, desmedipham, tetrapion, thenylchlor, tepraloxydim, triaziflam, triclopyr, trifluralin, trifloxysulfuron-sodium salt, na Propamide, Nicosulfuron, Paraquat, Halosulfuron-methyl, Bialaphos, Bispyribac-sodium salt, Bifenox, Pyrazoxyfen, Pyrazosulfuron-methyl, Pyrazoate, Pyrafluphenethione, Pyriftalid, Pyributicarb, Pyriminobac-methyl, Fenothiol, Fentrazamide, Fenmedipham, Butachlor, Butamiphos, Flazasulfuron, Fluazifop, Fluthiacet-methyl, Flumioxazin, Pretilachlor, Prodiamine, Propisamide, Bromacil, Prometryn, Bromobutide, Florasulam, Examples include beslosin, bensulfuron methyl, benzofenap, benzobicyclon, bentazone sodium salt, benthiocarb, pendimethalin, pentoxazone, benfuresate, metamitron, metsulfuron methyl, metolachlor, metribuzin, mefenacet, molinate, linuron, rimsulfuron, lenacil, ACN, simazine, dichlobenil, chlorthiamid, diuron, propanil, MCP, MCP isopropylamine salt, MCPB, MCPP, MDBA, MDBA isopropylamine salt, PAC, SAP, and 2,4-PA.

The agricultural composition of the present invention can be used as an agricultural spreader as a composition that does not contain the active ingredients of chemical pesticides such as insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, miticides, and plant growth regulators. In this case, by mixing the agricultural composition of the present invention with pesticide active ingredients such as fungicides, insecticides, miticides, herbicides, and plant growth regulators when preparing a diluted solution and spraying the mixture, it is possible to improve the volatilization suppression, adhesion, penetration, and dispersibility of the target pesticide.
The agricultural composition of the present invention is used by preparing an agricultural spray solution by diluting with water 2 to 10,000 times, preferably 2 to 1,000 times, more preferably 2 to 500 times. The concentration of the polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester (a) in the spray solution is preferably 100 to 100,000 ppm, more preferably 100 to 10,000 ppm.

A preferred use of the agricultural composition of the present invention is as a spreading agent for aerial spraying. "Aerial spraying" refers to a method of applying pesticides and other chemicals to target plants from a position in the sky above the ground using an aircraft such as an industrial helicopter or drone. In general, aerial spraying is a method of spraying a high concentration of chemicals with a small amount of water compared to normal chemical application methods, since the size of the tank that can be mounted on the aircraft is limited. The agricultural composition of the present invention has excellent chemical properties that do not interfere with the solubility or dispersibility of the chemicals even when the chemicals are in a high concentration, low water volume solution. Furthermore, the aerial spray solution provides uniform spraying characteristics when sprayed mechanically. For this reason, the present application includes an invention relating to the use of the agricultural composition used for aerial spraying.

The agricultural composition of the present invention can also be used as an efficacy enhancer for pesticides. The agricultural composition of the present invention can improve the adhesion of the target pesticide while solubilizing the pesticide active ingredient, thereby improving its uptake by the target plant and pests. When used as an efficacy enhancer in the present invention, the spray solution preferably has a concentration of (a) polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester of 100 to 100,000 ppm.

The present invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to the following examples. However, these examples are merely examples and do not limit the present invention.

The raw materials used in the examples and comparative examples are shown in Tables 1 to 3 below.
Group A: (a) a raw material containing a polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester according to the present invention. Group B: (b) a raw material containing an amide compound according to the present invention.

Example 1
The agricultural composition of the present invention was obtained by uniformly mixing 75 parts by mass of polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan laurate (Takemoto Oil & Fat Co., Ltd.; product name Newkalgen D-941, HLB 16.7) and 25 parts by mass of N,N-dimethylcapric acid amide (SOLVAY; product name Rhodiasolv (registered trademark) ADMA10) at room temperature.

Example 2
The agricultural composition of the present invention was obtained by uniformly mixing 75 parts by mass of polyoxyethylene (4) sorbitan laurate (Kao Corporation; product name Rheodor (registered trademark) TW-L106, HLB 13.3) and 25 parts by mass of N,N-dimethylcapric acid amide (SOLVAY; product name Rhodiasolv (registered trademark) ADMA10) at room temperature.

Example 3
The agricultural composition of the present invention was obtained by uniformly mixing 75 parts by mass of polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan oleate (Takemoto Oil Co., Ltd.; product name Newkalgen D-945, HLB 15.0) and 25 parts by mass of N,N-dimethylcapric acid amide (SOLVAY; product name Rhodiasolv (registered trademark) ADMA10) at room temperature.

Example 4
The agricultural composition of the present invention was obtained by uniformly mixing 75 parts by mass of polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan laurate (Takemoto Oil & Fat Co., Ltd.; product name Newkalgen D-941, HLB 16.7) and 25 parts by mass of N,N-dimethyllaurin/myristic acid amide (Stepan; product name Hallcomid M-12-15) at room temperature.

Example 5
The agricultural composition of the present invention was obtained by uniformly mixing 75 parts by mass of polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan laurate (Takemoto Oil & Fat Co., Ltd.; product name Newkalgen D-941, HLB 16.7) and 25 parts by mass of N-laurylpyrrolidone (Ashland; product name AgsolEx 12) at room temperature.

Example 6
The agricultural composition of the present invention was obtained by uniformly mixing 90 parts by mass of polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan laurate (Takemoto Oil Co., Ltd.; product name Newkalgen D-941, HLB 16.7) and 10 parts by mass of N,N-dimethylcapric acid amide (SOLVAY; product name Rhodiasolv (registered trademark) ADMA10) at room temperature.

Example 7
The agricultural composition of the present invention was obtained by uniformly mixing 50 parts by mass of polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan laurate (Takemoto Oil & Fat Co., Ltd.; product name Newkalgen D-941, HLB 16.7) and 50 parts by mass of N,N-dimethylcapric acid amide (SOLVAY; product name Rhodiasolv (registered trademark) ADMA10) at room temperature.

Example 8
The agricultural composition of the present invention was obtained by uniformly mixing 10 parts by mass of polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan laurate (Takemoto Oil & Fat Co., Ltd.; product name Newkalgen D-941, HLB 16.7) and 90 parts by mass of N,N-dimethylcapric acid amide (SOLVAY; product name Rhodiasolv (registered trademark) ADMA10) at room temperature.

Comparative Example 1
In Comparative Example 1, distilled water was used.

For Comparative Example 2, polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan laurate (Takemoto Oil & Fat Co., Ltd.; product name New Calgen D-941, HLB 16.7) was used.

For Comparative Example 3, N,N-dimethylcapric acid amide (SOLVAY; product name Rhodiasolv (registered trademark) ADMA10) was used.

Comparative Example 4
A comparative agricultural composition was obtained by uniformly mixing 75 parts by mass of polyoxyethylene lauryl ether (Kao Corporation; product name Emulgen (registered trademark) 108, HLB 12.1) and 25 parts by mass of N,N-dimethylcapric acid amide (SOLVAY; product name Rhodiasolv (registered trademark) ADMA10) at room temperature.

Comparative Example 5
A comparative agricultural composition was obtained by uniformly mixing 75 parts by mass of polyoxyethylene laurate (NOF Corporation; product name Nonion L-4, HLB 13.3) and 25 parts by mass of N,N-dimethylcapric acid amide (SOLVAY; product name Rhodiasolv (registered trademark) ADMA10) at room temperature.

Comparative Example 6
A comparative agricultural composition was obtained by uniformly mixing 75 parts by mass of glyceryl caprylate (Kao Corporation; product name Homotex (registered trademark) PT, HLB 5.0) and 25 parts by mass of N,N-dimethylcapric acid amide (SOLVAY; product name Rhodiasolv (registered trademark) ADMA10) at room temperature.

Comparative Example 7
A comparative agricultural composition was obtained by uniformly mixing 75 parts by mass of sorbitan laurate (Takemoto Oil Co., Ltd.; trade name New Calgen D-931, HLB 8.6) and 25 parts by mass of N,N-dimethylcapric acid amide (SOLVAY; trade name Rhodiasolv (registered trademark) ADMA10) at room temperature.

Comparative Example 8
A comparative agricultural composition was obtained by uniformly mixing 75 parts by mass of polyglycerol laurate (Sakamoto Yakuhin Kogyo Co., Ltd.; product name SY Glyster (registered trademark) ML-310, HLB 10.4) and 25 parts by mass of N,N-dimethylcapric acid amide (SOLVAY; product name Rhodiasolv (registered trademark) ADMA10) at room temperature.

Comparative Example 9
A comparative agricultural composition was obtained by uniformly mixing 75 parts by mass of polyoxyethylenated castor oil (Takemoto Oil Co., Ltd.; trade name New Calgen D-236, HLB 12.9) and 25 parts by mass of N,N-dimethylcapric acid amide (SOLVAY; trade name Rhodiasolv (registered trademark) ADMA10) at room temperature.

Comparative Example 10
A comparative agricultural composition was obtained by uniformly mixing 75 parts by mass of polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan laurate (Takemoto Oil Co., Ltd.; product name Newcalgen D-941, HLB 16.7) and 25 parts by mass of N,N-dimethylcaprylamide at room temperature.

Comparative Example 11
A comparative agricultural composition was obtained by uniformly mixing 75 parts by mass of polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan laurate (Takemoto Oil Co., Ltd.; trade name Newcalgen D-941, HLB 16.7) and 25 parts by mass of N-caprylpyrrolidone (Ashland; trade name AgsolEx 8) at room temperature.

Comparative Example 12
A comparative agricultural composition was obtained by uniformly mixing 75 parts by mass of polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan laurate (Takemoto Oil & Fat Co., Ltd.; product name New Calgen D-941, HLB 16.7) and 25 parts by mass of corn oil (Nisshin Oillio Co., Ltd.) at room temperature.

Comparative Example 13
A comparative agricultural composition was obtained by uniformly mixing 75 parts by mass of polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan laurate (Takemoto Oil & Fat Co., Ltd.; product name Newkalgen D-941, HLB 16.7) and 25 parts by mass of methyl decanoate (Tokyo Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.; reagent) at room temperature.

Comparative Example 14
A comparative agricultural composition was obtained by uniformly mixing 75 parts by mass of polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan laurate (Takemoto Oil Co., Ltd.; product name New Calgen D-941, HLB 16.7) and 25 parts by mass of decanol (Tokyo Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.; reagent) at room temperature.

Comparative Example 15
A comparative agricultural composition was obtained by uniformly mixing 75 parts by mass of polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan laurate (Takemoto Oil & Fat Co., Ltd.; product name Newkalgen D-941, HLB 16.7) and 25 parts by mass of polyoxyethylene lauryl ether (Kao Corporation; product name Emulgen (registered trademark) 108) at room temperature.

Comparative Example 16
A comparative agricultural composition was obtained by uniformly mixing 75 parts by mass of polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan laurate (Takemoto Oil & Fat Co., Ltd.; product name Newkalgen D-941, HLB 16.7) and 25 parts by mass of polyoxyethylene laurate (NOF Corporation; product name Nonion L-4) at room temperature.

For Comparative Example 17, Widecoat (registered trademark) (product name, Nissan Chemical Industries, Ltd., dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate 22.5%, polyoxyethylene alkyl ether 50.0%) was used.

As Comparative Example 18, Approach (registered trademark) BI (product name, Maruwa Biochemical Co., Ltd., polyoxyethylene hexitane fatty acid ester 50.0%) was used.

As Comparative Example 19, Squash (registered trademark) (product name, Maruwa Biochemical Co., Ltd., sorbitan fatty acid ester 70.0%,
Polyoxyethylene resin acid ester (5.5%) was used.

For Comparative Example 20, Driver (registered trademark) (product name, Maruwa Biochemical Co., Ltd., polyoxyethylene fatty acid ester 24.0%) was used.

For Comparative Example 21, Makupika (registered trademark) (product name, Ishihara Biosciences Co., Ltd., polyoxyethylene methylpolysiloxane 93.0%) was used.

Test Example 1: Solubilization Test The compositions of the Examples and Comparative Examples were added to a 100-fold diluted solution of various pesticides in an amount equivalent to a 500-fold dilution, and mixed well to prepare test solutions. The test solutions were transferred to test tubes and stored at 20°C for one day. A portion of the solution after storage was extracted and passed through a syringe filter (0.22 μm mesh, made of PTFE). The amount of pesticide active ingredient in the passed solution was analyzed by HPLC, and the active ingredient content was calculated as a ratio to the condition without addition.
Test pesticides Pesticide 1: Flometoquin 10% flowable (trade name: Finesave (registered trademark) flowable, Nippon Kayaku Co., Ltd.)
Pesticide 2: Chlorantraniliprole 5% flowable (trade name: Prevason (registered trademark) Flowable 5, Nissan Chemical Industries, Ltd.)

Test Example 2: Dispersion Stability Test The compositions of the Examples and Comparative Examples were added to 100-fold diluted solutions of various pesticides in an amount equivalent to 500-fold dilution and mixed thoroughly to prepare test solutions. The test solutions were transferred to test tubes and stored at 20°C for one day. The amount of sedimentation in the solutions after storage was compared with that in the absence of added solutions.
Test pesticides Pesticide 1: Chromafenozide 5% flowable (product name: Matric (registered trademark) flowable, Nippon Kayaku Co., Ltd.)
Pesticide 2: Broflanilide 5% flowable (product name: Broflare (registered trademark) SC, Mitsui Chemicals Crop & Life Solutions, Inc.)
Evaluation criteria Good: Almost no sediment was observed.
△: The amount of settling was reduced compared to the case where no additive was added.
×: Sedimentation equal to or greater than that of the untreated sample was observed.

The test compositions and test results for Test Examples 1 and 2 are summarized in Table 3.

The results of Test Examples 1 and 2 show that Examples 1 to 8 all impart relatively high solubilization and dispersion stability to the pesticide ingredients. On the other hand, Comparative Examples 1 to 21 all showed inferior solubilization or dispersion stability, or both, to the agricultural composition of the present invention.

Test Example 3: Water-sensitive Paper Coverage Evaluation Test The compositions of Example 1, Comparative Example 1 (without additives), and Comparative Example 17 were diluted 100 times with water to prepare test solutions. Water-sensitive papers were lined up on a flat outdoor site as shown in FIG. 1, and the test solution was sprayed from a height of 2 m above the papers using a drone. After spraying, the water-sensitive papers were promptly collected, and the coverage rate of each water-sensitive paper was classified into five stages (low amount of sprayed water droplets: rating 1 to high amount of sprayed water droplets: rating 5...see the evaluation criteria sample shown in Table 4).

Spraying conditions Aircraft used: DJI, AGRAS MG-1
Spraying water amount: 0.8L/10a
Spray width: 2m on both sides from the center of the machine
The amount of water sprayed and the width of spraying were controlled using the aircraft's automatic spraying function.

The test compositions and test results for Test Example 3 are summarized in Table 5.

In Example 1, it was confirmed that the test liquid was sprayed over a width of ±2.5 m from the center of the test area (±0 m point). On the other hand, in Comparative Examples 1 and 17, the test liquid was scattered when sprayed from the air, and only a small amount reached the ground, and a sufficient amount of sprayed liquid could not be secured at observation points (±2.5 m) away from the center. The results of Example 1 are thought to be due to the formation of a surfactant coating on the gas-liquid surface of the sprayed droplets, suppressing evaporation. On the other hand, in Comparative Example 17, the droplets became finer when sprayed due to the influence of the composition, the surface area of the droplets increased, and evaporation of water was promoted, which is thought to have led to a decrease in the amount of adhesion in the + direction from the center due to the influence of the wind.

Test Example 4: Adhesion test Test solutions were prepared by adding the compositions of Example 1 and Comparative Examples 1, 17, and 21 in amounts equivalent to a 100-fold dilution to aqueous solutions containing a 5% chromafenozide flowable formulation (product name: Matric (registered trademark) flowable, Nippon Kayaku Co., Ltd.) and a red fluorescent pigment (product name: SINLOIHI SW-111, Shinloihi Co., Ltd.) in amounts equivalent to a 16-fold dilution.
Rice pots were lined up on flat ground outdoors as shown in Figure 2, and the test solution was sprayed from a height of 2 m above the pots using a drone.
After spraying, it was confirmed that the liquid had dried off from the rice plants, and then the state of the liquid adhering to the central pot (pot No. 5 in Figure 2) was confirmed under UV light irradiation in a dark room.
The whole above-ground part of the rice plant was then collected, weighed, and then wet-pulverized in an acetonitrile solution using a grinder (product name: Hiscotron, Microtech Nition Co., Ltd.) until sufficiently fine. The pulverized liquid was then filtered, and the filtrate from which the solids were removed was concentrated under reduced pressure and made up to 5 mL with acetonitrile. The prepared solution was analyzed by HPLC to determine the chromafenozide content in the solution, and the amount of drug attached per weight of rice plant was calculated.
The test was repeated twice under each condition, and the average amount of drug adhered was calculated.

For Test Example 4, the test composition and the test results of the amount of drug adhered to the rice plant (μg/g) are summarized in Table 6. Figure 3 shows the state of drug adherence to the rice plant, visualized using fluorescent pigments.

When the state of fluorescent pigment adhesion was visually confirmed, it was confirmed that the fluorescent pigment adhered to the entire rice plant in Example 1 compared to the Comparative Example. This is thought to be due to the maintenance of the liquid volume by suppressing the evaporation of the sprayed droplets, and the suppression of the rebound of the droplets due to the reduction in interfacial tension with the leaves. On the other hand, the fluorescent pigment adhered poorly to Comparative Examples 17 and 21, and no significant difference was observed from Comparative Example 1 where no additive was added (diluted spray solution with distilled water only).
Furthermore, the amount of the drug (chromafenozide) adhered in Example 1 was far greater than that in the Comparative Example.

Test Example 5: Evaluation test of penetration and migration To a 32-fold diluted solution of a 5% chlorantraniliprole flowable preparation (product name: Prevason (registered trademark) flowable 5, Nissan Chemical Industries, Ltd.), the compositions of the Examples and Comparative Examples were added in an amount equivalent to a 100-fold dilution and mixed well to prepare a test solution.
The fourth leaf counting from the top of the developing cabbage seedlings (variety: Shogun, 9-10 leaf stage) was covered with a plastic bag. The cabbage seedlings were sprayed with the spray using a drone and stored at room temperature. 48 hours after treatment, the covered leaves and uncovered control leaves were collected, and 10 third-instar larvae of the diamondback moth were released onto each leaf. Four days after treatment, the condition of the larvae and the damage to the leaves were investigated.
Each test condition was repeated four times. The evaluation results were calculated using the following formula.
Total number of insects: The total number of insects observed in each state on the four leaves tested. Average abnormal mortality rate: ((number of dead insects) + (number of abnormal insects)) / (total number of insects surveyed) x 100 (%)
Average damage rate: The average damage rate of the four leaves tested

The test compositions and test results for Test Example 5 are summarized in Table 7.

Example 1 was confirmed to have a higher insecticidal effect than Comparative Examples 1 and 17. On the other hand, Comparative Examples 1 and 17 showed no insecticidal effect at all. Since 100% of the larvae were abnormal or dead on the uncovered leaves, it is believed that a sufficient amount of the drug was sprayed. Chlorantraniliprole has a penetrating and translocating property, and in normal use, the drug adheres to a part of the crop, allowing the drug to penetrate into the plant body, and the drug can be distributed throughout the plant, thereby exerting a stable insecticidal effect. On the other hand, in the case of spraying with a small amount of water and a high concentration as in this test, the amount of water relative to the active ingredient is small, and the adhesion site is also localized, so it is believed that the drug does not penetrate efficiently. Among them, the composition of the example is thought to have efficiently penetrated the drug into the leaves by solubilizing the drug even under the conditions of spraying with a small amount of water using a drone.

The agricultural composition of the present invention has excellent adhesion and solubilization properties, so that the drug is expected to act efficiently on the target plants and pests, and stabilize the effect of the pesticide. In addition, since the agricultural composition of the present invention can suppress the evaporation of water in the spray solution, it is expected that the effect of uneven spraying due to wind can be reduced even when spraying from a high place away from the ground, such as with a drone, and as a result, spraying accuracy can be improved. In addition, since the agricultural composition of the present invention can impart high dispersion stability to the pesticide active ingredient, it maintains a dispersed state for a long period of time even in a highly concentrated diluted solution of the pesticide, improving handling during spraying of the pesticide. Furthermore, the polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester used in the agricultural composition of the present invention has low toxicity to living organisms, and many of them have a track record of use as food additives, and the fatty acid amide also corresponds to a green solvent, so that it has a low environmental load, so that the safety and environmental compatibility of the agricultural composition of the present invention is considered to be extremely high. The agricultural composition of the present invention can be efficiently sprayed in situations where pesticides and other substances are sprayed at high concentrations and in small amounts of water, such as when spraying from the air using a drone, and as a result, it is expected that the labor required for spraying pesticides, the amount of pesticide sprayed, control costs, and environmental burden will be reduced, and food supply will be stabilized.

Claims (11)

An agricultural composition comprising (a) a polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester and (b) an amide compound,
(a) the polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester is composed of linear and/or branched saturated fatty acids and/or unsaturated fatty acids having 8 to 22 carbon atoms;
(b) The amide compound is an amide compound represented by formula (1) and/or formula (2).

[In the formula (1) or (2), R is a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon having 9 to 14 carbon atoms, Ra and Rb each independently represent a hydrogen atom and/or an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and x is an integer of 0 to 4.] (b) The agricultural composition according to claim 1, wherein in the amide compound, Ra and Rb in formula (1) are both methyl groups. 　(b) The agricultural composition according to claim 1, wherein in the amide compound, x in formula (2) is 2 or 3. The agricultural composition according to claim 1, wherein (b) the amide compound is one or more selected from the group consisting of N,N-dimethylcapric acid amide, N,N-dimethyllauric acid amide, N,N-dimethylmyristic acid amide, and N-lauryl-2-pyrrolidone. 　(a) The agricultural composition according to claim 1, wherein the fatty acid constituting the polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester is lauric acid and/or oleic acid. 　(a) The agricultural composition according to claim 1, in which the average degree of polymerization of the ethylene oxide constituting the polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester is 5 to 25. The agricultural composition according to claim 1, wherein (a) the polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester has an HLB of 7 to 17. The agricultural composition according to claim 1, wherein the mass ratio of the components in the composition is (a) polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester/(b) amide compound = 0.1 to 10. The agricultural composition according to claim 1, comprising one or more selected from the group consisting of pesticides, fertilizers, and biostimulants. The agricultural composition according to claim 1, which is for aerial application. 11. An agricultural spray liquid comprising the agricultural composition according to any one of claims 1 to 10, diluted with water, and containing (a) a polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester at 100 to 10,000 ppm.

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