METHOD OF ENHANCING BIOLOGICAL EFFECTIVENESS OF PLANT TREATMENT COMPOSITIONS

摘要

A method of eliciting biological activity of an anionic exogenous chemical substance, for example the herbicide glyphosate, is provided. This method comprises preparing a plant treatment composition having the anionic exogeno us 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-(CH2CH2O)n((CHR)2O)m-R13 wherein R12 is an aliphat ic saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbyl group having about 16 to about 22 carbo n atoms, n is an average number of about 5 to about 100, m is an average numbe r of 0 to about 5, one R in each-((CHR)2O)-group is hydrogen and the other R i s methyl, and R13 is a hydrogen, C1-4 alkyl or C2-4 acyl group; and (b) an ami ne surfactant component. The weight ratio of the alkylether surfactant componen t 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 adjuva nt 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. The meth od further comprises applying the plant treatment composition to foliage of the plant within a short period prior to rain or activation of overhead irrigati on onthe plant.