FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to a synergistic fungicidal composition, formulations
comprising the synergistic fungicidal composition and a process of preparation of
said formulations. Particularly, the present invention relates to a synergistic
fungicidal composition comprising Sulphur and Propineb.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Most crop and ornamental plants are subject to attack by several fungi. Plant
disease result in damage to ornamental, vegetable, field, cereal and fruit crops and
can cause significant reduction in productivity and thereby result in increased
costs to the consumer. In addition to often being highly destructive, plant diseases
can be difficult to control and may develop resistance to commercial fungicides.
The challenge involved in developing commercially acceptable products
containing agriculturally active compounds in combination continues to increase
due to the rapid emergence of more complex customer and regulatory
requirements. These combinations must demonstrate chemical and physical
stability under wide range of conditions along with improved control of fungal
diseases in commercial important crops.
When two or more substances in combination demonstrate unexpectedly high
biological activity, for example fungicidal activity, the resultant phenomenon may
be referred to as synergism. The reason or mechanism for the synergy may not be
always known, and may differ with different combinations, but the effect can
always be observed experimentally. The term ‘synergism’ or ‘synergy’ hereinafter
refers to a cooperative action encountered in a combination of two or more
biologically active components in which the combined activity of the two or more
components exceeds the sum of the activity of each component alone.
Fungicidal compositions containing sulphur as active ingredient are known and
have been found to be effective against fungal diseases in economically important
crops such as apple, grape, groundnut, peas, mango etc. US 6090415A discloses a
pesticide containing a combination of a sprayed granulated sulphur and a
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pyrethroid in the form of a wettable granules to control different mites. US Patent
No. 6835719 discloses pesticidal liquid suspension composition including a
mixture of sulphur combined with pyrethrins and/or pyrethroids. EP 2904903 A1
patent application discloses a combination comprising a suspension concentrate of
sulphur and a multi-site contact fungicide namely mancozeb. Considering the
importance of effective control of a broad spectrum of fungal diseases in
economically important crops the need for a fungicidal composition which is
stable, ready to use, eco-friendly and less expensive was felt.
Further, it has been surprisingly found by the inventors that whenever sulphur and
dithiocarbamate fungicide such as propineb are used in combination, the
combination gives a better control of fungal diseases than when they are used
individually due to the synergistic action along with improvement in physiological
condition of the crop.
Sulphur is the chemical element with atomic number 16. In the periodic table, it is
represented by the symbol S. Sulphur disrupts the metabolic processes of fungi
and protects plants from diseases by inhibiting spore germination. Traditionally
some plant diseases were controlled with applications of elemental sulphur, but
this necessitates frequent, high volume applications of an irritating material.
Sulphur causes plant injury in hot and dry weather conditions. Further, sulphur is
difficult to formulate into a formulation either alone or in combination. Problems
associated with sulphur formulations include formation of unsightly residue on
ornamentals and the tendency of sulphur to settle down when in liquid form
(Olkowski, W. et al, Common Sense Pest Control, p. 109). Some plants are
sensitive to sulphur and plant damage can occur when temperatures during
application are greater than 30°C. The standard composition of sulphur available
in the art is 50-80% wettable powder and 80% wettable granules.
Propineb (polymeric zinc propylenebis(dithiocarbamate)), a propylene -
analogue of zineb, as described by the following formula (I)
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Propineb is a protectant foliar-applied fungicide with long residual activity and
belongs to the dithiocarbamate group of compounds. It is used as a protective
treatment on several crops for the control of various fungi, especially Oomycetes,
Ascomycetes, Basidiomycetes and Fungi imperfecti. Propineb controls blight on
potatoes and tomatoes, downy mildew on hops and vines, apple scab, blue mould
on tobacco and Sigatoka disease of bananas. It can also be used on gooseberries,
black currants, celery and cereals. Propineb is applied as a WG or WP
formulation mainly as a spray.
The standard composition of propineb available in the art is 70 percent wettable
powder. However, propineb is also useful as bird repellent and highly suitable to
be used for the physiological curative treatment under zinc deficiency. EP
2421371 A1 discloses its uses as bird repellent and WO 2011107443 A1 discloses
use of propineb for physiological curative treatment under zinc deficiency.
Fungicidal combinations offer significant advantages over individual applications
including improved and extended fungal control, reduced fungicide application
rates and costs, shorter contact times for improved results, less stringent use
restrictions, improved selectivity, improved spectrum of fungi controlled, reduced
cost and reduced residue problems. However, identifying appropriate fungicide
application rates and ratio of the combinations is essential to achieve efficacious
disease control. Thus, there exists a need for a composition comprising sulphur
and propineb at a ratio which shows superior and effective control on fungal
infections. Also, there exists a need to provide a fungicidal combination which
demonstrates no cross-resistance to the existing fungicidal agents, reduced
toxicity and little negative or no impact on the environment.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention provides a synergistic fungicidal composition
comprising Sulphur and Propineb, wherein the weight ratio of Sulphur to
Propineb is in the range of 4:1 to 1:2. In another embodiment, Sulphur is present
in an amount ranging from 20 to 60 %w/w and Propineb is present in an amount
ranging from 15 to 40%w/w.
In one another embodiment, the composition of the present invention further
comprises a first dispersing agent, a second dispersing agent, a wetting agent, a
suspending agent, a disintegrating agent and a filler.
The present invention also provides a synergistic fungicidal composition
comprising Sulphur and Propineb in the form of a dry flowable, water dispersible
granules, wettable powder, granules, encapsulated granules, emulsion concentrate,
emulsion, microemulsion, suspension concentrate, and soluble liquid.
In another embodiment, the composition of the present invention is in the form of
dry flowable. The composition further comprises a first dispersing agent, a second
dispersing agent, a wetting agent, a suspending agent and a filler.
In one another embodiment, the composition of the present invention is in the
form of water dispersible granules. The composition further comprises a first
dispersing agent, a second dispersing agent, a wetting agent, disintegrating agent
and a filler.
In yet another embodiment, the composition of the present invention is in the form
of wettable powder. The composition further comprises a first dispersing agent, a
wetting agent and a filler.
In an embodiment, the first dispersing agent is selected from the group consisting
of a condensate of naphthalene sulphonic acid and phenol sulphonic acid, stearylbenzimidazol
disulfonic acid and combinations thereof, and present in an amount
in the range of 1 to 8%w/w.
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In another embodiment, the second dispersing agent is a sodium salt of
lignosulphonate, modified styrene acrylic polymer and combinations thereof and
present in an amount in the range of 3 to 12%w/w.
In one another embodiment, the wetting agent is selected from the group
consisting of alkyl napthalene sulphonate, styrenated methyl acrylate and
combinations thereof, and present in an amount in the range of 1 to 5%w/w.
In yet another embodiment, the suspending agent is Kraft lignin polymer and
present in an amount in the range of 1 to 7%w/w.
In another embodiment, the disintegrating agent is selected from sodium
bicarbonate, citric acid and combinations thereof.
In one another embodiment, the filler is selected from the group consisting of
china clay (Kaolin).
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig 1: Flow diagram of a process of preparation of a synergistic fungicidal
composition comprising Sulphur and Propineb in the form of a Dry flowable
(DF).
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Discussed below are some representative embodiments of the present invention.
The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details and
representative methods. The illustrative examples are described in this section in
connection with the embodiments and methods provided. The invention according
to its various aspects is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the
appended claims read in view of this specification and appropriate equivalents.
It is to be noted that, as used in the specification and the appended claims, the
singular forms "a", "an" and "the" include plural referents unless the context
clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to a composition
containing “a compound” includes a mixture of two or more compounds. It should
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also be noted that the term “or” is generally employed in its sense including
“and/or” unless the content clearly dictates otherwise.
The expression of various quantities in terms of “% w/w” or “%” means the
percentage by weight, relative to the weight of the total solution or composition
unless otherwise specified.
The term "agrochemically effective amount" is the quantity of active agent,
applied in any amount which will provide the required control of fungi. The
particular amount is dependent upon many factors including, for example, the
crop, type of fungi to be controlled and environmental conditions. The selection of
the proper quantity of active agent to be applied, however, is within the expertise
of one skilled in the art. Further, the term “active ingredient” (A.I.) or “active
agent” used herein refers to that component of the composition responsible for
control of fungi.
As used herein, the expressions “SL formulation”, “SC formulation” “WDG or
WG formulation” “GR formulation”, “DF formulation”, “CG formulation”, “EC
formulation”, “EW formulation”, “ME formulation”, “WP formulation” are the
international denominations adopted by the FAO (Food and Agricultural
Organization of the United Nations) to designate “soluble liquid”, “aqueous
suspension concentrate”, “water dispersible granules”, “granules”, “dry flowable”,
“encapsulated granules”, “emulsion concentrate”, “emulsion”, “micro-emulsion”
and “wettable powder” respectively.
In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, there is provided a
synergistic fungicidal composition comprising Sulphur and Propineb. The weight
ratio of Sulphur to Propineb is in the range of 4:1 to 1:2, preferably the weight
ratio of Sulphur to Propineb is 2:1.
In another embodiment, Sulphur is present in the amount ranging from 20 to 60
%w/w and Propineb is present in an amount ranging from 15 to 40%w/w.
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In one another embodiment, the composition further comprises a first dispersing
agent, a second dispersing agent, a wetting agent, a suspending agent, a
disintegrating agent and a filler.
In yet embodiment the present invention provides the composition in the form of
dry flowable (DF), water dispersible granules (WDG), wettable powder (WP),
granule (GR), capsulated granules (CG), emulsion concentrate (EC), emulsion
(EW), microemulsion (ME), suspension concentrate (SC) or soluble liquid (SL).
Preferably, the composition of the present invention is formulated as DF, WDG
and WP.
It is generally observed that solid particles in a liquid undergo spontaneous
aggregation to form lumps. Hence, it is recommended to add dispersing agent
which prevents aggregation of solid particles and keep them suspending in the
fluid.
In one embodiment, the composition of the present invention may include a first
dispersing agent. In another embodiment, the composition of the present invention
includes a first dispersing agent and a second dispersing agent. The first
dispersing agent is selected from the group consisting of a condensate of
naphthalene sulphonic acid and phenol sulphonic acid; stearyl-benzimidazol
disulfonic acid and combinations thereof. The first dispersing agent is present in
an amount in the range of 1 to 8%w/w. The second dispersing agent is a sodium
salt of lignosulphonate and is present in an amount in the range of 3 to 12%w/w.
However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that it is possible to utilize other
dispersing agents without departing from the scope of the present invention.
The wetting agents are added to the fungicidal composition to facilitate the
suspension of the particles in water. Accordingly, the composition of the present
invention comprises wetting agent selected from alkyls napthalene sulphonate,
styrenated methyl acrylate and combinations thereof, and present in an amount in
the range of 1 to 5%. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that it is
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possible to utilize other wetting agents without departing from the scope of the
present invention.
It is recommended to add a suspending agent to the fungicidal composition as the
suspending agent helps active ingredients to stay suspended in the formulation
and prevent caking at the bottom of the container. Hence, the composition of the
present invention preferably contains Kraft lignin polymer as suspending agent in
an amount in the range from 1 to 7%. However, those skilled in the art will
appreciate that it is possible to utilize other suspending agents without departing
from the scope of the present invention.
The disintegrating agent is added to the composition to accelerate swelling or
disintegration when it comes into contact with a fluid. The preferred disintegrating
agent of the present invention are sodium bicarbonate, citric acid and
combinations thereof. The disintegrating agent is present in an amount in the
range of 0.5 to 5%w/w. In a preferred embodiment, sodium bicarbonate is added
at a ratio in the range of 1 to 5%w/w and citric acid is added at a ratio in the range
of 0.5 to 3% w/w.
A filler is added to the composition of the present invention which improves
handling and storage characteristics of said composition. Fillers also add mass
and/or volume to the active ingredient in order to facilitate precise measurement
of the doses. Suitable fillers that can be used in the present invention include, but
not limited to, are china clay (Kaolin), and is present in quantity sufficient (“q.s”)
amount. The term quantity sufficient or “q.s” is used in reference to the amounts
of ingredients as understood in the art to mean the quantity required to make up
volume of the composition and is generally readily determined by the persons
skilled in the formulation arts.
In another embodiment, the composition of the present invention is used to
control and prevent fungus in cereals, fruits, vegetables and ornamental crops.
Particularly, the present invention is used to control and prevent fungus in paddy,
apple, pomegranate, chilli, grape, tomato and groundnut.
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The synergistic composition of the present invention provides the following
advantages:
Increased efficacy of the composition in comparison to the other solo
formulations tested during the trials.
The composition of the present invention not only act as fungicides but
the sulphur and the zinc component of propineb of the composition
provides micronutrients to the soil thereby increasing the fertility of the
soil.
The composition of the present invention is non-phytotoxic and storage
stable
Economically beneficial to the farmers as it provides better yield of the
crop to them with reduction in the number of sprays for controlling the
fungi.
Reduced possibility of hazards to the farmers due to occupational
exposure because of reduction in the number of sprays of fungicide to
control the fungi.
Reduction in the waste generated due to the empty packages of the
product and thus helping the farmers to control the possible
environmental hazards arising due to such packages.
The embodiments of the present invention are more particularly described in the
following examples that are intended as illustrations only, since numerous
modifications and variations within the scope of the present invention will be
apparent to those of skill in the art. Unless otherwise noted, all parts, percentages
and ratios reported in the following examples are on a weight basis and all
reagents used in the examples were obtained or are available from the chemical
suppliers.
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EXAMPLES
The unit of each value below is “% w/w” i.e. the percentage by weight, relative to
the weight of the total solution or composition unless otherwise specified.
The compositions illustrated in Table 1 are formulated as dry flowable (DF).
Examples 1 to 5
Table 1: Synergistic fungicidal compositions
Component Function
Examples
% w/w
1 2 3 4 5
Sulphur A.I 60 55 50 45 20
Propineb A.I 15 20 25 30 40
Condensate of
Naphthalene Sulphonic
Acid and Phenol
Sulphonic Acid
First
Dispersing
agent
3 3 3 3 3
Alkyl Napthalene
Sulphonate
Wetting
agent
2 2 2 2 2
Sodium salt of
lignosulphonate
Second
Dispersing
agent
5 5 5 5 5
Kraft lignin polymer Suspending
agent
2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5
China clay Filler Q.S. Q.S. Q.S. Q.S. Q.S.
A.I.= active ingredient Q.S.= quantity sufficient
The aforementioned synergistic fungicidal composition formulated as Dry
flowable by the process described below.
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Example 6: Process of preparation of synergistic fungicidal composition in
the form of Dry flowable (DF)
A slurry of 50% concentration was prepared using requisite amount of water,
condensate of naphthalene sulphonic acid and phenol sulphonic acid (3 Kg) and
alkyl napthalene sulphonate (2Kg) with stirring. Then sodium salt of
lignosulphonate (5 Kg), Kraft lignin polymer (2.5 Kg) and china clay (7.05 Kg)
were added under stirring. After stirring well, the slurry was homogenized with
high speed. To the slurry, sulphur technical of purity 98% (51.03 Kg) and
propineb technical (29.42 Kg) of purity 85% were added and homogenized at
4000 to 5000 RPM to make homogeneous slurry. The homogeneous slurry was
wet grinded at a temperature below 25°C using a suitable bead mill till required
particle size was achieved. D90 should be below 10 microns. After wet grinding
the slurry was discharged and mixed well. The slurry was then fed in the spray
nozzle using feed pump of the spray dryer. The inlet temperature was kept around
105°C and outlet temperature was kept around 60°C by adjusting the flow-rate of
the feed pump. The granules were then collected and sample was sent for testing
as per specification.
The synergistic fungicidal composition illustrated in Table 2 are formulated as
water dispersible granules (WG or WDG).
Table: 2
Ingredients Role
Quantity,
% w/w
Sulphur Technical (purity 98%) A.I 51.02
Propineb Technical (purity 85%) A.I 29.40
Condensate of Naphthalene Sulphonic Acid
and Phenol Sulphonic Acid
First dispersing agent 4.00
Alkyl Napthalene Sulphonate
Wetting agent 2.00
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Modified styrene acrylic polymer
Second dispersing
agent
2.00
Sodium bicarbonate Disintegrating agent 2.00
Citric acid Disintegrating agent 1.50
China clay Filler Q.S.
Example 7: Process of preparation of synergistic fungicidal composition in
the form of Water Dispersible Granules (WDG)
Mix all the ingredients as per Table 2 using proper ribbon blender type mixer. The
mixture was pre-mixed with an air jet mill. The milling chamber was kept at 6 kg
per cm2 and feeding pressure 2 kg per cm2. The mixture was milled twice to
achieve particle size below 10 microns. The water was added to the milled
mixture to prepare a dough using dough-mixer. The dough was extruded using
extruder having suitable size screen, RPM was maintained at about 20 to 25 and
the temperature was maintained at not more than 45°C. The extruded granules
were dried using a suitable Fluid Bed dryer or Tray dryer. The air flow was kept
at 75% to 80% and the temperature of the air was below 50°C. The granules were
dried till 2% to 3% of the moisture content was present in the granules.
The synergistic fungicidal composition illustrated in Table 3 are formulated as
wettable powder (WP).
Table: 3
Ingredients Role
Quantity,
% w/w
Sulphur Technical (purity 98%) A.I 51.02
Propineb Technical (purity 85%) A.I 29.40
Condensate of Naphthalene Sulphonic Acid
and Phenol Sulphonic Acid
First Dispersing 5.0
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agent
Alkyls Napthalene Sulphonate
Wetting agent 2.0
China clay Filler Q.S. make
up to 100
Example 8: Process of preparation of synergistic fungicidal composition in
the form of Wettable powder (WP)
Sulphur (51.02 Kg), Propineb (29.40 Kg), condensate of naphthalene sulphonic
acid and phenol Sulphonic Acid (5 Kg), alkyls Napthalene Sulphonate (2 Kg) and
china clay (12.58 Kg) were premixed in blender to form a homogenous mass. The
homogeneous mass was grounded by Jet mill/Air Classifier Mill (ACM) in
presence of nitrogen gas. The grinding was carried out until a mean particle size
of below 20 microns (D-90) was obtained. After grinding, the mass was mixed
homogeneously by post blender to obtain the WP formulation.
Bio-efficacy of synergistic fungicidal composition against fungi in groundnut
crop
A field trial was conducted on groundnut crop to evaluate the fungicidal control of
Tikka and Rust diseases with a) formulation comprising only Sulphur as active
ingredient; b) formulation comprising only Propineb as active ingredient and c)
formulation comprising synergistic composition of sulphur and probineb, as a
foliar application.
Commercially available compositions of Sulphur 80% WP and Propineb 70% WP
were diluted with water to the stated concentration of the active compound.
Applications were made with a backpack type sprayer fitted with a pressure
regulator and a vertical bar with one hollow cone nozzle. The application was
initiated immediately after disease incidence and three directed sprays, i.e. 1st, 2nd,
and 3rd sprays, were made at intervals of 14 days. Experiment design was in
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random blocks with four repetitions, and each plot measured an area of 6 x 6 m.
The dilution rate of application was 500 L/ha for all the trials. The percentage
disease index (PDI) per hill on the ten hills per plot was assessed 10 days after
application (DAA). The disease ratings are provided in table 4.
Per cent disease index (PDI) was calculated by using formula adopted by Horsfall
and Heuberger (Horsfall. J.G and J.W. Henberger. 1942. Measuring magnitude of
defoliation disease of tomatoes. Phytopath., 32: 226-232) as follows:
The per cent disease index (PDI) was calculated by using the following formula,
PDI = Sum of all disease Ratings × 100
Total no of plants assessed x Maximum Disease rating
Table 4. Scale for measurement of disease intensity or disease rating
Grade Disease symptoms
0 No plants showing disease symptoms
1 1% or less plants showing disease
symptoms
3 1-10% or less plants showing disease
symptoms
5 11-20% or less plants showing disease
symptoms
7 21-50% or less plants showing disease
symptoms
9 51% and above plants showing disease
symptoms
Using the above process, Sulphur and Propineb were evaluated alone and in a
combination of sulphur and propineb at different doses.
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Table 5 below summarizes the individual and combined treatments for disease
spectrum at different concentrations of Sulphur and Propineb.
Table 5: Treatment details for evaluation of bio-efficacy of synergistic
fungicidal composition against fungi on groundnut crop
Particu
lars
Treatment A.I. (%)
Dose A.I./ha
(g/ha)
Dose of
formulatio
n (g/ha)
T1 Control (water supply) -- -- --
T2 Sulphur + Propineb (DF) 45% + 30% 1890+1260 4200
T3 Sulphur + Propineb (DF) 50% + 25% 2100+1050 4200
T4 Sulphur + Propineb (DF) 55% + 20% 2310+840 4200
T5 Propineb (WP) 70% 1050 1500
T6 Sulphur (WP) 80% 4000 5000
A.I.= active ingredient
The bio-efficacy of different treatment schedules on control of Tikka and Rust
diseases and the treatment wise yield data of groundnut crop are summarized in
tables 6 to 9 below.
Table 6: Effectiveness of fungicidal treatments on disease spectrum in
ground nut crop demonstrating the synergistic effect of fungicidal
composition of Sulphur and Propineb
Treatments
details
Dose
g/ha
PDI (%) Tikka
PDI (%) Rust
Before
Spray
14
days
after
1st
spray
14
days
after
2nd
spray
14
days
after
3rd
spray
Before
spray
14
days
after
1st
spray
14
days
after
2nd
spray
14
days
after
3rd
spray
T1 - 5.36 10.46 16.67 21.76 6.45 18.95 28.10 31.47
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(13.38) (18.87) (24.10) (27.80) (14.71) (25.81) (32.01) (34.12)
T2 4200
2.99
(9.96)
3.69
(11.07)
4.70
(12.53)
5.13
(13.10)
4.13
(11.72)
6.08
(14.27)
7.95
(16.38)
8.56
(17.01)
T3 4200
3.01
(10.00)
3.16
(10.24)
3.87
(11.35)
4.50
(12.25)
4.33
(12.00)
5.37
(13.39)
6.79
(15.11)
7.33
(15.71)
T4 4200
3.40
(10.63)
3.48
(10.74)
4.24
(11.89)
4.87
(12.75)
4.62
(12.41)
5.60
(13.68)
7.53
(15.93)
8.01
(16.44)
T5 1500
5.26
(13.26)
7.90
(16.32)
10.45
(18.86)
12.33
(20.55)
6.60
(14.89)
11.87
(20.15)
13.52
(21.58)
14.61
(22.47)
T6 5000
5.49
(13.55)
9.40
(17.85)
13.07
(21.20)
15.65
(23.30)
6.52
(14.79)
14.95
(22.75)
18.80
(25.69)
19.92
(26.51)
SEm ± - NS 0.26 0.32 0.34 NS 0.78 1.66 2.72
CD (5%) - 0.22 0.86 0.96 1.01 0.56 1.98 5.03 8.18
CD 5%: Critical Difference, mL = Millilitre, Figures in parenthesis indicate
arcsine transformed values.
It was surprisingly found that the synergistic composition of sulphur and propineb
at the ratio 2:1 was significantly superior over other ratios at the same dose as it
showed better control of diseases such as Tikka and Rust. Further, when
compared to the commercially available formulations in the market such as
Sulphur 80% WP and Propineb 70% WP, at recommended doses, when applied
three times at 14 days intervals, it showed superior control of Tikka and Rust
diseases.
The treatment wise POD yield data for groundnut crop is summarized in table 7.
Table 7: Treatment wise POD yield data for groundnut crop
Treatment POD
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Yield
(kg/ha)
T1
837.90
T2
1017.45
T3
1037.40
T4
1033.20
T5
921.85
T6
879.80
SEm+ 9.67
CD 5% 28.65
CD 5%: Critical Difference
The aforementioned trial results indicate that a composition comprising sulphur
(50%) and propineb (25%) formulated as dry flowable is most effective against all
the target fungi and affords highest yield.
Phytotoxic effect of synergistic fungicidal mixture on ground nut crop
Visual observation on phytotoxicity were recorded for leaf injury on tip/surface,
Epinasty/Hyponasty, and wilting, etc. on 0-10 scale (table 8) at 1, 3, 7, 14 and 21
days after each application and the average values are presented in table 9.
Table 8. Phytotoxicity visual scoring 0 to 10
Score Phytotoxicity (percent)
0 No phytotoxicity
1 1 – 10
2 11 – 20
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3 21 – 30
4 31 – 40
5 41 – 50
6 51 – 60
7 61 – 70
8 71 – 80
9 and 10 Complete destruction
Table 9: Phytotoxicity of different treatments on ground nut crop
No. Treatment
Dose
(g/ha)
Phytotoxicity (Days after Application)
1 3 7 11 14
1
Sulphur 50%
+ Propineb
25% DF
4200 0 0 0 0 0
2 6300 0 0 0 0 0
3 8400 0 0 0 0 0
4 Control - 0 0 0 0 0
0= No Phytoxicity
The data presented in Table 9 shows that synergistic fungicidal composition
comprising Sulphur and Propineb did not show any phytotoxicity when applied at
higher dose of 8400 g/ha in ground nut crop.
From the foregoing it will be observed that numerous modifications and variations
can be effectuated without departing from the true spirit and scope of the novel
concepts of the present invention. It is to be understood that no limitations with
respect to the specific embodiments illustrated is intended or should be inferred. It
should be understood that all such modifications and improvements have been
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deleted herein for the sake of conciseness and readability but are properly within
the scope of the following claims.

We claim:
1. A synergistic fungicidal composition comprising Sulphur and
Propineb, wherein the weight ratio of Sulphur to Propineb is in the
range of 4:1 to 1:2.
2. The composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein Sulphur is present in
an amount ranging from 20 to 60 %w/w and Propineb is present in an
amount ranging from 15 to 40%w/w.
3. The composition as claimed in claim 1, further comprises a first
dispersing agent, a second dispersing agent, a wetting agent, a
suspending agent, a disintegrating agent and a filler.
4. The composition as claimed in claims 1, wherein the composition is in
the form of dry flowable, water dispersible granules, wettable powder,
granules, encapsulated granules, emulsion concentrate, emulsion,
microemulsion, suspension concentrate, and soluble liquid.
5. The composition as claimed in claim 3 and 4, wherein the composition
is in the form of dry flowable and further comprises a first dispersing
agent, a second dispersing agent, a wetting agent, a suspending agent
and a filler.
6. The composition as claimed in claim 3 and 4, wherein the composition
is in the form of water dispersible granules and further comprises a
first dispersing agent, a second dispersing agent, a wetting agent,
disintegrating agent and a filler.
7. The composition as claimed in claim 3 and 4, wherein the composition
is in the form of wettable powder and further comprises a first
dispersing agent, a wetting agent and a filler.
1011/34
22
8. The composition as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first dispersing
agent is selected from the group consisting of a condensate of
naphthalene sulphonic acid and phenol sulphonic acid, stearylbenzimidazol
disulfonic acid and combinations thereof, and present in
an amount in the range of 1 to 8%w/w.
9. The composition as claimed in claim 5, wherein the second dispersing
agent is sodium salt of lignosulphonate, modified styrene acrylic
polymer and combinations thereof and present in an amount in the
range of 3 to 12%w/w.
10. The composition as claimed in claim 5, wherein the wetting agent is
selected from the group consisting of alkyl napthalene sulphonate,
styrenated methyl acrylate and combinations thereof, and present in an
amount in the range of 1 to 5%w/w.
11. The composition as claimed in claim 5, wherein the suspending agent
is Kraft lignin polymer and present in an amount in the range of 1 to
7%w/w.
12. The composition as claimed in claim 6, wherein the disintegrating
agent is selected from sodium bicarbonate, citric acid and
combinations thereof.
13. The composition as claimed in claim 5, wherein the filler is china clay
(Kaolin).