GRANTED
12/1/2005

FORM 2

THE PATENTS ACT, 1970 (39 of 1970)
&
The Patents Rules, 2003
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (See section 10 and rule 13)


TITLE OF THE INVENTION
Emulsifiable myco-chemical herbicide concentrate
APPLICANTS
Name : Godrej Agrovet Limited
Nationality : an Indian Company
Address : Pirojshanagar, Eastern Express Highway, Vikhroli (East),
Mumbai 400079, Maharashtra, India
PREAMBLE TO THE DESCRIPTION
The following specification particularly describes the nature of this invention and the manner in which it is to be performed

FIELD OF INVENTION
This invention relates to an emulsifiable myco-chemical herbicide concentrate.
PRIOR ART
Cotton crops like several other cultivated crop plants get infested by a variety of weeds. The most predominant and obnoxious of them is Trianthema portulacastrum. Herbicidal compositions of phenyl-thio-pyrimidines of the Formula I

wherein X is a halogen atom such as flouro, chloro, bromo or iodo and M is an alkalimetal ion such as sodium or potassium, are reported to possess excellent herbicidal activity against perennial and annual weeds and have at the same time a high level of safety to the crop plants. The surfactants and dispersing agents used in the preparation of the above compositions

are alcohol sulfuric acid ester, alkyl aryl sulfonate, lignin sulfonate, polyoxy ethylene glycol ether, polyoxyethylene alkyl aryl ether or polyoxyethylene sorbitol monoalkylate (US Patent No 4932999).
Phytopathogenic fungi, Alternaria alternata is reported to cause disease in the Trianthema portulacastrum weeds eventually leading to their death (Bohra et al. 2004, Publication communicated to Indian Phytopathology).
OBJECTS OF INVENTION
An object of the invention is to provide an emulsifiable myco-chemical herbicide concentrate for crops, especially cotton crops which is very effective in controlling Trianthema portulacastrum weeds.
Another object of the invention is to provide an emulsifiable myco-chemical herbicide concentrate for crops, especially cotton crops which has low persistence in the environment and is environment friendly.
Another object of the invention is to provide an emulsifiable myco-chemical herbicide concentrate for crops, especially cotton crops, which is economical.

Another object of the invention is to provide an emulsifiable myco-chemical herbicide concentrate for crops, especially cotton crops which is storage stable.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention there is provided an emsulsifiable myco-chemical herbicide concentrate comprising 107 to 1014 spores/g or ml of Alternaria alternata, 10 to 50 % by weight of a phenyl-thio-pyrimidine of the Formula I

wherein X is a halogen atom such as flouro, chloro, bromo or iodo and M is an alkalimetal ion such as sodium or potassium, 15 to 50 % by weight of surfactant(s) and 50 to 75 % by weight of water.

The surfactants / dispersing agents used in the invention may be any known surfactant / dispersing agent including those reported in US Patent No 4932999. Ethoxylated lauryl alcohol and ethoxylated octyl phenol are preferred surfactants as they have low persistence in the environment and are environment friendly. Also they occur in nature and are easily available and cheap.
Preferably, the emulsifiable myco-chemical herbicide concentrate comprises 107 to 1011 spores/g or ml of Alternaria alternata, 10 to 15 % by weight of a phenyl-thio-pyrimidine of the Formula I, 15 to 50 % by weight of the surfactants ethoxylated lauryl alcohol and ethoxylated octyl phenol in the weight ratio of 10 : 90 - 9 : 10 and 50 to 75% by weight of water.
Still preferably, the emulsifiable myco-chemical herbicide concentrate comprises 25 % by weight of the surfactants ethoxylated lauryl alcohol and ethoxylated octyl phenol in the weight ratio of 25 :75 to 75 : 25.
Preferably, the emulsifiable myco- chemical herbicide concentrate comprises sodium 2-chloro-6-[4,6-dimethoxy-2-pyrimidinyl)thio] benzoate.

This application has been divided out of our Indian patent application No 579/MUM/2004 filed on 20th May 2004 in which we have described a process for the preparation of the emsulsifiable myco-chemical herbicide concentrate.
The herbicide concentrate of the invention is diluted with water in the volume ratio 1 : 400 to 1 : 1600 prior to applying or spraying on the Trianthema portulacastrum weeds.
The following experimental examples are illustrative of the invention but are not limitative of the scope thereof:
Example 1
Five hundred ml spore suspension of Alternaria alternata (1011 spores / ml) was mixed with 31.25g sodium 2-chloro-6-[4,6-dimethoxy-2-pyrimidinyl)thio] benzoate, 78.12g ethoxylated lauryl alcohol and ethoxylated octyl phenol ( 25% w/w) in the weight ratio 25 : 75 and 500 litres of water under stirring at 26+2°C to obtain a spray solution for one hectare area containing 108 spores/ ml of fungus Alternaria alternata,

0.00625% by weight of the sodium 2-chloro-6-[4,6-dimethoxy-2-pyrimidinyl)thio]benzoate and 0.0156 % by weight of ethoxylated lauryl alcohol and ethoxylated octyl phenol.
Example 2
Five hundred ml spore suspension of Alternaria alternata (1010 spores / ml) was mixed with 46.875g sodium 2-chloro-6-[4,6-dimethoxy-2-pyrimidinyl)thio benzoate, 117.18g ethoxylated lauryl alcohol and ethoxylated octyl phenol ( 25% w/w) in the weight ratio 75 : 25 and 500 litres of water under stirring at 26±2°C to obtain a spray solution for one hectare containing 10 spores/ ml of fungus Alternaria alternata, 0.0093% by weight of the sodium 2-chloro-6-[4,6-dimethoxy-2-pyrimidinyl )thio]benzoate and 0.0156 % by weight of ethoxylated lauryl alcohol and ethoxylated octyl phenol.
Using the myco-chemical herbicide concentrates of Examples 1 and 2 comparative studies were carried out on 28 days old Trianthema portulacastrum weeds by spraying only once on one hectare of cotton crops divided into 8 equal zones. The results recorded after 20 days of spraying were as given in the following Table:

TABLE

SN Treatments in 500 litres of spray solution / ha Percentage of Mortality of Trianthema Plants Percentage of loss in bio mass over control
1 Spray of aqueous suspension of Alternaria alternata (10 spores/ml.) in zone 1 63.3 87.7
2 Spray of aqueous suspension of Alternaria alternata (10 spores/ ml) followed by Pyrithiobac sodium (31.25 g/ha) after 4 days in zone 2 58.3 87.5
3 Spray of Pyrithiobac sodium (31.25 g/ha) followed by aqueous suspension of Alternaria alternata (10 spores/ml) after 4 days in zone 3 17.8 86.2
4 Spray of pyrithiobac sodium (31.25 g/ha) in zone 4 20.7 77.2
5 Spray of pyrithiobac sodium (62.5 g/ha) in zone 5 92.0 89.3
6 Herbicide concentrate of Example 1 in zone 6 89.5 89.0
7 Herbicide concentrate of Example 2 in zone 7 88.7 88.9
8 Control (water spray) 0.0 0.0
Pyrithiobac sodium is a commonly used cotton herbicide comprising sodium 2-chloro-6-[4-6-dimethoxy-2-pyrimidinyl} thio]benzoate.
The data in the above Table clearly show that the herbicide concentrates of Examples 1 and 2 were very effective and their efficacy was

comparable to that of Pyrithiobac sodium applied at the recommended dose of 62.5 g/ha (SN 6 and 7 and SN 5). When Alternaria altemata and Pyrithiobac sodium were alternated with the dosage of Pyrithiobac sodium reduced by half (31.25g/ha), the efficacy was considerably low (SN 2 and 3). Further the efficacy of Alternaria altemata and that of Pyrithiobac sodium at half the dosage when sprayed individually was also reduced considerably (SN 1 and 4).
The herbicide concentrate of the invention is economical in that it comprises Alternaria alternata which is naturally occurring and is inexpensive and in that at the application stage it requires reduced quantity of the expensive phenyl-thio pyrimidines and surfactants per hectare. Due to the reduced quantity of the surfactants, persistence of the surfactants in the environment is reduced thereby reducing environmental problems. The surfactants ethoxylated lauryl alchol and ethoxylated octyl phenol have low persistence in the environment as compared to the other surfactants and dispersing agents reported . Therefore, herbicide concentrate of the invention comprising ethoxylated lauryl alcohol and ethoxylated octyl phenyl has still low persistence in the environment and is further environment friendly. Ethoxylated lauryl alcohol and

ethoxylated octyl phenol are also naturally occurring and easily available and cheap. Using the above surfactants in the herbicide concentrate of the invention, it can be made further economical. The process of the invention involves simple mixing of the ingredients and is therefore, simple, easy and convenient to carry out.
The herbicide concentrates of Examples 1 and 2 was stored for 6 months and was found to be quite stable at the end of 6 months.

WE CLAIM
1. Emsulsifiable myco-chemical herbicide concentrate comprising 107 to 1014 spores/g or ml of Alternaria alternata, 10 to 50 % by weight of a phenyl-thio-pyrimidine of the Formula I

Formula I wherein X is a halogen atom such as flouro, chloro, bromo or iodo and M is an alkalimetal ion such as sodium or potassium, 15 to 50 % by weight of surfactant(s) and 50 to 75 % by weight of water.
2. Emulsifiable myco-chemical herbicide concentrate as claimed in claim 1, which comprises 107 to 1011 spores/g or ml of Alternaria alternata, 10 to 15 % by weight of a phenyl-thio-pyrimidine of the Formula I, 15 to 50 % by weight of the surfactants ethoxylated lauryl alcohol and ethoxylated octyl phenol in the weight ratio of 10 : 90 - 9 : 10 and 50 to 75 % by weight of water.

3. Emulsifiable myco-chemical herbicide concentrate as claimed in claim 1 or 2, which comprises 25 % by weight of the surfactants ethoxylated lauryl alcohol and ethoxylated octyl phenol in the weight ratio of 25 : 75 to 75 : 25.
4. Emulsifiable myco chemical herbicide concentrate as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, which comprises sodium 2-chloro-6-[4,6-dimethoxy-2-pyrimidinyl)thio] benzoate.
Dated this 11th day of January 2005
(Jose M A)
of Khaitan & Co Agent for the Applicants