VEGETATION

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a synergistically effective herbicide composition comprising a C7-C12 fatty acid and a protoporphyrinogen oxidase inhibitor, to a kit comprising a herbicide composition and to the use of a herbicide composition for controlling unwanted vegetation.

STATE OF THE ART

The use of protoporphyrinogen oxidase inhibitors as herbicides is well known. The efficacy of these herbicides against undesirable plant growths is already at a high level, but generally depends on the dosage, the respective form of preparation, the respective undesirable plant growth to be controlled or the spectrum of undesirable plant growths, the climate and soil conditions, and so on. Therefore, there is often a need for targeted synergistic activity against specific types of unwanted plant growth, control of unwanted plant growth with better overall selectivity, generally smaller applied amounts of active compounds for equally good control results and for reduced inputs of active compounds into the environment to avoid, for example, leaching and carry-over effects. However, with the combined use of a multitude of active compounds, there are often signs of chemical, physical or biological incompatibility, e.g. decomposition of an active compound or antagonism in the biological activity of the active compounds.

It is an object of the present invention to solve at least some of the above-mentioned problems. Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to provide herbicide compositions as an alternative to the prior art, or as an improvement thereof.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a first aspect, the present invention relates to a herbicide composition according to claim 1.

The herbicide composition, according to the first aspect of the present invention has shown an unexpected increase in herbicide activity. This increase in herbicidal activity is caused by a synergistic effect between the C7-C12 fatty acid and a protoporphyrinogen oxidase inhibitor.

Preferred forms of the facility are presented in claims 2 to 14.

In a second aspect, the present invention relates to a kit according to claim 15. This kit has the advantage, inter alia, that the components of the herbicide composition can retain their activity for a long period of time. A kit according to the present invention enables the control of unwanted plant growth in a flexible and modular manner.

In a third aspect, the present invention relates to a use according to claim 16. This use results in improved control of unwanted vegetation and/or improved control of desired crops, vines or trees.

Preferred embodiments of the use are presented in claims 17 to 19.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Unless otherwise defined, all terms used in the description of the invention, including technical and scientific terms, have the meaning generally understood by those skilled in the technical field of the invention. For a better assessment of the description of the invention, the following terms are explained explicitly.

In this document, "a", "the" and "it" refer to both the singular and the plural unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. For example, "a segment" means one or more than one segment.

When "approximately" or "round" is used in this document with respect to a measurable quantity, a parameter, a time or moment, and the like, variations are meant of +/-20% or less, preferably +/-10% or less, more preferably +/-5% or less, even more preferably +/-1% or less, and even more preferably +/-0.1% or less than and of the quoted value, insofar as such variations are applicable in the described invention. However, it should be understood that the value of the quantity where the term "about" or "around" is used is itself specifically disclosed.

The terms "include", "comprising", "consisting of", "providing for", "containing", "containing", "containing" are synonyms and are inclusive or open terms indicating the presence of what follows, which do not exclude or prevent the presence of other components, characteristics, elements, members, steps, known from or described in the state of the art.

The quoting of numerical intervals through the endpoints includes all integers, fractions and/or real numbers between the endpoints, these endpoints included.

The term 'undesirable plant growth', as used herein, refers to all plants, such as broad-leaved weeds, weedy grasses or Cyperaceae, that grow in places where they are undesirable.

The compensation of losses of efficacy in the case of individual plants of undesirable growth by increasing the dosages of the herbicides is possible only to a certain extent, for example, because such a procedure reduces the selectivity of the herbicides or because the efficacy is not improved even with the application of higher dosages. Furthermore, higher dosages can cause undesired side effects on the environment.

Consequently, there is often a need for targeted synergistic activity against specific species of unwanted plant growth, control of unwanted plant growth with improved overall selectivity, generally lower applied amounts of active compounds for equally good control results and for reduced inputs of active compounds into the environment to avoid, for example, leaching and carry-over effects. There is also a need to control species that have so far not been controlled (gaps) and to control species that are tolerant or resistant to individual herbicides or to a number of herbicides. There is also a need to develop one-off applications to avoid labour- intensive multiple applications, and also to develop systems to control the rate of action, where there is an initial fast control of unwanted plant growth as well as a slow residual control.

A possible solution to the abovementioned problems may be to provide combined herbicide formulations, i.e. combinations of a multitude of herbicides and/or other ingredients from the group of agrochemically active compounds of a different type and of formulation aids and additives that are common in crop protection and contribute to the desired additional properties. However, the combined use of a multitude of active compounds often results in chemical, physical or biological incompatibilities, e.g. decomposition of an active compound or antagonism in the biological activity of the active compounds. For these reasons, potentially suitable combinations of active substances must be selected in a targeted manner and experimentally tested for suitability, since it is not possible to exclude negative or positive results in advance.

A synergistic effect in herbicides is always present when the herbicidal activity of the combination of active substances is greater than the activity of the active substances when applied separately. The expected activity of a given combination of two herbicides can be calculated according to a calculation method by Colby as follows (cf. COLBY, SR: "Calculating synergistic and antagonistic responses of herbicide combinations", Weeds, 15, pages 20-22, 1967):

X=% damage by herbicide (A) at a dose of mg/ha,

Y=% damage by herbicide (B) at a dose of n g/ha, E=expected herbicide injury (A) and (B) at application rates of m and n kg/ha, then E = X + Y - (X x Y)/100.

If the actual herbicidal activity (due to a combined action by herbicide A and B) exceeds the expected damage (E), the activity of the combination is superadditive, i.e. it exhibits a synergistic effect. In this case the actual damage observed must be higher than the values calculated with the above formulae for expected damage E.

In a first aspect, the invention relates to a herbicide composition comprising as component (A) a C7-C12 fatty acid and as component (B) a protoporphyrinogen oxidase inhibitor.

A "C7-C12 fatty acid" in this document refers to an organic acid of the form RCOOH, where the R group represents an alkyl consisting of 6 to 11 carbon atoms. The fatty acid is present in the protonated or deprotonated form, depending on the pH, or in the form of any suitable agrochemically acceptable derivative or salt. Examples of such a derivative and salt are methyl capped polyethylene glycol ester of pelargonic acid (PA-MPEG) and ammonium salts. A C7-C12 fatty acid is a combination of an alkyl with a carboxylic radical. The term "alkyl" as used herein refers to a straight or branched hydrocarbon radical containing, in this case, 6 to 11 carbon atoms by removal of a single hydrogen atom. The alkyl may be saturated or unsaturated. The alkyl is not substituted with halogens. For example "C7-C12" encompasses C7, C8, C9, CIO, Cll, C12, C7-C12, C7-C11, C7-C10, C7-C9, C7-C8, C8-C12, C8-C11, C8- C10, C8-C9, C9-C12, C9-C11, C9-C10, C10-C12, ClO-Cll-and C11-C12. A "protoporphyrinogen oxidase inhibitor" or "protoporphyrinogen oxidase inhibitor" or "PPO inhibitor" refers in this document to a molecule that has an inhibitory effect on protoporphyrinogen oxidase. Protoporphyrinogen oxidase is responsible for the seventh step in the biosynthesis of protoporphyrin IX. This porphyrin is the precursor of haemoglobin, the oxygen carrier in animals, and chlorophyll (needed for photosynthesis), the colouring agent in plants. The enzyme catalyses the dehydrogenation of protoporphyrinogen IX (the product of the sixth step in heme production) to form protoporphyrin IX. An additional enzyme must modify protoporphyrin IX before it becomes heme. Heme is required for electron transfer chains. Inhibition of protoporphyrin oxidase is a strategy used in certain herbicides. These herbicides are categorised under group 14 according to the HRAC/WSSA code. For plants, protoporphyrinogen oxidase (PPO) is an enzyme in the chloroplast cell that oxidises protoporphyrinogen IX to produce protoporphyrin IX. However, inhibitors of the oxidase enzyme do more than just block the production of chlorophyll and heme. The inhibition of PPO by inhibitors also results in the formation of highly reactive molecules that attack and destroy lipids and protein membranes. When a lipid membrane is destroyed, the cell leaks and the cell organelles dry out and rapidly disintegrate.

Salts of a fatty acid and/or salts of a PPO inhibitor refer to any possible salt as long as it is agriculturally acceptable. Examples thereof include alkali metal salts such as a sodium salt and a potassium salt, alkaline earth metal salts such as a magnesium salt and a calcium salt, ammonium salts such as a monomethylammonium salt, a dimethylammonium salt and a triethylammonium salt. Derivatives of a fatty acid and/or a PPO inhibitor refer to any possible derivative as long as it is agriculturally acceptable. Examples thereof include esters such as methyl or ethyl esters or substituted structures, for example with a hydroxyl group.

An advantage of the combination of herbicide A and B is that the active components can be mixed with each other. They do not react chemically with each other and do not accelerate each other's degradation. Rapid degradation of active ingredients in a spray liquid is thus avoided. A second advantage is the synergistic activity against undesired plants. Biologically, the effects of herbicide A and B reinforce each other. This surprising effect also occurs with a large number of economically relevant plants. As a result, the applied dose can be reduced and a larger range of undesirable vegetation can be tackled. The herbicide combination generally does not exhibit antagonistic effects as active ingredients according to this invention. The adverse effect on the plants is visible for a longer period of time compared to the solo applications. Furthermore, the combination has the advantage that resistance by plants to certain active ingredients decreases as two different modes of action are applied. The above properties and benefits are desirable for the practice of weed control in order to keep agricultural crops free from unwanted competitive plants, and thus to ensure and/or increase yield levels from a qualitative and quantitative point of view. The combination of said herbicides is beneficial in both crop and noncrop applications. The reduction of undesired vegetation from industrial areas, railways, concrete or gravel pathways, etc. The herbicides can also be used to speed up the harvest process, as a desiccant. These new combinations clearly exceed the technical state of the art in view of the described properties.

In an embodiment, the weight ratio of the components (A) and (B) is between 10000: 1, 2500: 1, 1000: 1, 500: 1, 250: 1, 200: 1, 150: 1, 100: 1, 50: 1, 25: 1, 20: 1, 15: 1, 10: 1, 8: 1, 5: 1, 2: 1 or 1 : 1 and 1 : 10000, 1 :5000, 1 :2500, 1 : 1000, 1 :500, 1 :200, 1: 170, 1: 150, 1 : 100, 1 :50, 1:20, 1: 10, 1 :5, 1:2 or 1 : 1.

In an embodiment, component A is enanthic acid (heptanoic acid, C7), caprylic acid (octanoic acid, C8), pelargonic acid (nonanoic acid, C9), capric acid (decanoic acid, CIO), undecylic acid (undecanoic acid, Cll) or lauric acid (dodecanoic acid, C12). In an embodiment, component A is an ammonium or potassium salt of enanthic acid (heptanoic acid, C7), caprylic acid (octanoic acid, C8), pelargonic acid (nonanoic acid, C9), capric acid (decanoic acid, CIO), undecylic acid (undecanoic acid, Cll) or lauric acid (dodecanoic acid, C12). In an embodiment, component A is an ester of enanthic acid (heptanoic acid, C7), caprylic acid (octanoic acid, C8), pelargonic acid (nonanoic acid, C9), capric acid (decanoic acid, CIO), undecylic acid (undecanoic acid, Cll) or lauric acid (dodecanoic acid, C12).

In an embodiment, the weight ratio of the components (A) and (B) is in a range of 2500: 1 to 1: 100, more preferably from 1000: 1 to 1 : 10, more preferably from 500: 1 to 1 : 10, and even more preferably from 250: 1 to 1:2. In an embodiment, the weight ratio of the components (A) and (B) is in a range of 200: 1 to 1 :2, more preferably 100: 1 to 1 :2, more preferably 25: 1 to 1: 1, and most preferably about 10: 1

In an embodiment, the herbicide composition comprises as component (A) a mixture of a first C7-C12 fatty acid, a second C7-C12 fatty acid, wherein the first and second fatty acid are two fatty acids with a different amount of carbon atoms. In a further embodiment, the first fatty acid is present in a molar concentration equal to the concentration of the second fatty acid. In another embodiment the first fatty acid is present in a molar concentration of 5%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 60%, 80% or 90% of the second fatty acid. In a further embodiment, the first fatty acid is a C7-C9 fatty acid and the second fatty acid is a C10-C12 fatty acid. In an embodiment, the herbicide composition comprises a first, a second and a third C7-C12 fatty acid and a protoporphyrinogen oxidase inhibitor, wherein the first, second and third fatty acid are three fatty acids with a different amount of carbon atoms. In an embodiment, the herbicide composition comprises a C9 fatty acid, a C8 fatty acid and a protoporphyrinogen oxidase inhibitor, wherein the C9 fatty acid is present in a molar concentration 10-30 times higher compared to the C8 fatty acid.

In an embodiment, the herbicide composition comprises a mixture of caprylic acid and capric acid as component (A) and a protoporphyrinogen oxidase inhibitor as component B. In a further embodiment, caprylic acid and capric acid are present in the mixture in a ratio of 10: 1, 5: 1, 2: 1, 1.5: 1, 1 : 1, 1 : 1.5, 1 :2, 1 :5, 1 : 10.

In an embodiment, the herbicide composition comprises as component (A) pelargonic acid and as component (B) Oxyfluorfen, Oxadiazon, Carfentrazone-ethyl, Sulfentrazone, Pyraflufen, Flumioxazin, Trifludimoxazin, Bifenox, Tiafenacil, Epyrifenacil, Pentoxazone, Saflufenacil or any suitable agrochemically acceptable derivative or salt thereof. In an embodiment, the herbicide composition comprises as component (A) caprylic acid and as component (B) Oxyfluorfen, Oxadiazon, Carfentrazone-ethyl, Sulfentrazone, Pyraflufen, Flumioxazin, Trifludimoxazin, Bifenox, Tiafenacil, Epyrifenacil, Pentoxazone, Saflufenacil or any suitable agrochemically acceptable derivative or salt thereof. In an embodiment, the herbicide composition comprises as component (A) capric acid and as component (B) Oxyfluorfen, Oxadiazon, Carfentrazone-ethyl, Sulfentrazone, Pyraflufen, Flumioxazin, Trifludimoxazin, Bifenox, Tiafenacil, Epyrifenacil, Pentoxazone, Saflufenacil or any suitable agrochemically acceptable derivative or salt thereof.

According to one embodiment, the C7-C12 fatty acid is a C8-C10 fatty acid, preferably pelargonic acid or caprylic acid.

A "C8-C10 fatty acid" in this document refers to an organic acid of the form RCOOH, where the R group represents an alkyl consisting of 7 to 9 carbon atoms. The fatty acid is present in the protonated or deprotonated form, depending on the pH, in the form of any suitable agrochemically acceptable derivative or salt. Examples of such a derivative and salt are methyl capped polyethylene glycol ester of pelargonic acid (PA-MPEG) and ammonium salts. A C8-C10 fatty acid is a combination of an alkyl with a carboxylic radical. The term "alkyl" as used herein refers to a straight or branched hydrocarbon radical containing, in this case, 7 to 9 carbon atoms by removal of a single hydrogen atom. The alkyl may be saturated or unsaturated. The alkyl is not substituted with halogens.

"Pelargonic acid" as used in this document may also be referred to as "nonanoic acid" or "1-Octane carboxylic acid" and refers to an organic compound consisting of a carbon chain of 9 carbons ending in a carboxylic acid. Pelargonic acid has several advantages associated with its use as a growth inhibitor in plants or herbicidal activity. First, pelargonic acid appears to be very efficient. It has been shown that pelargonic acid can effectively inhibit, disrupt and/or destroy plant growth by inducing a natural stress. Upon absorption of pelargonic acid, the permeability of the plant's cell membranes will be disrupted. As such, control of a field of plants can be easily achieved by applying the pelargonic acid with minimal repetition. By minimising the required steps and doses, the cost and/or time efficiency of the growth inhibition treatment can be further improved. Also, pelargonic acid is not known to cause adverse ecological or phytotoxic effects at common concentrations; such as introducing foreign residues or inducing metabolic changes in the central plant. Therefore, it can be safely used without significantly compromising the quality and yield of the plant, its leaves or resulting products. Moreover, the above concentrations appear to be non-toxic and non-hazardous; for example, when sprayed onto the central plant or its leaves. In fact, pelargonic acid is free from residues and disappears from the soil in less than 2 days. Therefore, its controlled use can improve both the safety of the user and of the plant when applied. In addition, because of this safety, Pelargonic Acid can improve the method of application to plants. For example, when sprayed in a solution on plants or plant leaves, pelargonic acid will flow along the stem or axis of the plant, where it can effectively begin to inhibit growth. This improves usability, allowing for more efficient use of available product and equipment, resulting in more efficient management of time and costs. Pelargonic acid is also a stable compound that can be easily concentrated, diluted and stored. This makes it possible to produce a more concentrated concentration of pelargonic acid, which can then be easily diluted, for example with water, to obtain the above concentration required to stop plant growth. The availability of a concentrated variant provides additional benefits in terms of ease of production, transport and storage costs; further improving the cost and/or time efficiency of the growth inhibition treatment. Finally, pelargonic acid can be combined with additional (chemical) components to help increase the efficiency of plant growth inhibition, depending on plant variety, method of application, equipment, location, season, etc.

In an embodiment, the fatty acid is obtained from vegetative or animal origin. In an embodiment, the fatty acid is obtained from petrochemical origin.

In an embodiment, pelargonic acid is obtained via an oxidative process from vegetable oils, or a mixture of vegetable oils comprising triglycerides. According to a further embodiment, the vegetable oils comprise oleic acid and erucic acid. Such an oxidative cleavage process results in high yields of pelargonic acid as saturated monocarboxylic acid, and is described in W02011080296A1. This continuous process for the oxidative cleavage of vegetable oils containing triglycerides of unsaturated carboxylic acids to obtain saturated carboxylic acids comprises the following steps:

(a) feeding into a first continuous reactor of at least one vegetable oil and one oxidising compound in the presence of a catalyst capable of catalysing the oxidation reaction of the double bond in order to obtain an intermediate containing diols;

(b) feeding to a second continuous reactor of said intermediate, oxygen or a compound containing oxygen, and a catalyst capable of catalysing the oxidation reaction of said diols to carboxylic groups, to obtain saturated monocarboxylic acids (i) and triglycerides containing saturated monocarboxylic acids with more than one acid function (ii);

(c) transferring the product of step (b) to an apparatus suitable for separating the saturated monocarboxylic acids (i) from triglycerides with more than one acid function (ii); and

(d) hydrolysis in a third reactor of the triglycerides (ii) to obtain glycerol and saturated carboxylic acids with more than one acid function.

Such pelargonic acid is extracted from vegetable oils and can therefore be considered natural, biological or, in other words, biobased. This biobased pelargonic acid is environmentally friendly, which is of great importance to human health and the preservation of ecosystems. Components obtained during this process, such as residual oils, diols and fatty acids, improve the efficiency of the herbicide composition. According to one embodiment, the herbicide composition comprises at least 0.1% by weight of contaminants formed during the production process of pelargonic acid from vegetable oils. A contaminant formed during the production process of pelargonic acid should be understood in this document as a molecule that is formed during this production process and is not pelargonic acid or water. According to one embodiment, pelargonic acid is present in protonated form. In an embodiment, pelargonic acid is present in free acid form. According to one embodiment, pelargonic acid is not present as an ester. According to one embodiment, the herbicide composition further comprises at least 0.1 wt.% of COCO, C10-C12 fatty acids formed as contaminants during the production process of pelargonic acid from vegetable oils.

In an embodiment, the herbicide composition comprises as component (B) an N- phenylimide.

In a further embodiment, said N-phenylimide is fluthiacet-methyl, butafenacil, saflufenacil, pentoxazone, chlorphthalim, cinidon-ethyl, flumiclorac-pentyl, flumioxazine, flumipropyn, trifludimoxazine, tiafenacil, epyrifenacil, pentoxazone, saflufenacil or an agriculturally acceptable salt or derivative thereof. It is noted that, according to some embodiments, other N-phenylimides may be selected which have an inhibitory effect on protoporphyrinogen oxidase, such as N-phenylimides based on any of the aforementioned list including one or more modifications and/or substitutions of functional groups.

Butafenacil is also known by its IUPAC name (2-methyl-l-oxo-l-prop-2- enoxypropane-2-yl) 2-chloro-5-[3-methyl-2,6-dioxo-4-(trifluoromethyl) pyrimidine-

1-yl] benzoate. Fluthiacet-methyl is also known by its IUPAC name methyl 2-[2- chloro-4-fluoro-5-[(3-oxo-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-[l,3,4]thiadiaz olo[3, 4-a]pyridazin-l- ylidene)amino]phenyl]sulfanyl acetate. Saflufenacil is also known by its IUPAC name

2-chloro-4-fluoro-5-[3-methyl-2,6-dioxo-4-(trifluoromethy l)pyrimidin-l-yl]-N-

[methyl(propane-2-yl) )sulfamoyl]benzamide. Pentoxazone is also known by its IUPAC name 3-(4-chloro-5-cyclopentyloxy-2-fluorophenyl)-5-propan-2-ylid ene-l,3- oxazolidin-2, 4-dione. Chlorophthalim is also known by its IUPAC name 2-(4- chlorophenyl)-4,5,6,7-tetrahydroisoindol-l,3-dione. Cinidon-ethyl is also known by its IUPAC name ethyl (Z)-2-chloro-3-[2-chloro-5-(l,3-dioxo-4, 5,6,7- tetrahydroisoindol-2-yl)phenyl] prop-2-enoate. Flumiclorac-pentyl is also known-5 its IUPAC name-phenyl 2-[2-chloro-(l,3-dioxo-4,5,6,7-tetrahydroisoindol-2-yl)-4- fluorophenoxy]acetate. Flumioxazine is also known by its IUPAC name 2-(7-fluoro-

3-oxo-4-prop-2-ynyl-l,4-benzoxazin-6-yl)-4,5,6,7-tetrahyd roisoindole-l, 3-dione. Flumipropyn is also known by its IUPAC name 2-(5-but-3-yn-2-yloxy-4-chloro-2- fluorophenyl)-4,5,6,7-tetrahydroisoindole-l, 3-dione. Trifludimoxazine is also known by its IUPAC name l,5-dimethyl-6-sulfanylidene-3-(2,2,7-trifluor-3-oxo-4- prop-2-ynyl-l,4-benzoxazin-6-yl )-l, 3, 5-triazinane-2, 4-dione. Tiafenacil is also known by its IUPAC name methyl 3-[2-[2-chloro-4-fluoro-5-[3-methyl-2,6-dioxo-4-

(trifluoromethyl)pyrimidine-l-yl]phenyl]sulfanylpropanoyl amino]propanoate.

According to one embodiment, the herbicide composition comprises as component (B) a diphenyl ester or diphenyl ether.

In a further embodiment, the diphenyl ester or diphenyl ether is: acifluorfen, bifenox, chlomethoxyfen, chlornitrophen, fluordiphen, fluorglycophen-ethyl, fluornitrophen, fomesafen, lactophen, nitrophen, oxyfluorfen or an agriculturally acceptable salt or derivative thereof. As is clear to a person of ordinary skill, the compounds of the aforementioned list are diphenyl ethers. It is noted that, according to some embodiments, other diphenyl ethers may be selected which have an inhibitory effect on protoporphyrinogen oxidase, such as diphenyl ethers based on any of the aforementioned list including one or more modifications and/or substitutions of functional groups.

Acifluorfen is also known by its IUPAC name 5-[2-chloro-4- (trifluoromethyl)phenoxy]-2-nitrobenzoic acid. Bifenox is also known by its IUPAC name methyl 5-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)-2-nitrobenzoate. Chlomethoxyfen is also known by its IUPAC name 4-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)-2-methoxy-l-nitrobenzene. Chlordiphen is also known by its IUPAC name l,3,5-trichloro-2-(4- nitrophenoxy)benzene. Fluordiphen is also known by its IUPAC name 2-nitro-l-(4- nitrophenoxy)-4-(trifluoromethyl)benzene. Fluororglycophen-ethyl is known by its IUPAC name 2-[5-[2-chloro-4-(trifluoromethyl)phenoxy]-2-nitrobenzoyl]ox yacetic acid. Fluornitrophen is also known by its IUPAC name l,5-dichloro-3-fluoro-2-(4- nitrophenoxy)benzene. Fomesafen is also known by its IUPAC name 5-[2-chloro-4- (trifluoromethyl)phenoxy]-N-methylsulfonyl-2-nitrobenzamide. Lactofen is also known by its IUPAC name (l-ethoxy-l-oxopropane-2-yl) 5-[2-chloro-4- (trifluoromethyl)phenoxy]-2-nitrobenzoate. Nitrofen is also known by its IUPAC name 2,4-dichloro-l-(4-nitrophenoxy)benzene. Oxyfluorfen is also known by its IUPAC name 2-chloro-l-(3-ethoxy-4-nitrophenoxy)-4-(trifluoromethyl)benz ene.

In an embodiment, the herbicide composition includes as component (B) an N- phenyltriazolinone.

In a further embodiment, it is N-phenyltriazolinone: azafenidine, carfentrazone- ethyl, sulfentrazone or an agriculturally acceptable salt or derivative thereof. It is noted that, according to some embodiments, other N-phenyltriazolinones may be selected which have an inhibitory effect on protoporphyrinogen oxidase, such as N- phenyltriazolinones based on any of the aforementioned list including one or more modifications and/or substitutions of functional groups.

Azafenidine is also known by its IUPAC name 2-(2,4-dichloro-5-prop-2- ynoxyphenyl)-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-[l,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a] pyridine-3-one.

Carfentrazone-ethyl is also known by its IUPAC name ethyl 2-chloro-3-[2-chloro-5- [4-(difluoromethyl)-3-methyl-5-oxo-l,2,4-triazole-l-yl]-4-fl uorophenyl] propanoate. Sulphentrazone is also known by its IUPAC name N-[2,4-dichloro-5-[4- (difluoromethyl)-3-methyl-5-oxo-l,2,4-triazole-l-yl]phenyl]m ethanesulphonamide.

In an embodiment, the herbicide composition includes as component (B) an N- phenyloxadiazolone. In a further embodiment, the N-phenyloxadiazolone is: oxadiargyl, oxadiazon or an agriculturally acceptable salt or derivative thereof. Oxadiargyl is also known by its IUPAC name 5-tert-butyl-3-(2,4-dichloro-5-prop-2- yloxyphenyl)-l,3,4-oxadiazole-2-one. Oxadiazon is also known by its IUPAC name 5-tert-butyl-3-(2,4-dichloro-5-prop-2-yloxyphenyl)-l,3,4-oxa diazole-2-one. It is noted that, according to some embodiments, other N-phenyloxadiazolones may be selected which have an inhibitory effect on protoporphyrinogen oxidase, such as N- phenyloxadiazolones based on any of the aforementioned list including one or more modifications and/or substitutions of functional groups.

In an embodiment, component (B) is pyraclonil, pyraflufen-ethyl or an agriculturally acceptable salt or derivative thereof.

Pyraclonil is also known by its IUPAC name l-(3-chloro-4,5,6,7- tetrahydropyrazolo[l,5-a]pyridin-2-yl)-5-[methyl(prop-2-ynyl )amino]pyrazole-4- carbonitrile. Pyraflufen-ethyl (IUPAC name: Ethyl-2-chloro-5-(4-chloro-5- difluoromethoxy-l-methylpyrazole-3-yl)-4-fluorophenoxyacetat e) can be obtained from 5-(ethoxycarbonylmethoxy)benzoyl acetate by cyclocondensation with methylhydrazine to form 3-aryl-5-hydroxypyrazole, which is converted in the final product by O-difluoromethylation and chlorination with phosphorus pentachloride.

Pyraflufen-ethyl is a colourless, odourless solid. It is stable and acidic, but hydrolyses slowly under neutral conditions and rapidly under basic conditions. It is derived as the ethyl ester of pyraflufen. Pyraflufen-ethyl is used as an active ingredient in plant protection products. Pyraflufen-ethyl can be used as a post-emergence herbicide, but it also has a pre-emergence effect. It can be used as a defoliant for cotton and potatoes and for the control of certain broad-leaved weeds in cotton, maize, soya beans, wheat and in non-agricultural areas. In some embodiments, the herbicide composition comprises as component (B) flumioxazine, tiafenacil, pyraflufen-ethyl or carfentrazone-ethyl. In an embodiment, the herbicide composition comprises as component (A) pelargonic acid or caprylic acid and as component (B) flumioxazine, tiafenacil, pyraflufen-ethyl, carfentrazone- ethyl, trifludimoxazin or epyrifenacil. In an embodiment, the herbicide composition comprises as component (A) pelargonic acid and as component (B) flumioxazine, tiafenacil, pyraflufen-ethyl, carfentrazone-ethyl, trifludimoxazin or epyrifenacil. In an embodiment, the herbicide composition comprises as component (A) caprylic acid and as component (B) flumioxazine, tiafenacil, pyraflufen-ethyl, carfentrazone-ethyl, trifludimoxazin or epyrifenacil. In other or further embodiments, the herbicide composition comprises an agriculturally acceptable salt or derivative of said components.

The synergistic effect of the herbicide composition according to the first aspect of the present invention can be observed for example in the case of a premixed application, for example as a ready-to-use (RTU) formulation, as a formulation to be diluted with water, for example in the form of an emulsifiable concentrate (EC), emulsion in water (EW), microemulsion (ME), suspension concentrate (SC), suspoemulsion (SE), water-soluble concentrate (SL), micro-emulsifiable concentrate, oil dispersion formulation (OD), wettable powder formulation (WP), water dispersible granule formulation (WG), water soluble powder (SP), water soluble granule formulation (SG), emulsifiable powder (EP), emulsifiable granule (EG), capsule suspension (OS); formulation to be diluted with an oil phase, for example in the form of an invert emulsion or emulsion, water in oil (EO), oil miscible liquid (OL), oil miscible flowable concentrate (oil miscible suspension) (OF), oil dispersible powder (OP), and in the case of a co-formulation or tank mix or another liquid or solid product. However, it can also be observed when the active compounds are applied at different times (temporarily delayed application) (packaged as e.g. combo pack or single doses). It is also possible to apply the herbicides or the herbicide composition in a multitude of portions (sequential application), for example post-emergence applications or early post-emergence applications followed by mid- or late post-emergence applications. If the herbicide composition according to the present invention is applied as a tank mixture, it should be ensured that a spray liquid obtained is applied relatively quickly after preparation.

The synergistic effect allows for a reduction in the dosages of the individual herbicides of the herbicide composition according to the present invention, as well as a higher and/or longer efficacy at the same dosage, the control of species that have not yet been controlled (gaps), the control of species that are tolerant or resistant to individual herbicides or to a number of herbicides, an extension of the period of application and/or a reduction in the required number of individual applications and - as a result for the user - more economically and ecologically favourable systems for controlling unwanted plant growth. In particular, the postemergence control of unwanted plant growth is improved by combining the herbicides present in the herbicide composition according to the present invention. In addition, post-emergence control of unwanted plant growth is improved by combining the herbicides present in the herbicide composition according to the present invention. In a most preferred embodiment, the herbicide composition according to the first aspect of the present invention is provided as a tank mixture.

In an embodiment, the herbicide composition further comprises one or more additional components selected from the group of: other herbicides, safeners, liquid carriers, i.e. water, solvents, oil carriers, solid carriers, surfactants, i.e., wetting agents, dispersants and emulsifiers, crystallisation inhibitors, chemical stabilisers, antioxidants, adhesives, lubricants, emollients, perfumes, fragrances, colourants (dyes and pigments), viscosity modifiers, suspending agents, thickeners, binders and disintegrants, compatibility agents, sequestering agents, neutralising agents and buffers, corrosion inhibitors, light blocking agents, i.e. UV blocking agents and UV adsorbing agents, foaming agents, preservatives I bactericides, spray drop modifiers, adhesion promoters, penetration aids, freeze-point reducers, antifoaming agents, fillers, fertilisers, micronutrients, biostimulants and other pesticides such as fungicides, insecticides or other active pesticide ingredients.

In an embodiment, the herbicide composition comprises less than 2 wt% NaCI, preferably less than 1 wt.%, more preferably less than 0.1wt%. In an embodiment, the herbicide composition comprises compound A and B in a concentration of at least 60 wt%, preferably less than 70 wt.%, more preferably less than 85 wt%. In an embodiment, the herbicide composition comprises solvents and compounds A and B in a concentration of at least 60 wt%, preferably less than 70 wt.%, more preferably less than 95 wt%.

In an embodiment, the component (A) is an aliphatic C7-C12 fatty acid. In an embodiment, the component (A) is a straight chain C7-C12 fatty acid. A straight chain fatty acid is a non-branched or normal fatty acid. Preferably the straight chain C7-C12 fatty acid is saturated. In an embodiment, the component (B) is a N-phenylimide, wherein the N- phenylimide is: chlorphthalim, cinidon-ethyl, flumiclorac-pentyl, flumioxazine, flumipropyn, trifludimoxazine, tiafenacil or an agriculturally acceptable salt or derivative thereof. In an embodiment, the component (B) is a diphenyl ether, wherein the diphenyl ether is: chlomethoxyfen, fluordiphen, fluorglycophen-ethyl, fluornitrophen, fomesafen, lactophen, nitrofen, or an agriculturally acceptable salt or derivative thereof. In an embodiment, the component (B) is a PPO inhibitor selected from: azafenidine, carfentrazone-ethyl, sulfentrazone, oxadiargyl, oxadiazon, pyraclonil and an agriculturally acceptable salt or derivative thereof.

In an embodiment, the component (A) is a straight chain C7-C12 fatty acid, and the component (B) is a PPO inhibitor selected from: azafenidine, carfentrazone-ethyl, sulfentrazone, oxadiargyl, oxadiazon, chlomethoxyfen, fluordiphen, fluorglycophenethyl, fluornitrophen, fomesafen, lactophen, nitrofen, chlorphthalim, cinidon-ethyl, flumiclorac-pentyl, flumioxazine, flumipropyn, trifludimoxazine, tiafenacil, pyraclonil and an agriculturally acceptable salt or derivative thereof.

In a second aspect, the invention relates to a kit comprising one or more spatially separated components having a herbicide composition according to the first aspect. In an embodiment, the kit comprises two spatially separated components having as component (A) an active amount of a C7-C12 fatty acid and as component (B) at least one herbicide chosen from the group of protoporphyrinogen oxidase inhibitors. In an embodiment, the components are for simultaneous, separate or consecutive use.

According to some embodiments, the components may be spatially separated by the presence of one or more compartments in the kit. By preference, the kit comprises a first compartment and a second compartment, wherein said first and second compartment are physically separated from one another. More by preference, said first compartment may comprise component (A) and the second compartment may comprise component (B). For example, said first and second compartment may respectively be a first and second tank. Said first and second compartment may alternatively be present in a single tank, wherein the first and second compartment are separated by a physical partition provided inside said tank. A kit with a herbicide composition according to embodiments according to the second aspect of the present invention enables the control of unwanted plant growth in a flexible and modular manner.

In an embodiment, a use of the kit according to the second aspect of the invention comprises separate application of the components of the kit, or the use of a mixture of one or more components of the kit, for example as tank mixtures.

In an embodiment, a use of the kit includes the successive use of different herbicide components of the kit. This makes it possible to use several components for different periods of time, possibly several times. Thus, for example, one or more herbicide components may be applied before or immediately after emergence of unwanted plant growth, while one or more other components of the kit may be applied later after emergence of unwanted plant growth. Nevertheless, a user may still use a combination formulation, such as for example a ready-to-use formulation, in order to apply the herbicide ingredients together, either in a prescribed, desired or adjusted weight ratio.

The use of a kit according to the second aspect of the present invention allows for a high degree of modularity. This has the advantage that a user can adjust the applied amount, dosage and/or composition of one or more herbicide components and/or a combination formulation thereof as desired, for example depending on the relative amount of specific undesirable plant growth.

In a further aspect, the invention relates to a use of a herbicide composition according to the first aspect in an amount effective for controlling one or more types of vegetation by applying the herbicide composition to the vegetation and/or to a habitat thereof.

According to some embodiments, said use for controlling one or more types of vegetation relates to the controlling of undesirable plants, in particular weeds.

In an embodiment, the use of the herbicide composition includes the use against vegetation that is resistant to one or more PPO inhibitors and/or C7-C12 fatty acids.

In an embodiment, the herbicide composition is applied as a premixed application, for example as a ready-to-use (RTU) formulation, as a formulation to be diluted with water, for example in the form of an emulsifiable concentrate (EC), emulsion in water (EW), microemulsion (ME), suspension concentrate (SC), suspoemulsion (SE), water-soluble concentrate (SL), micro-emulsifiable concentrate, oil dispersion formulation (OD), wettable powder formulation (WP), water dispersible granule formulation (WG), water soluble powder (SP), water soluble granule formulation (SG), emulsifiable powder (EP), emulsifiable granule (EG), capsule suspension (OS); formulation to be diluted with an oil phase, for example in the form of an invert emulsion or emulsion, water in oil (EO), oil miscible liquid (OL), oil miscible flowable concentrate (oil miscible suspension) (OF), oil dispersible powder (OP), and in the case of a co-formulation or as a tank mix or another solid or liquid product.

In an embodiment, the active compounds are applied at different times (temporarily delayed application) (packaged as, for example, a combination package or single doses). In an embodiment, the herbicides or the herbicide composition are applied in a plurality of portions (sequential application), for example post-emergence applications or early post-emergence applications followed by medium or late postemergence applications. If the herbicide composition according to the present invention is applied as a tank mixture, it should be ensured that a spray liquid obtained is applied relatively quickly after preparation.

Suitable agricultural adjuvants and carriers that are useful in formulating the compositions of the invention in the formulation types described above are well known to those skilled in the art. Suitable examples of the different classes are found in the non-limiting lists below.

Liquid carriers that can be employed include water and one or more solvents selected from the group comprising toluene, xylene, petroleum naphtha, p-diethyl benzene, isopropyl benzene, m-xylene, o-xylene, p-xylene; alkanes such as cyclohexane, hexadecane, isooctane, n-hexane; paraffin oils (base oil and white mineral oil), mineral oils (dearomatized hydrocarbons, etc.), crop oils; chlorinated solvents such as chlorobenzene, 1,2-dichloropropane, 1.1. -trichloroethane, methylene chloride, trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene; terpenes such as alpha-pinene, d-limonene; lactic acid and ester derivatives such as methyl lactate, ethyl lactate, propyl lactate, butyl lactate, 2-ethylhexyl lactate; octadecanoic acid, oleic acid, propionic acid, xylene sulphonic acid and their ester forms; monohydric alcohols such as cyclohexanol, diacetone alcohol, 2-ethyl hexanol, phenol, benzyl alcohol , methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, butanol and higher molecular weight alcohols such as amyl alcohol, hexanol, octanol, polyhydric alcohols such as diethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, ethylene glycol, polyethylene glycol (PEG400), propylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetra hydrofurfuryl alcohol, glycerol; ketones such as acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, cyclohexanone, acetophenone, 2-butanone, 2-heptanone, gammabutyrolactone, isophorone, mesityl oxide, methyl isoamyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone; alkylene glycol ethers such as diethylene glycol butyl ether, diethylene glycol ethyl ether, dipropylene glycol methyl ether, propylene glycol ethers (Diproxitol), ethylene glycol butyl ether, ethylene glycol methyl ether, methoxy propanol, propylene glycol monomethyl ether, ethers such as 1,4-dioxane, tetra hydrofuran; alkyl acetates such as ethyl acetate, propyl acetate, n-butyl acetate, amyl acetate, isoamyl acetate, isobornyl acetate, octyl amine acetate, glycerol monoacetate, glycerol diacetate, glycerol triacetate; fatty acid esters such as 2-ethyl hexyl stearate, methyl oleate, n-butyl oleate, isopropyl myristate, methyl laurate, methyl octanoate; esters of alkylene glycol ethers such as diethylene glycol abietate, dipropylene glycol dibenzoate, propylene glycol dioleate; other esters such as dioctyl succinate, di-butyl adipate, di-octyl phthalate, triethyl phosphate, dibasic esters (dimethyl glutarate + dimethyl succinate + dimethyl adipate), butyl benzoate; organic carbonates such as ethylene carbonate, propylene carbonate and butylene carbonate; amines such as diethanolamine, laurylamine, n-octylamine, oleylamine; N,N-dimethyl alkylamides such as N,N-dimethyl formamide, N,N- dimethylacetamide, N,N-dimethyl octan/decanamide, N,N-dimethyl decanamide, N,N-dimethyl dodecanamide, N,N-dimethyl 9-decenamide; N,N-dimethyl amide of natural lactic acid, ester amides such as methyl 5-(dimethylamino)-4-methyl-5- oxopentanote; alkyl pyrrolidinones such as N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone, N-ethyl-2- pyrrolidinone; dimethyl sulfoxide; acetonitrile; acetic anhydride, tetramethyl urea tetraethyl urea and the like; vegetable oils such as soybean oil, rapeseed oil, sunflower seed oil, corn oil, cotton seed oil, linseed oil, safflower oil, olive oil, peanut oil, castor oil, palm oil, coconut oil, sesame oil, tung oil and the like; esters of the above vegetable oils, and the like. Water is generally the carrier of choice for the dilution of concentrates.

Suitable solid carriers include talc, titanium dioxide, pyrophyllite clay, silica, kaolin clay, attapulgite clay, kieselguhr, chalk, diatomaceous earth, lime, montmorillonite clay, sepiolite clay, lime, calcium carbonate, bentonite clay, fuller's earth, cottonseed hulls, wheat flour, soybean flour, pumice, wood floor, walnut shell flour, lignin, cellulose and the like.

A broad range of surface-active agents are advantageously employed in both said liquid and solid compositions, especially those designed to be diluted with carrier before application. Surface-active agents, also known as surfactants, are compounds that lower the surface tension (or interfacial tension) between two liquids or between a liquid and a solid. Surface-active agents can be anionic, cationic, non-ionic or polymeric in character and may act as detergents, wetting agents, emulsifiers, foaming agents, and dispersants. Many organic compounds exhibit some surfaceactive properties; however specifically for the purposes of the invention nonionic surface-active agents can be used. Prominent among these are the fatty alcohols, such as cetyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, and cetostearyl alcohol (consisting predominantly of cetyl and stearyl alcohols), and oleyl alcohol; but also polyethylene glycol alkyl ethers such as octaethylene glycol monododecyl ether and pentaethylene glycol monododecyl ether; polypropylene glycol alkyl ethers; polyethylene glycol - polypropylene glycol alkyl ethers; glucoside alkyl ethers such as decyl glucoside, lauryl glucoside or octyl glucoside; polyethylene glycol octylphenyl ethers; polyethylene glycol nonylphenyl ethers; polyethylene glycol tributylphenyl ethers; polyethylene glycol tristyryl phenyl ethers; polyethylene glycol - polypropylene glycol tristyrylphenyl ethers ; glycerol alkyl esters such as glyceryl laurate; polyoxyethylene glycol sorbitan alkyl esters, such as polysorbates; sorbitan alkyl esters, such as spans; cocoamide alkyl ethanolamines such as cocamide MEA or DEA; alkylamine oxides such as dodecyldimethylamine oxide; block copolymers of polyethylene glycol and polypropylene glycol, such as poloxamers; polyethoxylated fatty amines such as polyethoxylated tallow amine (POEA); vegetable oil ethoxylates such as castor oil ethoxylates, rapeseed oil ethoxylates, soybean oil ethoxylates; and the like, salts of alkyl sulfates such as diethanolammonium lauryl sulfate, sodium lauryl sulfate; alkylarylsulfonate salts such as calcium dodecylbenzenesulfonate; soaps such as sodium stearate; alkyl naphthalene sulfonate salts such as sodium dibutylnaphtalenesulfonate; dialkyl esters of sulfosuccinate salts such as sodium di- (2-ethyl hexyl) sulfosuccinate; salts of mono and dialkyl phosphate esters; taurate salts such as sodium N-methyl oleyl taurate, lignosulfonate salts such as lignosulfonate sodium salts, Kraft lignosulfonate sodium salts; salts of alkyl naphthalene sulfonate formaldehyde condensate such as sodium methylnaphthalene sulfonate formaldehyde condensates, polymeric surfactants such as acrylic copolymers; quaternary amines such as lauryl trimethylammonium chloride and the like. The compositions can be formulated with liquid and solid fertilizers, such as particulate fertilizers like ammonium nitrate, urea and the like.

In a preferred embodiment, the herbicide composition according to the first aspect of the present invention additionally comprises one or more compounds that function to improve crop plant compatibility, selected from the group comprising 4- dichloroacetyl-l-oxa-4-aza-spiro[4.5]-decane (AD-67, MON-4660), 1-dichloro- acetyl-hexahydro-3,3,8a-trimethylpyrrolo[l,2-a]-pyrimidin-6( 2H)-one (dicyclonon, BAS- 145138), 4-dichloroacetyl-3,4-dihydro-3-methyl-2H-l,4-benzoxazine

(benoxacor), 1-methyl-hexyl 5-chloro-quinolin-8-oxy-acetate (cloquintocet-mexyl— cf. also related compounds in EP-A-86750, EP-A-94349, EP-A-191736, EP-A- 492366), 3-(2-chloro-benzyl)-l-(l-methyl-l-phenyl-ethyl)-urea (cumyluron), o- (cyano methoximino)-phenylacetonitrile (cyometrinil), 2,4-dichloro-phenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), 4-(2,4-dichloro-phenoxy)-butyric acid (2,4-DB), l-(l-methyl-l- phenyl-ethyl)-3-(4-methyl-phenyl)-urea (daimuron, dymron), 3,6-dichloro-2- methoxy-benzoic acid (dicamba), S-l-methyl-l-phenyl-ethyl piperidine-1- th iocarboxylate (dimepiperate), 2,2-dichloro-N-(2-oxo-2-(2-propenylamino)-ethyl)- N-(2-propenyl)-acetamide (DKA-24), 2,2-dichloro-N,N-di-2-propenyl-acetamide (dichlormid), 4,6-dichloro-2-phenyl-pyrimidine (fenclorim), ethyl l-(2,4-dichloro- phenyl)-5-trichloromethyl-lH-l,2,4-triazole-3-carboxylate (fenchlorazole-ethyl— cf. also related compounds in EP-A-174562 and EP-A-346620), phenylmethyl 2-chloro- 4-trifluoromethyl-thiazole-5-carboxylate (flurazole), 4-chloro-N-(l,3-dioxolan-2-yl- methoxy)-o-trifluoro acetophenone oxime (fluxofenim), 3-dichloroacetyl-5-(2- furanyl)-2,2-dimethyl-oxazolidine (furilazole, MON-13900), ethyl 4,5-dihydro-5,5- diphenyl-3-isoxazolecarboxylate (isoxadifen-ethyl— cf. also related compounds in WO-A-95/07897), l-(ethoxycarbonyl)-ethyl 3,6-dichloro-2-methoxybenzoate (lactidichlor), (4-chloro-o-tolyloxy)-acetic acid (MCPA), 2-(4-chloro-o-tolyloxy)- propionic acid (mecoprop), diethyl l-(2,4-dichloro-phenyl)-4,5-dihydro-5-methyl- lH-pyrazole-3,5-dicarboxylate (mefenpyr-diethyl— cf. also related compounds in WO-A-91/07874), 2-dichloromethyl-2-methyl-l,3-dioxolane (MG-191), 2-propenyl- l-oxa-4-azaspiro[4.5]decane 4-carbodithioate (MG-838), 1,8-naphthalic anhydride, o-(l,3-dioxolan-2-yl-methoximino)-phenylacetonitrile (oxabetrinil), 2,2-dichloro-N- (l,3-dioxolan-2-yl-methyl)-N-(2-propenyl)-acetamide (PPG-1292), 3- dichloroacetyl-2,2-dimethyl-oxazolidine (R-28725), 3-dichloroacetyl-2,2,5- trimethyl-oxazolidine (R-29148), 4-(4-chloro-o-tolyl)-butyric acid, 4-(4-chloro- phenoxy)-butyric acid, diphenylmethoxyacetic acid, methyl diphenylmethoxyacetate, ethyl diphenyl-methoxyacetate, methyl l-(2-chloro- phenyl)-5-phenyl-lH-pyrazole-3-carboxylate, ethyl l-(2,4-dichloro-phenyl)-5- methyl-lH-pyrazole-3-carboxylate, ethyl l-(2,4-dichloro-phenyl)-5-isopropyl-lH- pyrazole-3-carboxylate, ethyl l-(2,4-dichloro-phenyl)-5-(l,l-dimethyl-ethyl)-lH- pyrazole-3-carboxylate, ethyl l-(2,4-dichloro-phenyl)-5-phenyl-lH-pyrazole-3- carboxylate (cf also related compounds in EP-A-269806 and EP-A-333131), ethyl 5- (2,4-dichloro-benzyl)-2-isoxazoline-3-carboxylate, ethyl 5-phenyl-2-isoxazoline-3- carboxylate, ethyl 5-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-5-phenyl-2-isoxazoline-3-carboxylate (cf. also related compounds in WO-A-91/08202), 1,3-dimethyl-but-l-yl 5-chloro- quinolin-8-oxy-acetate, 4-allyloxy-butyl 5-chloro-quinolin-8-oxy-acetate, 1-allyloxy- prop-2-yl 5-chloro-quinolin-8-oxy-acetate, methyl 5-chloro-quinoxalin-8-oxy- acetate, ethyl 5-chloro-quinolin-8-oxy-acetate, allyl 5-chloro-quinoxalin-8-oxy- acetate, 2-oxo-prop-l-yl 5-chloro-quinolin-8-oxy-acetate, diethyl 5-chloro-quinolin- 8-oxy-malonate, diallyl 5-chloro-quinoxalin-8-oxy-malonate, diethyl 5-chloro- quinolin-8-oxy-malonate (cf. also related compounds in EP-A-582198), 4-carboxy- chroman-4-yl-acetic acid (AC-304415, cf. EP-A-613618), 4-chloro-phenoxy-acetic acid, 3,3'-dimethyl-4-methoxy-benzophenone, l-bromo-4-chloromethylsulphonyl- benzene, l-[4-(N-2-methoxybenzoylsulphamoyl)-phenyl]-3-methyl-urea (alias N- (2-methoxy-benzoyl)-4-[(methylamino-carbonyl)-amino]-benzene sulphonamide), l-[4-(N-2-methoxybenzoylsulphamoyl)-phenyl]-3,3-dimethyl-ure a, l-[4-(N-4,5- dimethylbenzoylsulphamoyl)-phenyl]-3-methyl-urea, l-[4-(N- naphthylsulphamoyl)-phenyl]-3,3-dimethyl-urea, and N-(2-methoxy-5-methyl- benzoyl)-4-(cyclopropylaminocarbonyl)-benzenesulphonamide.

In an embodiment, component A and component B are applied in, respectively, 2000-70 000 g/ha and 2-4000 g/ha, more preferably 4000-35 000 g/ha and 4-2000 g/ha for controlling one or more types of vegetation.

In an embodiment, component A is applied in a quantity between 2000, 3000, 4000, 6000, 8000, 9000 or 10 000 g/ha and 70 000, 50 000, 35 000, 20 000, 15 000, 12 000 or 11 000 g/ha and component B is applied in a quantity between 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 7, 10, 20, 50, 70 or 100 g/ha and 4000, 2000, 1000, 700, 500, 300, 250, 200 or 150 g/ha. In an embodiment, component A and component B are applied in, respectively, 20 000-60 000 g/ha and 100-4000 g/ha, more preferably 30 000-55 000 g/ha and 200-1000 g/ha for controlling one or more types of vegetation. In an embodiment, component A and component B are applied in, respectively, 20 000- 60 000 g/ha and 1-40 g/ha, more preferably 30 000-55 000 g/ha and 2-10 g/ha for controlling one or more types of vegetation. In an embodiment component A is applied in a quantity expressed in g/ha of 2000-70000, 2000-50000, 2000-35000, 2000-20000, 2000-15000, 2000-12000, 4000-70000, 4000-50000, 4000-35000, 4000-20000, 4000-15000, 4000-12000, 6000-70000, 6000-50000, 6000-35000, 6000-20000, 6000-15000, 6000-12000, 8000-70000, 8000-50000, 8000-35000, 8000-20000, 8000-15000, 8000-12000 or 10 000-12 000. In an embodiment, component A and component B are applied in, respectively, 2000-60 000 g/ha and 100-4000 g/ha, more preferably 8000-12 000 g/ha and 200-1000 g/ha for controlling one or more types of vegetation. In an embodiment, component A and component B are applied in, respectively, 2000-60 000 g/ha and 1-40 g/ha, more preferably 8000-12 000 g/ha and 2-10 g/ha for controlling one or more types of vegetation. In an embodiment, component (A) and component (B) are applied respectively in a quantity of between 500 and 2000 g/ha, and of between 1 and 100 g/ha, more preferably of between 600 and 1800 g/ha, and of between 5 and 50 g/ha, even more preferably in a quantity of between 800 and 1200 g/ha, and of between 10 and 30 g/ha, even more preferably of between 900 and 1100 g/ha, and of between 15 and 25 g/ha.

In an embodiment, component A and oxyfluorfen are applied in, respectively, 1000- 80 000 g/ha and 5-8000 g/ha, more preferably 4000-35 000 g/ha and 20-2000 g/ha for controlling one or more types of vegetation. In an embodiment, pelargonic acid and oxyfluorfen are applied in, respectively, 2000-70 000 g/ha and 10-4000 g/ha, more preferably 4000-35 000 g/ha and 20-2000 g/ha for controlling one or more types of vegetation. In an embodiment, pelargonic acid and oxyfluorfen are applied in, respectively, 2000-70 000 g/ha and 5-100 g/ha, more preferably 4000-35 000 g/ha and 10-50 g/ha for controlling one or more types of vegetation. In an embodiment, pelargonic acid and oxyfluorfen are applied in, respectively, 2000-30 000 g/ha and 120-2000 g/ha, more preferably 7000-15 000 g/ha and 1000-1700 g/ha for controlling one or more types of vegetation.

In an embodiment, component A and oxadiazon are applied in, respectively, 1000- 80 000 g/ha and 50-3000 g/ha, more preferably 4000-35 000 g/ha and 200-1000 g/ha for controlling one or more types of vegetation. In an embodiment, pelargonic acid and oxadiazon are applied in, respectively, 2000-70 000 g/ha and 100-2000 g/ha, more preferably 4000-35 000 g/ha and 200-1000 g/ha for controlling one or more types of vegetation. In an embodiment, pelargonic acid and oxadiazon are applied in, respectively, 2000-70 000 g/ha and 20-100 g/ha, more preferably 4000- 35 000 g/ha and 50-100 g/ha for controlling one or more types of vegetation. In an embodiment, pelargonic acid and oxadiazon are applied in, respectively, 2000-70 000 g/ha and 100-800 g/ha, more preferably 8000-12 000 g/ha and 400-600 g/ha for controlling one or more types of vegetation.

In an embodiment, component A and carfentrazone-ethyl are applied in, respectively, 1000-80 000 g/ha and 1-500 g/ha, more preferably 4000-35 000 g/ha and 5-150 g/ha for controlling one or more types of vegetation. In an embodiment, pelargonic acid and carfentrazone-ethyl are applied in, respectively, 2000-70 000 g/ha and 2-300 g/ha, more preferably 4000-35 000 g/ha and 5-150 g/ha for controlling one or more types of vegetation. In an embodiment, pelargonic acid and carfentrazone-ethyl are applied in, respectively, 2000-70 000 g/ha and 1-200 g/ha, more preferably 4000-35 000 g/ha and 3-100 g/ha for controlling one or more types of vegetation.

In an embodiment, component A and sulfentrazone are applied in, respectively, 1000-80 000 g/ha and 10-500 g/ha, more preferably 4000-35 000 g/ha and 50-150 g/ha for controlling one or more types of vegetation. In an embodiment, pelargonic acid and sulfentrazone are applied in, respectively, 2000-70 000 g/ha and 25-300 g/ha, more preferably 4000-35 000 g/ha and 50-150 g/ha for controlling one or more types of vegetation. In an embodiment, pelargonic acid and sulfentrazone are applied in, respectively, 2000-70 000 g/ha and 10-200 g/ha, more preferably 4000- 35 000 g/ha and 20-100 g/ha for controlling one or more types of vegetation.

In an embodiment, component A and pyraflufen are applied in, respectively, 1000- 80 000 g/ha and 1-100 g/ha, more preferably 4000-35 000 g/ha and 2-20 g/ha for controlling one or more types of vegetation. In an embodiment, pelargonic acid and pyraflufen are applied in, respectively, 2000-70 000 g/ha and 2-50 g/ha, more preferably 4000-35 000 g/ha and 4-25 g/ha for controlling one or more types of vegetation. In an embodiment, pelargonic acid and pyraflufen are applied in, respectively, 2000-70 000 g/ha and 1-20 g/ha, more preferably 4000-35 000 g/ha and 1-5 g/ha for controlling one or more types of vegetation. In an embodiment, pelargonic acid and pyraflufen are applied in, respectively, 2000-70 000 g/ha and 2- 22 g/ha. In an embodiment, pelargonic acid and pyraflufen are applied in, respectively, 8000-12 000 g/ha and 1-3 g/ha.

In an embodiment, component A and flumioxazine are applied in, respectively, 1000- 80 000 g/ha and 5-2500 g/ha, more preferably at 4000-35 000 g/ha and 20-1000 g/ha for controlling one or more types of vegetation. In an embodiment, pelargonic acid and flumioxazine are applied in, respectively, 2000-70 000 g/ha and 10-1600 g/ha, more preferably at 4000-35 000 g/ha and 20-800 g/ha for controlling one or more types of vegetation. In an embodiment, pelargonic acid and flumioxazine are applied in, respectively, 2000-70 000 g/ha and 2-1000 g/ha, more preferably at 4000-35 000 g/ha and 10-500 g/ha for controlling one or more types of vegetation. In an embodiment, pelargonic acid and flumioxazine are applied in, respectively, 5000-20 000 g/ha and 30-600 g/ha.

In an embodiment, component A and trifludimoxazine are applied in, respectively, 1000-80 000 g/ha and 1-800 g/ha, more preferably at 4000-35 000 g/ha and 5-300 g/ha for controlling one or more types of vegetation. In an embodiment, pelargonic acid and trifludimoxazine are applied in, respectively, 2000-70 000 g/ha and 2-400 g/ha, more preferably at 4000-35 000 g/ha and 5-200 g/ha for controlling one or more types of vegetation. In an embodiment, pelargonic acid and trifludimoxazine are applied in, respectively, 2000-70 000 g/ha and 1-200 g/ha, more preferably at 4000-35 000 g/ha and 3-100 g/ha for controlling one or more types of vegetation. In an embodiment, pelargonic acid and trifludimoxazine are applied in, respectively, 2000-70 000 g/ha and 1-200 g/ha, more preferably at 8000-12 000 g/ha and 6-150 g/ha for controlling one or more types of vegetation.

In an embodiment, component A and tiafenacil are applied in, respectively, 1000-80 000 g/ha and 5-1000 g/ha, more preferably 4000-35 000 g/ha and 20-350 g/ha for controlling one or more types of vegetation. In an embodiment, pelargonic acid and tiafenacil are applied in, respectively, 2000-70 000 g/ha and 10-500 g/ha, more preferably 4000-35 000 g/ha and 20-250 g/ha for controlling one or more types of vegetation. In an embodiment, pelargonic acid and tiafenacil are applied in, respectively, 2000-70 000 g/ha and 5-300 g/ha, more preferably 4000-35 000 g/ha and 10-200 g/ha for controlling one or more types of vegetation. In an embodiment, pelargonic acid and tiafenacil are applied in, respectively, 2000-30 000 g/ha and 10- 200 g/ha, more preferably 8000-12 000 g/ha and 20-80 g/ha for controlling one or more types of vegetation.

The composition of the present invention shows herbicidal activity against a wide variety of weeds, and thus allows effective control of a wide variety of weeds in fields where agricultural crops are grown. Examples of suitable agricultural crops according to the present invention include edible agricultural crops such as groundnuts, soybeans, corn, wheat and barley; food crops such as sorghum and oats; industrial crops such as cotton; and sugar crops such as sugarcane. Examples of the vegetable field in the present invention include fields of Solanaceae such as aubergine, tomato, green pepper, red pepper and potato; Cucurbitaceae such as cucumber, pumpkin, courgette, watermelon and melon; Brassicaceae such as radish, turnip, strong carrot, kohlrabi, Chinese cabbage, cabbage leaf mustard, broccoli and cauliflower; Liliaceae such as leek, onion, garlic and asparagus; Chenopodiaceae such as spinach.

Examples of fields with trees in the present invention include orchards, tea plantations, mulberry fields, coffee plantations, banana plantations, palm plantations, flower tree land, flower field, nursery land, young plants, forest and garden. Examples of orchard include fruit fall such as apple, pear, Japanese pear, Chinese quince; stone fruit such as peach, plum, nectarine, Japanese apricot, cherry, apricot and plum; citrus such as orange, lemon, lime and grapefruit; nut trees such as chestnut, walnut, hazelnut, almond, pistachio, cashew and macadamia nut; and berries such as, blackberry and raspberry; grape. Examples of the land not being cultivated in the present invention include recreation area, uncultivated land, railway area, park, car park, road area, dry river bed, land under high voltage transmission lines, land for installation and location to factory. Harvests grown in the agricultural crop field of the present invention are not limited insofar as they belong to cultivars that are generally grown as crops. In an embodiment, the use of this herbicide composition is suitable for use against plants with herbicide resistance, for example provided by a classical multiplication or genetic recombination technology.

Additionally or alternatively, said use for controlling one or more types of vegetation relates to the controlling of side shoots and/or suckers of a desired crop, vine or tree. It is noted that the use of a herbicide composition according to the first aspect in an amount effective for controlling of side shoots and/or suckers of a desired crop, vine or tree, forms an independent inventive aspect on its own. In light of the present invention, the wording "side shoot" may be interpreted as a shoot growing from a bud located on the main trunk of a crop, vine or tree. The wording "sucker" may be interpreted as a shoot emerging from a bud located on the roots of a crop, vine or tree. Side shoots and/or suckers may be particularly undesirable because these may act as a sink for nutrients in the crop, vine or tree, thereby reducing the amount of nutrients which are available to a harvestable commodity of the crop, vine or tree. By using the herbicidal composition according to the invention for controlling side shoots and/or suckers, the quality of the harvestable commodity of a crop, vine or tree may be improved and/or crop, vine or tree yield may be increased.

According to a preferred embodiment, using the herbicidal composition of the invention for controlling side shoots and/or suckers may be applied on one or more crops, vines or trees chosen from the group of stone fruit, pome fruit, berries, olives, citrus fruit, grapevines, hop, or combinations thereof.

According to some embodiments, the aforementioned use for controlling side shoots and/or suckers may take place several times a year, and/or may take place in parallel with the controlling of undesirable plant growth, preferably weeds.

Additionally or alternatively, said use for controlling one or more types of vegetation relates to invoking desiccation in a desired crop and/or in an undesired plant. It is noted that the use of a herbicide composition according to the first aspect in an amount effective for invoking desiccation, preferably of stems, leaves and/or reproductive organs, in a desired crop and/or in an undesired plant, forms an independent inventive aspect on its own. In light of the present invention, the wording "desiccation" may be interpreted as the purposeful destruction of foliage and/or stems of a crop or plant. Abundant growth of foliage and/or stems may render the harvestable commodity of a crop less accessible, or may lead to a reduction in the quality of the harvestable commodity. By using the herbicidal composition according to the invention for invoking desiccation, in particular of foliage and/or stems, accessibility of the harvestable commodity may be improved, the quality of the harvestable commodity of the crop may be improved, and/or crop yield may be increased.

According to a preferred embodiment, using the herbicidal composition of the invention for invoking desiccation may be applied on one or more crops chosen from the group of soybean, corn, potatoes, sunflower, seed bearing crops, or combinations thereof.

According to some embodiments, the aforementioned use for invoking desiccation may take place at the end of the crop cycle, preferably shortly before harvesting the harvestable commodity.

As known by the skilled person, the herbicide composition according to the first aspect can be used in the kit according to the second aspect and can be used effectively for controlling one or more species of vegetation according to the third and further aspects. Every characteristic or embodiment, described in this document, below and above is thus applicable to each of the three aspects of the invention.

In what follows, the invention is described by means of non-limiting examples or figures illustrating the invention, which are not intended or should be interpreted as limiting the scope of the invention. The good herbicidal activity of the herbicide compositions according to the present invention is shown by the following examples. While the individual active compounds show weaknesses in their herbicidal action, all combinations show very good action on undesirable vegetation which exceeds a simple sum of actions. EXAMPLES

EXAMPLE 1

Example 1 concerns an analysis of the effectiveness of flumioxazine and pelargonic acid.

The herbicidal activity of herbicide compositions according to the first aspect of the present invention was determined during tests conducted on experimental fields (field tests). Individual compositions comprising pelargonic acid and individual compositions comprising flumioxazine are compared with a herbicide composition comprising flumioxazine and pelargonic acid. The expected activity of the herbicide composition comprising flumioxazine and pelargonic acid is calculated according to the above calculation method by Colby, in order to evaluate a synergistic effect between flumioxazine and pelargonic acid. If the actual herbicide activity exceeds the calculated value, the activity of the combination is considered synergistic.

Herbicidal activity was determined by applying herbicide compositions to fields in the maritime and Mediterranean EPPO zone. Effects of post-emergence application of 1.2 kg/ha 500 g flumioxazine/kg and 16 L/ha 680 g pelargonic acid/L were observed 28 days after application. Untreated plots showed no damage or spoilage in the period between application to the other plots and the observations.

The condition of the test plants compared to that of the untreated plants was determined visually and scored on a scale of 0 to 100 percent where 0 corresponds to no injury or growth inhibition and 100 corresponds to complete killing. The third column of Table 1 shows the condition of test plants treated with 1.2 kg/ha 500 g flumioxazine/kg. The fourth column of Table 1 shows the condition of test plants treated with 16 L/ha 680 g pelargonic acid/L. The fifth column of Table 1 shows the condition of test plants treated with 1,2 kg/ha 500 g flumioxazine/kg and 16 L/ha 680 g pelargonic acid/L. The sixth column of Table 1 shows the expected value, calculated according to Colby's calculation method given above. To assess whether the effect is synergistic, the difference between the expected value (column 6 of Table 1) and the observed value is compared. The last column of Table 1 shows the difference between the expected value based on the Colby comparison and the observed value. A positive result indicates synergism.

The value of weed stage, as given in the second column of Table 1, should be interpreted as: 16 = 6 true leaves, leaf pairs or whorls unfolded; 14 = 4 true leaves, leaf pairs or whorls unfolded; 29 = 9 side shoots visible; G=9 tillers visible; 25 = 5 side shoots visible; G=5 tillers visible; 51 = Inflorescence or flower buds visible; G=Beginning of heading; 18 = 8 true leaves, leaf pairs or whorls unfolded; 61 = Beginning of flowering: 10% of flowers open; 71 = Fruits begin to develop; G=Caryopsis watery ripe; 32 = 2 visibly extended internode; G=2 node stage; 30 = Beginning of stem elongation; G=Beginning of shooting; 55 = First individual flowers visible (still closed); G=Half of inflorescence emerged (middle of heading); 65 = Full flowering: 50% of flowers open, first petals may be fallen; 45 = G=Flag leaf sheath swollen (late-boot); 10 = G,M = First true leaf emerged from coleoptile; D=Cotyledons completely unfolded; P=First leaves separated; 39 = 9 visibly extended internode; G=9 node stage; 13 = 3 true leaves, leaf pairs or whorls unfolded; 26 = 6 side shoots visible; G=6 tillers visible; 21 = First side shoot visible; G=First tiller visible; 69 = End of flowering: fruit set visible. Table 1 Results of herbicidal activity of pelargonic acid (PLA) and flumioxazine (F).

Table 1 shows that for most experiments the activity of pelargonic acid (PLA) with flumioxazine (F) is considered to be synergistic, as determined by the above formulae. In experiments where the individual dose provides a complete kill, no synergy can occur. It is therefore more interesting to look at the experiments in which the expected condition according to Colby of the test plants after treatment with PLA and F was estimated between 0 and 90 (i.e., the first four and the last experiment). A synergy was observed in each of these 5 experiments. The average difference between these observed values and the estimated values is 29%.

EXAMPLE 2

Example 2 concerns an analysis of the effectiveness of a PPO inhibitor together with pelargonic acid.

An experiment was conducted under laboratory conditions with Matricaria chamomilla being treated with pelargonic acid and/or a PPO-inhibitor at the rate described in Table 2. Matricaria chamomilla was at a growth stage 25 to 61 (as described in Example 1). 14 to 36 days after application of the spray liquid, the degree of damage to the unwanted plant growth was determined. The synergy was calculated using the Colby formula, as described above.

Table 2 Synergistic effect between pelargonic acid and PPO inhibitors.

EXAMPLE 3

Example 3 concerns an analysis of the effectiveness of a PPO inhibitor together with pelargonic acid.

An experiment was conducted under laboratory conditions with Matricaria chamomilla being treated with pelargonic acid and/or a PPO-inhibitor at the rate described in Table 3. Matricaria chamomilla was at growth stage 25 to 61 (as described in Example 1). 14 to 36 days after application of the spray liquid, the degree of damage to the unwanted plant growth was determined. The synergy was calculated using the Colby formula, as described above.

Table 3 Synergistic effect between pelargonic acid and PPO inhibitors.

EXAMPLE 4

Example 4 concerns formulations of a PPO inhibitor together with pelargonic acid.

Table 4 shows formulations according to the present invention comprising as component (A) a C7-C12 fatty acid and as component (B) a protoporphyrinogen oxidase inhibitor. Table 4 Formulations according to the present invention comprising as component (A) a C7-C12 fatty acid and as component (B) a protoporphyrinogen oxidase inhibitor, wherein the amounts of all components are shown in weight percentages. EXAMPLE 5

Example 5 concerns an analysis of the effectiveness of several PPO-inhibitors and two fatty acids. The herbicidal activity of herbicide compositions of the present invention was determined during tests conducted on experimental fields (field tests). Values were determined as described in Example 1.

Table 5 shows effects of post-emergence application of several compositions, as observed 4-26 days after application. In the first column the herb is listed and in the second column the composition used against said herb, expressed in grams ai/ha. The third and fourth column present the observations of the solo application of the protoporphyrinogen oxidase inhibitor (PPOi) and fatty acid (FA), respectively. The fifth column shows the observations of the combined application of said PPOi and FA and in the sixth column the expected value is presented as calculated according to Colby.

Table 5 Results of herbicidal activity several PPO-inhibitors and two fatty acids.

EXAMPLE 6

Example 6 concerns an analysis of the effectiveness of a protoporphyrinogen oxidase inhibitor (PPOi) and a fatty acid (FA) relating to the controlling of shoots and/or suckers in grapevine (Vitus vinifera).

The efficacy a herbicide composition according to the present invention for controlling of shoots and/or suckers in a desired vine was determined during tests conducted on experimental fields (field tests). The shown values were measured in line with EPPO Standard PP 1/161, as follows:

Before application of the herbicide composition, the number of shoots and/or suckers per plant was counted. Each of the shoots and/or suckers was classified by length category: (i) less than 6 cm, (ii) between 6 and 15 cm, and (iii) more than 15 cm. After application of the herbicide composition, in particular 7, 21 and 54 days after application, the number of living shoots and/or suckers, as well as the number of damaged or dead shoots and/or suckers, were counted, and the efficacy of the application was compared to untreated plants. Also, the number of new shoot and/or sucker growth was quantified.

Table 6 shows effects on the controlling of shoots in grapevine by application of a composition according to the invention, as observed 7, 21 and 54 days after application. In the first column the day is listed and in the second column the composition used for the controlling of shoots is shown, expressed in grams ai/ha. The third and fourth column present the observations of the solo application of the protoporphyrinogen oxidase inhibitor (PPOi) and fatty acid (FA), respectively. The fifth column shows the observations of the combined application of said PPOi and FA and in the sixth column the expected value is presented as calculated according to Colby. Table 6 Results of shoot control by a PPOi and an FA.

EXAMPLE 7

Example 7 concerns an analysis of the effectiveness of a protoporphyrinogen oxidase inhibitor (PPOi) and a fatty acid (FA) relating to desiccation in rapeseed (Brassica nap us).

The efficacy a herbicide composition according to the present invention for invoking desiccation of the stems of a desired crop was determined during tests conducted on experimental fields (field tests). The shown values were measured as follows:

After application of the herbicide composition, in particular 7 and 14 days after application, the percentage of dead or brown plant material was estimated separately for stems, leaves and reproductive organs. Also, the amount of regrowth was estimated and quantified. Efficiency was calculated compared to untreated plants following Abbott's calculation method.

Table 7 shows effects on desiccation of stems in rapeseed by application of a composition according to the invention, as observed 7 and 14 days after application. In the first column the day is listed and in the second column the composition used for desiccation is shown, expressed in grams ai/ha. The third and fourth column present the observations of the solo application of the protoporphyrinogen oxidase inhibitor (PPOi) and fatty acid (FA), respectively. The fifth column shows the observations of the combined application of said PPOi and FA and in the sixth column the expected value is presented as calculated according to Colby. Table 7 Results of desiccation of stems by a PPOi and an FA.