Herbicidal composition comprising an aminophosphate or aminophosphonate salt, a betaine and an amine oxide

1. A herbicidal composition comprising:

(i) optionally water,

(ii) at least 360 g/L of an aminophosphonate salt, and

(iii) a surfactant system which comprises:

optionally, water

a betaine surfactant comprising:

a betaine having the formula R 1 R 2 R 2 N + —CH 2 COO − (I), and

an amine oxide surfactant comprising:

an amine oxide having the formula R 1 R 2 R 2 N→O (III),

wherein:

the radicals R 1 , which may be identical or different, are each a linear or branched hydrocarbon radical having 3 to 30 carbon atoms, and

the radicals R 2 , which may be identical or different, are each a C 1 -C 3 alkyl radical,

optionally, at least one surfactant other than the surfactants of formulae (I) and (III),

wherein the weight ratio between the betaine surfactant and the amine oxide surfactant ranges from 30/70 to 70/30, and

wherein the amount of betaine surfactant and amino oxide surfactant is at least 24 g/L of the surfactant system.

2. The herbicidal composition as defined by claim 1 , wherein the aminophosphonate salt comprises a glyphosate isopropylamine salt, a glyphosate potassium salt, a glyphosate ammonium salt, a glyphosate sodium salt, a glyphosate monoethanolamine salt, or a mixture thereof.

3. The herbicidal composition as defined by claim 1 , wherein the herbicidal composition comprises an aqueous composition, and the amount of the aminophosphonate salt in the composition is at least 400 g/L.

4. The herbicidal composition as defined by claim 1 , wherein the surfactant system comprising water, is in an amount of at least 80 g/L.

5. The herbicidal composition as defined by claim 1 , wherein the amount of betaine surfactant and amine oxide surfactant is at least 25% by weight of the surfactant system.

6. The herbicidal composition as defined by claim 1 , wherein the betaine surfactant and the amine oxide surfactant constitute at least 30% by weight of the surfactant system.

7. The herbicidal composition as defined by claim 1 , wherein the betaine surfactant is provided as a betaine surfactant composition comprising the betaine and water, separately from the amine oxide surfactant wherein the amine oxide being optionally provided as an amine oxide surfactant composition; or wherein the betaine surfactant and the amide oxide surfactant are provided as a surfactant blend, comprising the betaine, the amine oxide, and water.

8. The herbicidal composition as defined by claim 7 , wherein the betaine surfactant is provided as a betaine surfactant composition comprising a potassium based betaine surfactant composition, or as a desalted surfactant composition; or wherein the surfactant system comprises a potassium based blend or a desalted surfactant blend.

9. The herbicidal composition as defined by claim 7 , wherein the herbicidal composition comprises at least 80 g/L of the betaine surfactant composition with the amine oxide optionally provided as an amine oxide surfactant composition; or wherein the herbicidal composition comprises at least 80 g/L of the surfactant blend.

10. The herbicidal composition as defined by claim 7 , wherein the betaine surfactant composition comprises:

water,

at least 25% by weight of betaine,

at least 2% by weight of a potassium chloride salt, and

optionally, substantially no sodium cation,

and/or

the amine oxide surfactant composition comprises:

water, and

at least 25% by weight of amine oxide,

or

the surfactant blend comprises:

water, and

at least 20% by weight of betaine together with amine oxide.

11. The herbicidal composition as defined by claim 10 , wherein the surfactant blend comprises at least 3% by weight of a potassium salt, and substantially no sodium cation.

12. The herbicidal composition as defined by claim 1 , wherein the herbicidal composition comprises from 360 g/L to 560 g/L of the aminophosphonate salt, and from 80 g/L to 160 g/L of the surfactant system.

13. The herbicidal composition as defined by claim 1 , wherein the herbicidal composition comprises from 400 to 500 g/L of a glyphosate salt, and from 30 to 40.5 g/L of betaine surfactant and amine oxide surfactant of the surfactant system.

14. The herbicidal composition as defined by claim 1 , wherein the herbicidal composition comprises from 500 to 560 g/L of a glyphosate salt, and at least 36 g/L of betaine surfactant and amine oxide surfactant of the surfactant system.

15. The herbicidal composition as defined by claim 1 , wherein R 2 is a methyl radical, and R 1 is a lauryl alkyl radical mixture in formulae (I) and (III).

16. The herbicidal composition as defined by claim 1 , wherein the surfactant system comprises at least one surfactant other than the surfactants of formula (I) and (III) selected from the group consisting of:

an ethoxylated fatty amine,

an ether carboxylate,

an acid or non acid mono- or di-ester phosphate, optionally polyalkoxylated,

an alkylmonoglycoside or alkylpolyglycoside, or

mixtures thereof.

17. The herbicidal composition as defined by claim 1 , further comprising:

an anti-foaming agent(s),

a solvent, and/or

a deposition control, anti-rebound or anti-drift agent, optionally added subsequently.

18. A process for formulating a herbicidal composition as defined by claim 1 , comprising mixing the aminophosphonate salt with the betaine surfactant and the amine oxide surfactant.

19. The process as defined by claim 18 , wherein the betaine surfactant and the amine oxide surfactant are provided separately, optionally as a betaine surfactant composition comprising water and as an amine oxide surfactant composition comprising water.

20. The process as defined by claim 18 , wherein the betaine surfactant and the amine oxide surfactant are provided as a surfactant blend comprising the betaine surfactant and the amine oxide surfactant and water.

21. The herbicidal composition of claim 1 , wherein the surfactant system further comprises a betaine surfactant having the formula

R 1 —CO—NH—R 4 —R 2 R 2 N + —CH 2 COO −   (II),

wherein:

the radical R 1 is a linear or branched hydrocarbon radical having 3 to 30 carbon atoms, and

the radicals R 2 , which may be identical or different, are each a C 1 -C 3 alkyl radical, and

the radical R 4 is —CH 2 —CH 2 —CH 2 or CH 2 —CHOH—CH 2 —.

22. The herbicidal composition of claim 1 , wherein the surfactant system further comprises an amine oxide surfactant having the formula

R 1 —CO—NH—R 4 —R 2 R 2 N→O  (IV),

wherein:

the radical R 1 is a linear or branched hydrocarbon radical having 3 to 30 carbon atoms, and

the radicals R 2 , which may be identical or different, are each a C 1 -C 3 alkyl radical, and

the radical R 4 is —CH 2 —CH 2 —CH 2 or CH 2 —CHOH—CH 2 —.