Branched copolymer/anthranilic diamide compositions for propagule coating

1. A composition comprising at least one compound selected from anthranilic diamides of Formula 1, N-oxides, and salts thereof,

wherein

X is N,

R 1 is CH 3 , Cl, Br or F;

R 2 is H, F, Cl, Br or —CN;

R 3 is F, Cl, Br, C 1 -C 4 haloalkyl or C 1 -C 4 haloalkoxy;

R 4a is H, C 1 -C 4 alkyl, cyclopropylmethyl or 1-cyclopropylethyl;

R 4b is H or CH 3 ;

R 5 is H, F, Cl or Br;

R 6 is H, F, Cl or Br, and

further comprising a branched methacrylate copolymer segment comprising one or more polymer arms comprising a macromer polymerized from methyl methacrylate, methacrylic acid, and, optionally hydroxyethyl methacrylate, attached to a linear backbone segment wherein the linear backbone segment comprises comonomers selected from the group consisting of acrylates, methacrylates, styrenics, and mixtures thereof, and wherein the branched methacrylate copolymer segment further comprises hydrophilic groups,

and, wherein the hydrophilic groups comprise one or more of a —COOH, —OH, —NH 2 , an amide group, a vinyl group, a urethane group, an isocyanate group, or a blocked isocyanate group, and wherein the ratio of the branched methacrylate copolymer to the anthranilic diamide of Formula I is about 1:5 to about 4:1 by weight.

2. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the at least one compound selected from anthranilic diamides of Formula 1, is selected from compounds of Formula 1 wherein X is N; R 1 is CH 3 ; R 2 is Cl or —CN; R 3 is Br; R 4a is CH 3 ; R 4b is H; R 5 is Cl; and R 6 is H; and salts thereof.

3. The composition of claim 2 , wherein R 2 is Cl.

4. The composition of claim 2 , wherein R 2 is —CN.

5. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the branched methacrylate copolymer is at least about 15% of the composition by weight.

6. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the branched methacrylate copolymer to the anthranilic diamide of Formula I is at least about 1:5 by weight.

7. The composition of claim 1 , further comprising at least one fungicide or insecticide other than anthranilic diamide insecticides.

8. A geotropic propagule coated with an insecticidally effective amount of the composition of claim 1 .

9. The geotropic propagule of claim 8 , wherein the geotropic propagule is a seed.

10. The geotropic propagule of claim 9 , wherein the seed is a seed of cotton, maize, soybean, rapeseed or rice.

11. A liquid composition consisting of about 5 to 80 weight % of the composition of claim 1 and about 20 to 95 weight % of a volatile aqueous liquid carrier.

12. A method for protecting a geotropic propagule and plant derived therefrom from a phytophagous insect pest, the method comprising coating the propagule with an insecticidally effective amount of the liquid composition of claim 11 and then evaporating the volatile aqueous liquid carrier of the composition.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the insect pest is in a taxonomic order selected from Hemiptera and Lepidoptera.

14. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the one or more polymer arms comprise at least two repeating monomer units and have a number average molecular weight (Mn) of at least about 1,000.

15. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the one or more polymer arms are randomly distributed along the linear backbone segment, each branch segment being a polymer, copolymer, or oligomer of at least two repeating monomer units, which may be the same or different, wherein the branch segment is covalently attached to the linear backbone.