Formulations comprising phosphite
The invention relates to an aqueous suspension comprising a solubilized salt and insolubilized ingredients such as lignosulfonate and a dodecyl sulfate salt. The invention further relates to methods of producing said aqueous suspension, and to methods to employ said suspension for fertilizing agricultural plants and for protecting a plant or plant part against a pathogen. The invention additionally relates to methods of preventing, reducing and/or eliminating the presence of a pathogen on a plant or plant part, and to methods for treatment of a soil, comprising providing a suspension according to the invention.
1. A stable aqueous suspension of phosphite comprising a solubilized phosphite salt at 20-50% (w/w), insolubilized lignosulfonate at 2-30% (w/w), a dodecyl sulfate salt as an insolubilized anionic surfactant at 0.5-10% (w/w), and an ethylene oxide/propylene oxide block copolymer at 0.2-3% (w/w).
2. The suspension according to claim 1 , wherein the solubilized phosphite salt is disodium hydrogen phosphite.
3. The suspension according to claim 1 , wherein the anionic surfactant is sodium dodecyl sulfate.
4. The suspension according to claim 1 , wherein the ethylene oxide/propylene oxide block copolymer is polyoxypropylene that is flanked by two chains of polyoxyethylene.
5. The suspension according to claim 4 , wherein the block polymer has a molecular mass of about 2000 g/mol and a 10% polyoxyethylene content by weight.
6. The suspension according to claim 1 , wherein the average particle size is between 0.2 and 5 micrometers.
7. A method of fertilizing an agricultural plant, comprising applying to said agricultural plant the suspension according to claim 1 .
8. A method of protecting an agricultural plant or plant part against a pathogen, comprising applying to said agricultural plant or to said plant part the suspension according to claim 1 .
9. A method of preventing, reducing and/or eliminating the presence of a pathogen on a plant or on one or more plant parts, comprising applying to said plant or plant part the suspension according to claim 1 .
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the plant part comprises seed, leaf or fruit.
11. A method for treatment of a soil, comprising
a) providing the suspension according to claim 1 ; and
b) adding the suspension to the soil.
12. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the suspension is diluted with an aqueous liquid and mixed with a fungicide prior to application to said plant or plant part.
13. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the plant part is a post-harvest fruit.
14. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the plant part comprises seed, leaf or fruit.
15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the plant part is a post-harvest fruit.
16. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the soil is a growth substrate for mushrooms.
17. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the fungicide is a metal-containing fungicide.
18. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the suspension is diluted with an aqueous liquid and mixed with a fungicide prior to application to said soil.
19. A method of producing a stable aqueous suspension of phosphite, said method comprising
providing a 10-50% (w/w) aqueous solution of a solubilized phosphite salt,
adding 2-20% (w/w) of powderous lignosulfonate to said solution,
adding 0.5-10% (w/w) of powderous dodecyl sulfate salt, and
adding 0.2-2% (w/w) of an ethylene oxide/propylene oxide block copolymer.
20. The method of producing an aqueous suspension according to claim 19 , further comprising crushing the resulting suspension to an average particle size of between 0.2 and 5 micrometers.
21. The method according to claim 20 , whereby the suspension is crushed by milling.