Selective weed control using D-napropamide

1. A method of controlling a weed infestation at a locus, comprising the step of treating said locus with an herbicidally effective amount an herbicide formulation consisting essentially of:

at least one agronomically acceptable excipient; and

an herbicide combination consisting of D-Napropamide and a combination of chloroacetanilide herbicide and quinoline carboxylic acid herbicide, wherein

the chloroacetanilide herbicide is selected from the group consisting of acetochlor, alachlor, butachlor, butenachlor, delachlor, diethatyl, dimethachlor, ethachlor, ethaprochlor, metazachlor, metolachlor, S-metolachlor, pretilachlor, propachlor, propisochlor, prynachlor, terbuchlor, thenylchlor, and xylachlor and combinations thereof, and

the quinoline carboxylic acid herbicide is selected from the group consisting of quinclorac and quinmerac and combinations thereof; and

optionally, an herbicide selected from the group consisting of clomazone, a pyrazole herbicide, and an amide herbicide different from D-Napropamide;

wherein said formulation exhibits superior herbicidal activity efficacy compared with an equivalent formulation that uses Napropamide instead of D-Napropamide.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the locus is the vicinity of a desired crop.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein said crop is selected from the group consisting of winter oilseed rape, strawberries, blackcurrants, gooseberries, raspberries, field trees, shrubs, broccoli, cabbage, calabrese, cauliflower, kale, and Brussel's sprouts.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the treating is before or after emergence of the weed.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the weed is selected from the group consisting of chickweed, speedwell, poppy, field bindweed, hairy fleabane, nettleleaf goosefoot, common groundsel, horseweed, common lambsquarters, little mallow, burning nettle, sowthistles, carpetweed, fat hen, blackberry nightshade, small flowered mallow, nettles, deadnettle, knotweed, common sowthistle, and amaranthus.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the weed is selected from the group consisting of Cirsium arvense, Taraxacum officinale, Ranunculus repens, Senecio vulgaris, Papaver rohoeas, Veronica persica, Matricaria spp., Fallopia Convolvulus, Veronica arvensis, Veronica hederofolia, Stellaria media , and Polygonum convolvulus.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the weed is chickweed ( Stellaria media ).

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the treating comprises treating the soil in which a desired crop is to be planted.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the treating is before seeding, during seeding, or after seeding before the crop emerges.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the treating is prior to the emergence of any weed.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein said crop is selected from the group consisting of winter oilseed rape, strawberries, blackcurrants, gooseberries, raspberries, field trees, shrubs, broccoli, cabbage, calabrese, cauliflower, kale, and Brussel's sprouts.

12. An herbicide formulation consisting essentially of an herbicidally effective amount of:

D-Napropamide;

a combination of chloroacetanilide herbicide and quinoline carboxylic acid herbicide,

wherein the chloroacetanilide is selected from the group consisting of acetochlor, alachlor, butachlor, butenachlor, delachlor, diethatyl, dimethachlor, ethachlor, ethaprochlor, metazachlor, metolachlor, S-metolachlor, pretilachlor, propachlor, propisochlor, prynachlor, terbuchlor, thenylchlor, and xylachlor; and the quinoline carboxylic acid herbicide is selected from the group consisting of quinclorac and quinmerac; and

agronomically acceptable excipients,

wherein said formulation exhibits superior herbicidal activity efficacy compared with an equivalent formulation that uses Napropamide instead of D-Napropamide.

13. The herbicide formulation of claim 12 , wherein the chloroacetanilide herbicide is metazachlor, and the quinoline carboxylic acid herbicide is quinmerac.

14. An herbicidal formulation consisting essentially of:

at least one agronomically acceptable excipient; and

an herbicide composition consisting of D-Napropamide and a combination of chloroacetanilide herbicide and quinoline carboxylic acid herbicide, wherein

the chloroacetanilide herbicide is selected from the group consisting of acetochlor, alachlor, butachlor, butenachlor, delachlor, diethatyl, dimethachlor, ethachlor, ethaprochlor, metazachlor, metolachlor, S-metolachlor, pretilachlor, propachlor, propisochlor, prynachlor, terbuchlor, thenylchlor, and xylachlor, and the quinoline carboxylic acid herbicide is selected from the group consisting of quinclorac and quinmerac; and

optionally, an herbicide selected from the group consisting of clomazone, a pyrazole herbicide, and an amide herbicide different from D-Napropamide;

wherein said formulation exhibits superior herbicidal activity efficacy compared with an equivalent formulation that uses Napropamide instead of D-Napropamide.