WO1998028976A1

WO1998028976A1 - Adjuvant composition for use in agrochemical applications

Info

Publication number: WO1998028976A1
Application number: PCT/US1997/022373
Authority: WO
Inventors: James L. Hazen
Original assignee: Rhodia Inc.
Priority date: 1996-12-30
Filing date: 1997-12-10
Publication date: 1998-07-09
Also published as: AU5691498A

Abstract

The invention relates to an adjuvant composition for use with agrochemicals. The adjuvant composition is essentially free of polyoxyalkylene alkylphenols and comprises polyoxyalkylene ethers of C6-C30 saturated or unsaturated organic acids. Other surfactants and additives may be added to the adjuvant.

Description

ADJUVANT COMPOSITION FOR USE IN AGROCHEMICAL

APPLICATIONS

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to an adjuvant composition for use with agrochemical-active compound formulations essentially free of any polyoxyalkylene alkylphenols .

2. Technology description

Surfactant blends, and more particularly anionic and/or nonionic surfactant blends are known as efficient adjuvants for agrochemically active compounds, especially herbicides, in order to improve and to enhance their performance.

US Patent No. 4,834,908 teaches crop oil concentrates comprising a mixture of (a) a lower alkanol ester of a long chain carboxylic acid; (b) an anionic surfactant derived from esterification of a polyoxyalkylene nonionic surfactant with a dihydric or trihydric inorganic acid or by carboxylation with an organic acid derivative; (c) a long chain carboxylic acid; and (d) a hydrocarbon component.

Other crop oil concentrates of that kind are also described in US Pat. No. 5,102,442, US Pat. No. 5,238,604 and US Pat. No. 4,966,728. US Pat. No. 5,084,087 describes crop oil concentrates comprising (a) one or more herbicides; (b) an emulsifier component which is a combination of (i) a polyoxyalkylene nonionic surfactant which can be a polyoxyethylene ether of alkylphenol; and (ii) an anionic surfactant; (c) an optional second nonionic surfactant, and (d) a lower alkanol ester of a long chain fatty acid.

US Pat. No. 5,521,144 provides an adjuvant composition for use with pesticides comprising acidulated soap stock, (which is a by-product of alkali refining of crude vegetable or animal to remove the free fatty acid from the triglyceπde) and, preferably surfactants. Preferred surfactants include nonionic surfactants such as alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs) or blends of alcohol ethoxylates and glycol ethers. US Pat. No. 5,260,760 teaches an improved herbicidal mixture comprising (a) a compatible herbicide; (b) acidulated soybean soapstock; and (c) a nonionic surfactant blend comprising nonoxynol which is an alpha- (nonylphenol) ethoxylate (APE) .

Most of the nonionic surfactants used as adjuvants with agroche ically active compounds today comprise polyoxyalkylene alkylphenols, especially alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs) such as nonoxynol. These adjuvants are very effective and efficient but they tend to be rather expensive.

Therefore, a principal object of this invention is to provide a nonionic adjuvant composition for use with agrochemically active compounds (l) which may be more cost effective than polyoxyalkylene alkylphenols,

( n) that is at least as efficient as polyoxyalkylene alkylphenols m improving and enhancing the agrochemical properties of said active compounds; and m) which allow formulators to use a direct substitution for polyoxyalkylene alkylphenols m a known recipe without disrupting the physical, chemical and/or biological properties of the final adjuvant active composition. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To attain these objectives and others, it has now been serendipitously discovered that polyoxyalkylene esters of C₆ - Cι„ saturated or unsaturated organic acids are excellent substitutes for polyoxyalkylene alkylphenols as nonionic adjuvants for use in agrochemically active compound formulations.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention more particularly relates to an agricultural adjuvant composition for one or more crop protection chemicals comprising: (a) a nonionic surfactant comprising one or more polyoxyalkylene esters of C. - C<₍₎ saturated or unsaturated organic acids; wherein said composition is essentially free of any polyoxyalkylene alkylphenols. By the term "essentially free of any polyoxyalkylene alkylphenols" is meant the absence of any adjuvantly effective amount of said polyoxyalkylene alkylphenol .

The agricultural adjuvant of this invention appears to give good results with most physico- chemically compatible crop protection chemicals including fertilizers, insecticides, fungicides, pesticides , herbicides, mildewocides, defoliants and plant growth regulators. In particular the agricultural adjuvant composition of this invention is intended for use with common herbicides, particularly post-emergence herbicides.

The agricultural adjuvant is in fact effective with herbicides of diverse chemical structures, for example: (1) with sulfonylurea herbicides, such as thifensulfuron, primisulfuron and nicosulfuron; (2) with diphenylether herbicides such as acifluorfen; (3) with imidazolinone herbicides, such as imazethapyr; (4) with dipyridilium herbicides, such as diquat, luorfamquat and paraquat; (5) with glycine herbicides such as glyphosate having the chemical names N-

(phosphonomethyl) glycine and glufosinate; and (6) with cyclohexanones, aryloxyphenoxy, quinolinecarboxylic acid and benzothiadiazinonedioxide herbicides. It has now been found, according to this invention, that polyoxyalkylene esters of C_t, - C»₀ saturated or unsaturated organic acids improve agricultural adjuvant compositions by enhancing the efficacy of crop protection chemicals allowing, in the case of postemergent herbicides, greater or equal weed control while using similar quantities of active crop protection chemicals.

Moreover the beneficial action of the adjuvants of this invention is, most of the time at least, equal or even better than the action of polyoxyalkylene alkyphenols, more particularly of polyethylene alkylphenol at a similar rate in agricultural adjuvant compositions and with a similar HLB .

The C₆ - C₃o organic acid, preferably C» - C₍₁, more preferably Cι₆ - Cι₈ used as a starting product to manufacture the adjuvant, can be saturated or unsaturated and can be used alone or in various mixtures of acids with different numbers of carbon atoms .

Examples of particular acids which can be used are caproic acid, caprylic acid, capric acid, lauric acid, yristic acid, palmitic acid, palmitoleic acid, margaric acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid and arachidic acid.

It should be noted that for reasons of price and commercial availability, mixtures of acids are preferred and these mixtures can be obtained, for example, from natural oils and fats such as olive oil, peanut oil, butter fat, cocoa butter, corn, cotton seed, mustard seed, palm kenel, rapeseed, soybean, sunflower, palm, soya, tall oil, tallow, sesame, and rice bran.

Among the above natural sources of organic carboxylic acids, tall oil is the preferred source. Tall oil is usually defined as a mixture of various fatty and rosin acids with not less than about 58 weight percent of fatty acids, not more than about 44 weight percent of rosin acids, and not more than about 8 weight percent of unsaponifiable products.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, it has been serendipitously discovered that organic carboxylic acid mixtures having above about 25 weight percent, preferably above about 50 weight percent, and more preferably above about 80 weight percent of oleic, linoleic and/or linoleic acid, provide to the esterified adjuvant compositions improved properties in agricultural applications.

From the above defined organic acids are produced the polyoxyalkylene esters. Processes already known for the production of polyoxyalkylene alcohol are in general adaptable to the production of polyoxyalkylene esters .

These processes are well known by the skilled artisan and are described in numerous publications, for example on page 142 to 170 of Chapter 5 of the book "NONIONIC

_* SURFACTANTS" by W.B. Satkowski, S.K. Huang and R.L. Liss, edited by Martin J. SCHICK Lever Brothers Co., Research Center, Edgewater, New Jersey (Marcel DEKKER, Inc., New York, weight 1, Copyright 1966) .

The organic carboxylic acids may be either directly esterified with alkylene oxide or through a reaction with polyalkylene glycols intermediates. The alkylene oxides which may be used to prepare the nonionic monofunctional polyoxyalkylene esters or polyalkylene glycol intermediates include ethylene oxide, propylene oxide and butylene oxide.

Tetrahydrofuran may also be used. Preferred alkylene oxides are ethylene oxide and propylene oxide. When both of these oxides are utilized, they may be added simultaneously or in sequence to prepare statistic or block polymer surfactants.

Ethylene oxide may also be used alone to form homopolymeric polymer surfactants.

Each molecule of adjuvant generally comprises between about 4 to about 24, preferably between about 6 to about 18 oxyalkylene moieties.

Esterification of fatty acid mixtures is for example described in US Pat. No. 2,542,697 and esterification of tall oil is for example described m US PaT. No. 2,610,966 and 2,542,697. It is preferable to utilize as a raw material for the preparation of the adjuvants of this invention a) , a tall oil having a percentage of oleic acid or its isomers greater than about 50, more preferably greater than about 80 weight percent. Examples of such tall oils commercially available are tall oil ACINTOL ™ manufactured by Arizona Chemical Co., tall oil WESTVACO 1-5 ™ manufactured by Westvaco Co., and tall oil PAMAK ™ 4 manufactured by Hercules Co.

The agricultural adjuvant compositions according to the invention may optionally comprise: b) an anionic surfactant, such as partial sulfate and phosphate esters of polyoxyalkylene or (n) carboxylate surfactants and their salts; and/or c) other nonionic surfactants, for example polyoxyalkylene ethers of aliphatic alcohol having from 6 to 30, preferably from 10 to 20, and more particularly from 12 to 16 carbon atoms in the aliphatic residue; and/or d) a long chain carboxylic acid having from 10 to 25 carbon atoms such as caproic acid, caprylic acid, capric acid, lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, palmitoleic acid, margaric acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, and arachidic acid; the unsaturated acids are preferred and most preferably the organic acid is oleic acid or its isomers; the long chain carboxylic acid may be added to the adjuvant composition in the form of a tall oil having a percentage of oleic acid or its isomers greater than about 50, more preferably greater than about 80 weight percent; examples of such tall oils commercially available are tall oil ACINTOL ™ manufactured by Arizona Chemical Co., tall oil WESTVACO 1-5 ™ manufactured by Westvaco Co., and tall oil PAMAK ™ 4 manufactured by Hercules Co. e) a lower alkanol ester of a long chain C- - C₂₂ carboxylic acid, preferably obtainable from the natural sources already indicated above for adjuvant a) such as fats and oils and, more particularly tall oil; such acids can be, for example, oleic, linoleic, linolenic, stearic, myristic, and palmitic acids; artificial or natural mixtures, such as tall oil, of these acids may also be used; f) an acidulated soap stock, soap stock being a by-product of alkali refining of crude vegetable or animal fats and oils, such as oils extracted from soybeans, canola, corn, cottonseed, olives, sunflower, safflower, sesame, peanut, rapeseed and rice; acidulated soybean soapstock is the preferred soapstock; and g) a hydrocarbon component derived from vegetable or petroleum sources. Preferred are the aromatic solvents particularly those containing alkylated benzenes and naphthalenes and paraffinic. Such solvents are readily available from a number of sources, for example, the Shellsolve ™ solvents available from the Shell Oil Co., Houston, Tex., and the Aromatic ™ 150 and 200 solvents available from the Exxon Corporation. The hydrocarbon component may also contain up to about 30 percent by weight, preferably from 10-30 percent by weight of a solvent soluble alcohol, for example isooctanol, to maintain or enhance the physical properties of the blend. Other solvent soluble alcohols which are suitable are those which generally contain from 5 to about 18 carbon atoms, preferably from 5 to about 10 carbon atoms. The hydrocarbon component g) like the other components b) to f) are believed to exert some biochemical effect and hence may be considered an active ingredient. The adjuvant composition may also comprise water, anti-freezing agents, anti-foam agents, compatibility agents and buffering agents. Anti-foam agents decrease and/or prevent foaming when the solution containing the herbicide formulation is agitated or sprayed. Compatibility agents function to allow and maintain an emulsification of two or more ingredients that would otherwise separate when mixed. Buffering agents function to moderate the pH of the water in the tank solution. The effective quantity of the component a) in the agricultural adjuvant compositions of this invention ranges for example from about 10 weight percent to about 90 weight percent. The effective quantity is determined by the performance of the quantity to promote the activity of the crop protection chemicals and by the solubility of the other possible components b) to g) . The amount of crop protection chemicals to be added to the adjuvant composition may vary considerably and may be adjusted by the user for the purpose of agricultural protection and m every case the adjuvant is present to enhance the properties of the crop protection chemicals. That amount is for example from about 10 to 500 g/aι/1 of active ingredient (ai) , preferably from about 20 to 200 g/ai/1. Higher amounts than 500 g/aι/1 may prove difficult to formulate while amounts less than 10 g/ai/1 are, in general, uneconomically small.

The adjuvant composition of the invention is simply prepared by mixing the different components, the order of mixing being generally not important.

The adjuvant compositions of this invention may be used for the preparation a ready-to-dilute (RTD) formulation which is a crop protection chemical/crop oil premix. Therefore this invention also relates to a ready-to- dilute (RTD) formulation comprising:

- an agriculturally efficient amount of one or more crop protection chemicals as defined above; and

- an agriculturally adjuvant composition according to the instant invention.

Such RTD formulations are commercially desirable products because, rather than having to prepare a tank mix, before spreading, from separate crop protection chemicals and adjuvant mixtures containers, it is possible to prepare crop protection chemicals and adjuvant mixtures m one formulation which is ready to dilute (RTD) in a tank.

The RTD formulation of this invention may be diluted with water m tank mixes to obtain a ready to use final crop composition, generally m amounts from about 0.5 to about 10 1/ha, preferably from about 1 to about 5 1/ha.

Component a) of the adjuvant composition is present in the final RTD herbicide formulation in an amount of from about 10 to about 100 g/1.

Upon dilution with water for spreading, the concentration of the adjuvant composition in the final crop composition is preferably between about 0.10 to 1.50 volume percent, most of the remaining volume of the diluted composition being comprised of water.

EXAMPLE I:

The following adjuvant compositions are prepared: The ingredients herein below are mixed to prepare comparative compositions la (C_;a) not part of the invention:

(1) isodecyl alcohol ethoxylated with 4 EO: 34.75 weight percent

(2) nonylphenol ethoxylated with 9 EO: 34.75 weight percent

(3) Acintol ™ FA-1 (tall oil with 87 weight percent of oleic acid and its isomers) : 19.50 weight percent

(4) City Water: 10.00 weight percent (5) isopropyl alcohol: 0.50 weight percent

Composition lb, comparative composition C-b not part of the invention, has the same composition, as da except that component (2) is replaced with the same volume percent of isodecyl alcohol ethoxylated with 4 EO.

Composition lc, composition C-,c according to the invention, has the same composition as C,a except that component (2) is replaced with the same volume percent of tall oil ethoxylated with 10 EO (called herein after T10) . The starting tall oil used to prepare the ethoxylated tall oil is the WESTVACO ™ L-5 tall oil fatty acid commercialized by Westvaco Inc., a company of South Carolina and having the following features:

Rosin acids: 5 weight percent

Fatty acids: 91.6 weight percent

Approximate fatty acid distribution: Oleic acid: 40 weight percent

Linoleic acid: 40 weight percent Saponification number 193 weight percent

Unsaponifiables 3.5 weight percent

Iodine value: 128

Composition Id, composition C,d according to the invention, has the same composition as C_:c except that 17.375 volume percent of T10 is replaced with the same quantity of isodecyl alcohol ethoxylated with 4 EO.

EXAMPLE II:

The following adjuvant compositions are prepared : The ingredients herein below are mixed to prepare comparative compositions 2a (C_.a) not part of the invention:

(1) nonylphenol ethoxylated with 9 EO: 59.5 weight percent (2) city Water: 10.00 weight percent

(3) isopropyl alcohol: 10.00 weight percent

(4) acidulated soybean soapstock: 20.00 weight percent

Composition 2b, comparative composition C b not part of the invention, has the same composition, as C₂a except that component (1) is replaced with the same volume percent of isodecyl alcohol ethoxylated with 4 EO. Composition 2c, composition C_:c according to the invention, has the same composition as C_^a except that component (1) is replaced with the same amount of TIO. Composition 2d, composition C_.d according to the invention, has the same composition as C_c except that component 29.75 volume percent of TIO is replaced with the same quantity of isodecyl alcohol ethoxylated with 4 EO.

EXAMPLE III:

The following adjuvant compositions are prepared : The ingredients herein below are mixed to prepare comparative compositions 3a (C.a) not part of the invention: (1) nonylphenol ethoxylated oil 9 EO: 15.00 weight percent (2) city Water: 10.00 weight percent

(3) isopropyl alcohol: 2.00 weight percent

(4) isodecyl alcohol ethoxylated with 9.4 EO: 40.00 weight percent

(5) non-ethoxylated Tall oil (WESTVACO ^τ" L-5) : 30.00 weight percent

Composition 3b, comparative composition C b not part of the invention, has the same composition, as C^a except that component (1) is replaced with the same volume percent of isodecyl alcohol ethoxylated with 4 EO.

Composition 3c, composition C,c according to the invention, has the same composition as C.a except that component (1) is replaced with the same volume percent of tall oil T10 ethoxylated with 10 EO of Example I.

Composition 3d, composition C<d has the same composition as C<c except that 7.50 weight percent of T10 is replaced with the same quantity of isodecyl alcohol ethoxylated with 4 EO. EXAMPLE IV :

The following adjuvant compositions are prepared : The ingredients herein below are mixed to prepare comparative compositions 4a (C,a) not part of the invention:

(1) nonylphenol ethoxylated with 11 EO: 20.00 weight percent

(2) city Water: 10.00 weight percent

(3) isopropyl alcohol: 2.00 weight percent (4) isodecyl alcohol ethoxylated with 9.4 EO: 20.00 weight percent

(5) non-ethoxylated Tall oil (WESTVACO ^!M L-5) :

30.00 weight percent

Composition 4b, comparative composition C b not part of the invention, has the same composition, as C₄a except that component (1) is replaced with the same volume percent of isodecyl alcohol ethoxylated with 4

EO.

Composition 4c, composition C)C according to the invention, has the same composition as C^a except that component (1) is replaced with the same volume percent of tall oil T10 ethoxylated with 10 EO of Example I. Composition 4d, composition C,d has the same composition as C₄c except that 10.00 weight percent of T10 is replaced with the same quantity of isodecyl alcohol ethoxylated with 4 EO.

EXAMPLE V:

Materials and methods: Weed seeds obtained from V & J Seed., Woodstock,

Illinois, are placed m Baccto® professional potting mix in quart plastic pots. The plants are watered and fertilized as needed m the greenhouse and maintained at 25 ± 2°C with a 16 hours day/8 hours night with supplemental lighting. When the weeds are at the 3-4 leaf stage, they are sprayed with the treatment solutions using a link-belt sprayer delivering 25 gal/acre at 25 psi. In each case there was an untreated control and only a herbicide application to assist the evaluation of herbicide injury.

All plants are evaluated for herbicide visual injury 7 (7 DAT) and 14 days (14 DAT) after herbicide application. In the following tables the visual injury is the related percentage of the weed damaged by the composition.

Such indicators of damage are typically chlorosis, necrosis and stunting. Herbicides :

Three different herbicides are used:

- Imazethapyr: (±) -2- [ 4 , 5-dιhydro-4-methyl-4- ( 1- methy1ethyl) -5-oxo-lH-ιmιdazol-2-yl] -5-ethyl-3- pyridinecarboxylic acid, manufactured by American Cyanamid Co. as PURSUIT' herbicide;

- Nicosulfuron: 2- [ [ [ [4 , 6-dιmethoxy-2-pyrιmιdmyl) amino] carbonyl] amino] sulfonyl ] -W,N-dιmethyl- pyπdmecarboxamide, manufactured by Du Pont de Nemours and Co. as ASSERT" herbicide; and - Acifluorfen: 5- [2-chloro-4-

( trifluoromethyl) phenoxy] -2-nιtrobenzoιc acid, manufactured by BASF Co. as BLAZER" herbicide.

Experimental results: Imazethapyr is used in the adjuvant compositions prepared according to Examples 1 to 4 in order to obtain a RTD formulation.

After dilution of the RTD formulation m a tank with water, the rate of adjuvant is either 1.00 or 0.25 volume percent in the diluted crop composition. The diluted crop composition is sprayed in 25 gal/A spray volume at 0.017 lb ai/A (ai stands for active compound which is Imazethapyr) to yellow foxtail, at 0.022 Ib/ai/A to common lambsquarters and at 0.017 lb/ai/A to common ragweed.

At spray time, yellow foxtail is at 3 leaf stage, common lambsquarters at the 7-leaf stage and common ragweed at the 4-leaf stage.

The results so obtained are the means of two experiments with four replications each and are set forth in Table 1 herein below:

Table 1

Nicosulfuron or Acifluorfen is used m the adjuvant compositions prepared according to Examples 1 to 4 to obtain a RTD formulation.

After¹ dilution of the RTD formulation with water m a tank before spraying, the rate of the adjuvant composition in the diluted crop protection composition so obtained is either 1.00 or 0.25 volume percent.

The diluted crop protection composition is sprayed in 25 gal/A spray volume at 0.0022 lb/ai/A (ai stands for active compound which is Nicosulfuron) to yellow foxtail and another diluted crop protection is sprayed in 25 gal/A spray volume at 0.25 lb ai/A (ai stands for active compound which is Acifluorfen) to Resnik soybean Glycine max. (cultivar "Resnik") . At spray time, yellow foxtail is at the 3-leaf stage and Resnik soybean is at the first trifoliate stage.

The results so obtained are the means of two experiments with four applications each and are set forth in Table 2 herein below:

Table 2.

In Table 3 herein below, all the adjuvant compositions are compared in efficiency vis-a-vis the comparative adjuvant compositions Cia, da, da, da.

The grade 0 denotes an equivalency. The grade + and - denote respectively a better and a lower efficiency. It clearly appears from Table 3, that the adjuvant compositions of this invention CiC, C_d, CiC, C₂d, C₃c, C₃d, dc, dd, have most of the time an efficiency at least equal to or even better than the adjuvant compositions of the prior art. Cia, Cib, C₂a, C₂b, Ca, C₃b, da, and C₄b. Table 3 .

Although the present invention has been described and illustrated with reference to specific examples, it is understood that modifications and variations of composition and procedure are contemplated within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An agricultural adjuvant composition for one or more crop protection chemicals comprising: a) a nonionic surfactant comprising one or more polyoxyalkylene esters of C, - d,, saturated or unsaturated organic acids, the alkylene moiety being selected from the group consisting of ethylene , propylene, and butylene; wherein said composition is essentially free of any polyoxyalkylene alkylphenols.

2. An agricultural adjuvant composition according to claim 1, wherein the nonionic surfactants of a) are polyoxyalkylene esters of organic acids having above about 25 weight percent, based on the total weight of the acids, of an acid selected from the group consisting of oleic, linoleic, linolenic acid and mixtures thereof.

3. An agricultural adjuvant composition according to claim 2, wherein said organic acids have above about 50 weight percent, based on the total weight of the acids, of an acid selected from the group consisting of oleic, linoleic, linoleic acid and mixtures thereof.

4. An agricultural adjuvant composition according to claim 3, wherein said organic acids have above about 80 weight percent, based on the total weight of the acids, of an acid selected from the group consisting of oleic, linoleic, linoleic acid and mixtures thereof.

5. An agricultural adjuvant composition according to claim 3, wherein said organic acids are derived from tall oil.

6. An agricultural adjuvant composition according to claim 4, wherein said organic acids are derived from tall oil.

7. An agricultural adjuvant composition according to claim 1, further comprising: an anionic surfactant.

8. An agricultural adjuvant composition according to claim 7, wherein the anionic surfactant is i)a partial sulfate or phosphate ester of polyoxyalkylene or (ii) a carboxylate surfactant or its salts.

9. An agricultural adjuvant composition according to claim 1, further comprising: another nonionic surfactant.

10. An agricultural adjuvant composition according to claim 9, wherein the other nonionic surfactant is a polyoxyalkylene ether of an aliphatic alcohol having from 6 to 30 carbon atoms in the aliphatic residue.

11. An agricultural adjuvant composition according to claim 1, further comprising: a long chain carboxylic acid having from 10 to 25 carbon atoms .

12. An agricultural adjuvant composition according to claim 11, wherein the long chain carboxylic acid is an acid selected from the group consisting of oleic, linoleic, linoleic acid, and mixtures thereof.

13. An agricultural adjuvant composition according to claim 11, wherein the long chain carboxylic acid is derived from tall oil having a content of oleic acid or its isomer greater than about 80 weight percent.

14. An agricultural adjuvant composition according to claim 1, further comprising: a lower alkanol ester of a long chain d - C carboxylic acid.

15. An agricultural adjuvant composition according to claim 1, further comprising: an acidulated soap stock.

16. An agricultural adjuvant composition according to claim 15, wherein the acidulated soap stock is acidulated soybean soapstock.

17. An agricultural adjuvant composition according to claim 1, further comprising: a hydrocarbon component derived from vegetable or petroleum sources.

18. A ready-to-dilute (RTD) formulation comprising:

- an agriculturally effective amount of one or more crop protection chemicals; and - an agricultural adjuvant composition according to claim 1.

19. A ready-to-dilute (RTD) formulation according to claim 18, wherein the compatible crop protection chemical is selected from the group consisting of fertilizers, insecticides, fungicides, pesticides , herbicides, milderocides, defoliants, plant growth regulators and mixtures thereof.

20. A ready-to-dilute (RTD) formulation according to claim 19, wherein the compatible crop protection chemical is a post-emergence herbicide.

21. A ready-to-dilute (RTD) formulation according to claim 20, wherein the post-emergence herbicide is selected from the group consisting of imazethapyr, nicosulfuron, glyphosate, glufosinate and acifluorfen.