DESCRIPTION Heading

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[Para l ] 1 . Field of the Invention

[Para 2] The present invention relates to compositions for stimulating plant growth, and more particularly, to a composition and its method of application to leguminous plants to consistently increase the yield amount of fruit produced from the plants in grounds of varying soil nutritive content.

[Para 3] 2. Prior Art [Para 4] It is known to use various plant growth stimulants.

For example, Henderson and Chamblee (U.S. Pat. No. 4,274,861 ) describe a chemical composition successfully employed as a stimulant for plant growth and fruit yield. The described composition includes a herbicide in very low concentration ineffective in killing the plant but apparently effective in temporarily stunting flower development when applied during the plant flowering stage. It has been theorized that the plant reacts by strengthening itself in opposition to the low concentration herbicide. Then when the herbicide becomes ineffective, such as when it is washed off by rain or water spray, the strengthened plant resumes its flowering

followed by enhanced fruit development from the strengthened plant.

[Para 5] Because it is apparently important when the composition is applied in relation to the growth stage of the plant, it is important that the time period in which the composition is applied be carefully controlled.

[Para 6] It has been found that an effect of a growth stimulant may be limited by the condition of the soil in which the plant is growing. The enhanced growth that results from stimulating the plant requires sufficient nutritive content in the soil in which the plant is growing to support that growth. Without the necessary nutrients, it has been found that the growth stimulant composition that may be successful in a more nutritive soil will fail to produce the same increased yield in a less nutritive soil. That is, if a plant is deficient in nutritive content required by a particular plant, an effect of the stimulant will be significantly reduced. It is therefore necessary that the soil have adequate nutritive content and that the nutritive content be accessible to the plant at the necessary rate of absorption at the time of enhanced fruit production. [Para 7] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[Para 8] The present invention provides a composition for stimulating leguminous plant growth and fruit yield supplemented by nutritive components required by the plant during enhanced fruit production. Also described is a method of applying the composition to the plant at a preferred stage of the plant's growth cycle. The composition is described in terms of a proven low concentration herbicidal plant stimulant for

convenience of description. However, it should be understood that the described stimulant is only representative of all low concentration herbicidal plant growth stimulants, which are deemed included in this disclosure.

[Para 9] The representative composition employs a standard alcohol, preferably a lower aliphatic alcohol such as methanol, and a herbicide, typically 2,4-D Herbicide. The herbicide is employed in very low concentration together with a surfactant, a suitable adherent agent such as conventional diesel fuel, and at least one nutritive supplement, such as iron. Water is added as necessary to dilute the solutions to desired concentrations. For these purposes, a lower aliphatic alcohol is meant to include alcohols with one to six carbon atoms. The adhering agent is utilized to maintain contact between the growth stimulating composition and the plant during stages of the plant growth cycle at which time operation of the composition has the greatest effect on ultimate fruit production. Typically, the time of application is during the flowering period. Iron, which is often deficient in soils, is included in combination with the growth stimulant in an effective concentration to provide the nutrient to the plant precisely during the time the plant is reacting to the low concentration herbicide by strengthening itself as it combats the herbicide. Iron may be applied in the form of PHT CHE-PLEX IRON 5%, a product of the

J. R. Simplot Company of Boise, Idaho. With the needed iron directly available to the plant, plant activity is not limited by available nutrients. It should be understood that iron is described as the nutrient supplemented to the plant. Iron is often the nutrient lacking in soils and so supplementation of

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iron has been found to have a dramatic effect on plant production. However, it should be understood that for purposes of this disclosure iron is representative of all nutrients that could be combined with the low concentration herbicidal growth stimulant to provide the necessary nutrients concurrent with the herbicidal growth stimulant. In combining the nutrient with the stimulant, it is assured that the nutrient is provided directly to the plant at the time and place most needed - when the plant is strengthening to combat the herbicide and concurrently preparing for fruit production. As plant development is stalled in the flowering stage, more time is provided before fruit production begins. It is at this time when the herbicide is impeding plant development that the plant is fortified with a prolonged flowering period for fruit development. In directly adding the nutritive supplement at the time of plant growth and strengthening, the plant is less dependent on the soil nutritive condition for the increased amount of nutrients required in this revised development stage. The result is that the plant yields a much improved fruit yield in soils of less nutritive content as in soils with ample nutritive content. Further, applying nutritive substances focused on the plant at the time the plant requires the nutrition optimizes the use and required amount of the substances, which results in attendant financial economies of reduced cost of product. [Para 10] DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[Para 1 1 ] This invention presents a composition and its method of application for stimulating leguminous fruit yield production or leguminous plant growth by applying and

maintaining the composition on the plant during the flowering period of the plant growth cycle. The composition comprises an herbicide in very low concentration and a nutritive supplement. It is understood that the term "fruit" is meant the usable or eatable productive body portion of the plant growth. The composition is preferably applied to the leguminous plant itself. Typically, the composition is applied to the plant during the plant's flowering stage through spray, usually from a crop duster airplane or a tractor spayer. [Para 1 2] The representative composition primarily comprises a minute amount of a herbicide, typically standard 2,4-D Herbicide, and a nutritive supplement, typically iron.. Standard

2,4-D Herbicide is an alkanolamine salt of ethanol and isopropanol series of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, 59.7 weight % and inert 40.3 weight %. 2,4-D Herbicide generally is an oil-soluble amine salt that dissolves in an herbicidal oil.

("Active" 2,4-D Herbicide excludes the inert material) It may also be in the form of an ester of the acid in the form of an emulsion. All of these forms are deemed included in the use of the term 2.4-D Herbicide.

[Para 1 3] The composition further includes an alcohol, preferably methanol, but a like standard lower aliphatic alcohols such as ethanol, butanol, or propanol can be used. The composition further comprises a surfactant solution and a suitable adhering agent. Any of the many well-known surfactants such as "Tween 20" and "AD WET 90" and any of the many well-known adhering agents such as standard diesel fuel can be used. Diesel fuel is a suitable herbicidal oil in which the 2,4-D Herbicide dissolves. (AD WET 90 is a product of J. R.

Simplot Company of Boise, Idaho.) Other suitable herbicidal oils include aromatic oils such as solvent naphthas or petroleum naphthas, aliphatic oils of which diesel is one and which also includes mineral spirits, fuel oils, kerosene and the like. The surfactant causes emulsification of the oil when it is mixed with water for dilution of the composition. Iron is added to the composition in a desired effective amount which may vary by application and soil condition. Water is then added to dilute the solution to a desired concentration. [Para 14] As reported in the cited Henderson patent, it has been found that the amount of 2,4-D Herbicide that may be incorporated in the composition may range from about 100 ppm by weight to about 200 ppm by weight of standard 2,4-D Herbicide product — this includes about 40.3% by weight of inert material such that the range of active 2,4-D Herbicide is from about 60 to about 1 20 ppm by weight. The alcohol may range from about 1 0,000 ppm by weight to about 80,000 ppm by weight. These 2,4-D Herbicide and alcohol ranges have been confirmed to be suitable for open field applications. The preferred composition that is to be applied to the plants preferably contains about 1 67 ppm by weight standard 2,4-D Herbicide — about 1 00 ppm by weight active 2,4-D Herbicide — and about 44,000 ppm by weight alcohol. [Para 1 5] As also reported, it has also been found that the amount of 2,4-D Herbicide that may be incorporated in the composition when applied directly to the plants may range from about 10 ppm by weight to below 30 ppm by weight of standard 2,4-D Herbicide product, which again includes about 40.3% by weight of inert material such that the range of active

2,4-D Herbicide is from about 6 ppm by weight to below 1 8 ppm by weight. The amount of alcohol may range from about

1 0 ppm by weight to about 20,000 ppm by weight. These foregoing 2,4-D Herbicide and alcohol ranges have been found to be particularly suitable for application to leguminous plants under greenhouse conditions. It is theorized that the difference in effectiveness between greenhouse and field applications of the respective amounts of 2,4-D Herbicide and alcohol may be due to the inherent difference of the plants when grown under the different conditions.

[Para 16] Henderson also reported that the amounts of surfactant and the adhering agent are not critical but provided in an effective amount. In the same sense, the amount of iron is not critical. Henderson provides a table that lists exemplary chemical configurations for the preferred composition less the nutritive constituent.

[Para 1 7] The following proportions have been found to be effective when applied in quantities of about 0.3 to .55 gallons of composition per acre diluted with about 2.6 to 3.3 gallons of water for a diluted volume of 3 to 3.85 gallons per acre: 42 oz. to 53.8 oz. of methanol; 5 to 6.4 oz. of diesel fuel; 4 to 5.1 2 oz. of surfactant; .25 to .32 oz. of active 2,4-D Herbicide

(without inert ingredients); 3 to 3.84 oz. of iron, and 330 oz. to 422.4 oz. of water, which provides 3 to 3.8 gallons of composition, the lower end of the range corresponding to 3 gallons of composition and the upper end of the range corresponding to 3.8 gallons of composition. [Para 1 8] It should be noted that the herbicide must be applied in minute amounts or it becomes lethal to the plant.