EP3609325A1

EP3609325A1 - Application of a combination of nikosulfuron and clomazone on crops belonging to the fabaceae/leguminosae family

Info

Publication number: EP3609325A1
Application number: EP18728450.0A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Roland SZABÓ
Original assignee: Sumi Agro Hungary Kft
Current assignee: Sumi Agro Hungary Kft
Priority date: 2017-04-13
Filing date: 2018-04-12
Publication date: 2020-02-19
Also published as: BR112019021532A2; BR112019021532B1; WO2018189561A1; HU231094B1; CN110996659A; MA50227A; HUP1700154A2

Abstract

The present invention relates to the use of a combination of nicosulfurone and clomazone in crops belonging to Leguminosae/Fabaceae family. Specifically, the present invention relates to the use of nicosulfuron and clomazone for controlling weeds in the case of crops belonging to the Leguminosae/Fabaceae family. In particular, the invention relates to the use of nicosulfuron and clomazone for weed control in the case of soybeans. The present invention further provides a method for protecting crops belonging to the Legumino sae/Fabaceae family from weeds, in which a combination of nicosulfuron and clomazone is applied to the cropping area against the weeds in an effective amount.

Description

Application of a combination of nikosulfuron and clomazone on crops belonging to the Fabaceae/Leguminosae family

The present invention relates to the use of a combination of nicosulfurone and clomazone in crops belonging to Leguminosae/Fabaceae family. Specifically, the present invention relates to the use of nicosulfuron and clomazone for controlling weeds in the case of crops belonging to the Leguminosae/Fabaceae family. In particular, the invention relates to the use of nicosulfuron and clomazone for weed control in the case of soybeans. The present invention further provides a method for protecting crops belonging to the Leguminosae/Fabaceae family from weeds, in which a combination of nicosulfuron and clomazone is applied to the cropping area against the weeds in an effective amount.

Legumes, belonging to the order of Fabales=Leguminales and the family of Fa- baceae=Leguminosae, are of paramount agricultural crops. Based on the purpose of cultivation and their use, these plants can be divided into two groups:

1. ) Group of leguminous vegetables: those plants belong to this group, which are grown mainly for their seeds: peas, beans, soybeans, lentils, lupins, horse beans, chicling peas, chickpeas, sand beans, hazelnuts, etc.

2. ) Group of leguminous fodder crops: these are usually grown as fodder or green fertilizer; such as alfalfa, red clover, sainfoin, birdsfoot, yellow kidney vetch, melilot, crimson clover, etc.

Although the acreage of the legumes in the world and in Hungary are not too large, their significance is considerable because their protein-rich seeds are important and valuable foods and nutritive feeds. In addition, certain species and varieties of leguminous plants are valuable green fodder and green manure crops, and their impact on soil fertility is also remarkable, as they are considered to be outstanding for previous cropping.

The most significant crop from among legumes is soybean (Glycine max). Soybean is the fifth most important crop on Earth. Its global acreage is approx. 80 million hectares, of which 300 thousand hectares are in the EU. Mostly it is considered as an oil plant, although in Hungary it is grouped together with protein plants. Soybean is one of the most valuable legumes that can be utilized in many ways, and its high level bioavailability makes it suitable for human nutrition, animal nutrition as well as industrial processing. The soybean seed contains around 40% protein, around 20% oil and many other physiologically important substances, including vitamins and biologically active compounds. The majority of proteins found in soybeans are made up of albumins (5- 7%) and globulins (60-70%). Based on its amino acid content, soybean protein is considered to be biologically nearly almost complete because it contains the most important amino acids (tryptophan, lysine, cysteine, leucine, etc.). Like most of the leguminous plants, not only the seeds of the soybean but the whole soybean plant are rich in protein, so soybeans can also be grown for roughages and bulk feed.

Soya's native land is Southeast Asia, where it has been grown for more than 4,000 years. It was introduced in Europe only in the 18th century. Its cultivation in Hungary started 200 years ago, but its acreage has become significant only since the 1930s. Domestic utilization began even later, experiments started only at the end of the last century, but its production was not regular and growing until 1935. At present, much soya is grown in China, but the world's largest soybean producer is currently the USA, where the acreage is about 20 to 24 million hectares per year. The soybean's farming area is growing, which is justified by the widespread use of soy. It is used for human consumption mainly in the Far East, but direct human consumption of soy, including the consumption of soybean enriched foods, is on the increase worldwide. Around 2% of all soybeans are used for human consumption. It is consumed in the form of soy milk, tofu or soy cheese, soy flour and soy sauce, as well as tempeh (Indonesia). In addition, other potential uses of soy are paint products, plastics and pharmaceuticals .

However, the most important field of soy utilisation is animal feed because soy meal, which remains after the extraction of the oil contained therein, is an indispensable protein feed. Also soy straw is a valuable fodder, which can be used as roughages and as bulk feed. Therefore, soybean is considered a highly valuable plant, which is one of the foundations of modern livestock farming.

Soybean requires a rich soil and has a high nutrient demand. To produce good results, good quality lime soil is required. The nutritional demand for cultivation is about 50-70 kg of nitrogen, 40-55 kg of phosphorus (P205) and 40 to 55 kg potassium (K20) as per one tonne _0f seed produced. Its yield in this case is expected to be around 3 t/ha. During its fertilization, depending on the richness of the soil, the required amount of active ingredients will be released in autumn as follows: the total amount of phosphorus and potassium and half of nitrogen will be applied in the autumn, and then the rest in the spring at the time of seedbed preparation.

Like all crops, also soybean fields are affected by weeds, which make production more difficult and negatively impact crop yields. The main problem with soybean weed control is that very few herbicides are available and the soybean plant itself has low herbicidal tolerance. Another problem is that ragweed can not be completely destroyed. The general view of professionals in this matter can be summarized as follows: the successful weed control of soy fields can only be achieved by using active substances in combination. Soybean weed control starts with cleaning up the previous cropping. Soil preparation in good quality, adequate nutrient supply, and even seed sowing depth are. essential elements of growing soybeans.

As regards soybean crop control, the biggest challenge is soybean weed control, as the insect problems and pathological diseases of soy are only occasional, and affect only certain susceptible varieties, and may only occur under extreme conditions. Healthy, treated seeds serve fast, vigorous growth and initial development, thereby reducing the dangers of treatment (mortality at germ phase, stress). Application of preemergent herbicides help to keep the protracted germination of soybean free of weeds but in order to be effective they need seeping rain of 10-14 mm within two weeks. Pre-formulations are not very effective against heat loving weeds that continuously germinate from the deeper levels of the soil (ragweed, jimsonweed, sunflower, abutilon, cocklebur species) but post-emergent herbicides provide good efficacy. In the case of soybeans, mechanical weed control is needed in addition to chemical weed control in certain years. Thus, so5'beans should be mechanically weeded once or twice during the growing season, avoiding crops to be covered by soil, as it increases harvesting loss.

Herbicide treatment may be necessary both before and after sowing. Soybeans have weeds that significantly reduce yield and cause harvest losses, including crabgrass species, cock- spur, amaranth and chenopodiacae. It is almost common for soybeans to weed despite the chemicals used before sowing and germination. In this case, post-emergent treatment and / or mechanical weed control are required.

As soybean is an extremely important crop, as mentioned above, in the food, cosmetics and chemical industries; as well as for animal husbandry, and because of the fact that, as also mentioned above, there are very few proper post-emergent herbicides available for soy, and that the soybean plant itself has a low herbicidal tolerance, there is a constant need for compounds which can be effectively used in the field of soybean weed control.

Accordingly, the objective of the present invention is to provide alternative compounds and / or solutions that meet the above requirements, i.e. provide new herbicides that may be applied in legumes, especially soybeans, to make the weed control effective, simple and economical.

The inventor of the present invention surprisingly found that the invention can successfully solve the objective referred to above by applying a combination of two widely used herbicides, nicosulfuron and clomazone, which have not been used in the case of legumes, and in particular in soybeans.

Nicosulfuron is an aceto-lactate synthetase enzyme inhibitor, which is a sulphonylurea- type post-emergent (POST) herbicide, absorbed through leaves. The founder and developer of the basic molecule was the Japanese ISK company and it started to market the active substance, converted into a product, at the beginning of the 1990s. Nicosulfuron was recommended and marketed only in maize (Zea mays) fields, and the approved and recommended concentration of the active substance was 30-70 g / ha. The active substance with its broad herbicide spectrum (numerous annual and perennial monocotyledonous weeds and various annual dicotyledonous weeds) and favorable ecotoxicological properties has had a very successful career in the world of maize production. Over the years, a number of formulations have appeared all over the world (e.g. mesotrion, rimsulfuron, dikamba, atrazine, 2.4D) which are products to be used exclusively in maize. Currently, the most important herbicide which contains nicosulfuron and may be used in a non-maize field is Pastora (DuPont), which may be used in seedling Bermuda grass pasture / meadow and contains nicosulfuron in combination with metsulfuron-methyl, while another product is a combination of nicosulfuron and flazasulfuron, which may be used in orchards.

There are a number of documents describing the application of nicosulfuron.

For example, the United States patent US 2014/003218 Al discloses a synergistic herbicidal composition which may contain nicosulfuron as one of the components. Although the document states that nicosulfuron is not used alone, it is also apparent from the description that the combination including nicosulfuron is not used in the case of soy. The description describes nicosulfuron, the active substance, in detail, but it only mentions maize, as a crop to which it may be applied. The first example given in the document provides a detailed description of the application of nicosulfuron and combinations in the case of sowed rice and plented rice; and discusses experimental results with other active substances (except nicosulfuron) in the case of e.g. experimental greenhouse cereals and arable fodder crops. From among the listed groups, legumes, such as soybeans, may be considered as fodder crops but in their case no combination including nicosulfuron- has been used. The document does not mention the use of nicosulfuron in the case of legumes, and especially not the application of nicosulfuron in the weed control of legumes.

The international document WO 2005082148 Al discloses herbicidal compositions comprising 2-(4,6-dimethoxypyrimidin-2-ylcarbamoylsulfamoyl)-N,N-dimemylnicotinamide, also known as nicosulfuron or a herbicidal salt thereof, 2-chloro-4-ethylamino-6- isopropylamino-l,3,5-triazine, also known as atrazine, a surfactant, a stabilizing agent and a carrier. This document also discloses combinations only, and although these combinations may be used in a number of crops, these do not include legumes, including soybeans.

U.S. Patent 20150011391 discloses a herbicidal composition comprising nicosulfuron and S-metolachlor as active agent. The document describes a method by which herbicidal compositions with high activity, wide herbicidal spectrum and long shelf life may be produced. The document describes herbicidal efficacy of the compositions against a number of weeds. At the same time, the document suggests that the effect of weed control on weeds is tested on weeds alone, and not on weeds growing in crop fields; and furthermore no reference is given that such compositions may be effective against weeds in legumes, especially in soybean plantations.

The international patent WO 2012070688 discloses a herbicidal composition comprising 1- (4,6-dimethoxypyrimidin-2-yl)-3-(3-trifluoromethyl-2-pyridylsulfonyl)-urea, also known as flazasulfuron, or its herbicidal salt and nicosulfuron, and also refers to a process in which the said composition is used to control unwanted plants (the target area is woody plantations). The document describes in detail the combinations and their use in the case of certain weeds, but does not mention that the combinations would be suitable for legumes, especially for soybean weed control.

International patent application WO2013180309A1 discloses a herbicidal composition comprising nicosulfuron or a herbicidal salt thereof, and bicyclopirone or a herbicidal salt thereof. The document makes no mention of soy or whether nicosulfuron may be suitable, either alone or in combination, for the weed control of legumes, and in particular soybeans.

As shown above, nicosulfuron is used alone and in combination with a number of other substances, but neither its application in the weed control of legumes, and in particular soybeans, nor the application of nicosulfuron in combination with clomazone in the weed control of legumes, and in particular soybeans, are known.

Clomazone is a herbicide inhibiting carotenoid biosynthesis (DOXP synthetase). The marketing of clomazone was started by the propriatary manufacturer (FMC) in 1933 on a number of crops (soybeans, peas, maize, winter rape, sugar cane, pumpkins, tobacco, potato, poppy seeds, cabbage, seedling peppers). For the crops listed below, the use of clomazone is permitted only if worked into the soil or applied after sowing - before emergence (preemergent). Many crops tolerate post-emergent treatment (e.g. soy, poppy, pepper), but this type of application is limited, with very few permits issued. The amount of active agent applied varies widely within the tolerance of the crop. This value may be 72- 960 g / ha of active ingredient.

GB2497901A discloses a product comprising clomazone. Clomazone is present in the product in the form of microcapsules which have a polymeric wall containing cross-linked polyacetylene urea-polyurea. A preferred composition according to the invention is prepared by producing a water-immiscible organic phase which contains clomazone, one or more polyfUnctional isocyanates and a cross-linking resin; producing an aqueous phase containing one or more polyfunctional amines; the organic phase is dispersed in the aqueous phase to form a dispersion containing droplets of the organic phase in the aqueous phase; then allowing the formation of a polyacetylene urea-polyurea polymer at the boundary layer of the dispersed organic phase and the aqueous phase. The resulting formulation is used to inhibit the growth of plants. Although the document describes the use of clomazone to inhibit the growth of plants, there is no mention of legumes, in particular soybeans, and the document does not mention the use of clomazone in combination with nicosulfu- ron, and in particular, the application of the combination containing nicosulfuron in the weed control of leguminous plants, in particular of soybean.

US2014274710 al discloses herbicidal compositions comprising herbicidally effective amounts of (a) penoxulam or an agriculturally acceptable salt thereof or clomazone or agriculturally acceptable salt thereof and (b) a benzobicycline or an agriculturally acceptable salt thereof. The document also discloses a method for controlling undesirable vegetation in rice, in which the herbicidal composition described above is used in the said vegetation or areas adjacent to such vegetation or in soil or water to prevent the appearance or growth of vegetation, where component (a) and (b) are selected so that the composition has a synergistic effect. The note mentions the use of clomazone as a herbicide component in combinations for the control of weeds in rice without mentioning legumes, and particular soy, and does not mention the use of a combination with nicosulfuron, especially not the use of the said combination in the weed control of legumes, in particular soybeans.

CN105230645A discloses a herbicidal composition comprising bentiazole clomazone and metolachlor as active agent, which may be applied as a suspension or wettable powder. The herbicidal composition comprises 1-15% bentiazole clomazone, 1-50% metolachlor, 2-25% additive and 10-96% filler. The herbicide composition according to this invention is a herbicidal pesticide that exhibits high efficacy and a broad spectrum of herbicidal activity, and may be predominant!) used to prevent the emergence of perennial weeds in maize, and does not adversely affect the crop. This document also mentions the use of clomazone as a herbicide or a herbicidal-pesticidal component in combinations. However, this appli- cation is only referred to as regards maize, and there is no mention of legumes, and no mention of soy in particular, and the use of a combination with nicosulfuron is not explained, especially not the use of this combination in the weed control of legumes, and in particular soybeans.

CN104957150 A discloses a herbicidal composition to prevent the emergence of weeds in soybeans. The herbicidal composition comprises three components (A, B, C) as active agents, where component A is clomazone (15 to 20 parts by weight), component B is flumioxazine or flumetsulam (10-15 parts by weight) and component C is metolachlor or acetochlor (10-20 parts by weight). The oily suspension type herbicidal composition further comprises 25-30 parts by weight of wetting agent and a certain amount of miscible oil. The composition is suitable for the control or prevention of a number of weeds that are present in soybeans, and is harmless to the crop itself. The document mentions the use of clomazone in various combinations in soybeans, but the application is limited to soy, and in particular to the pre-emergent phase of soy, and the general applicability in legumes is . not mentioned, and there is no mention of the possibility of the use- of a combination with nicosulfuron, especially not the use of this combination in the weed control of legumes, in particular soybeans.

As shown above, clomazone has been widely used in various combinations in certain crops but a combination with nicosulfuron, and especially the use of this combination in legumes, in particular soybeans, have not been covered at all.

As compared to the current state of technology, the inventor of the invention surprisingly found that the combination of nicosulfuron and clomazone is suitable for the weed control of legumes, in particular soyabeans.

Notably, the inventor has found that the combination of nicosulfuron and clomazone can be used in legumes, in particular in soyabeans, without any harm to the crops, during a very wide period of time (from cotyledon phase until the emergence of the first flowers), and such application is not known according to the current state of technology. It has also been found that the combination of nicosulfuron and clomazone has a synergistic effect as compared to the use of either active agents by themselves.

Detailed description of the invention

In view of the foregoing, the present invention relates to the use of a combination of nico- sulfurone and clomazone in crops belonging to Leguminosae / Fabaceae family. Specifically, the present invention relates to the use of a combination of nicosulfuron and clomazone for controlling weeds in the case of crops belonging to the Leguminosae / Fabaceae family. In particular, the invention relates to the use of a combination of nicosulfuron and clomazone for weed control in soybeans. The present invention further provides a method for the weed control of leguminous plants, in particular soybeans, in which an effective amount of a combination of nicosulfuron and clomazone is applied against the weeds in the crop fields.

The present invention relates to the use of a combination of nicosulfuron and clomazone for the weed control of leguminous plants, particularly soybeans. The combination of nicosulfuron and clomazone is used in legumes, in particular soybeans, in a way known to professionals, whereby the combination of nicosulfuron and clomazone is applied at any critical phase of production to the place of production in a manner known to professionals. Within the scope of the current invention, "any phase" means that the combination of nicosulfuron and clomazone may be applied to the crops as from the cotyledon phase until the emergence of the flowers. The use of a combination of nicosulfuron and clomazone is post-emergent, i.e. the combination is applied after the emergence of weeds.

As mentioned above, nicosulfuron and clomazone are known and widely used substances, which are easily available commercially. Suitable agents for use according to the present invention include NH-041 (manufactured by Rotam Agrochemical Company Ltd.) and Nic-It (manufactured by FMC Company ex Cheminova).

According to the invention, the preferred product to use nicosulfuron as herbicide is NH- 041, but also Nic-It has seemed to be equivalent. According to the invention, the active agent clomazone has been used in the form of the product Command 480 (FMC Company).

As mentioned above, the present invention also provides a method for protecting leguminous plants, in particular soybeans, against weeds, by applying a combination of nicosulfu- ron and clomazone to leguminous crops such as soybeans in an amount that is effective against weeds. An "effective amount" within the scope of the present invention means that the applied amount of the nicosulfuron-clomazone combination has resulted in a significantly lower percentage of weed coverage than the untreated control areas.

The combination of nicosulfuron-clomazone, according to the present invention, has been successfully used in a variety of weeds. The combination proved to be very effective against the following weeds in legumes, in particular in soybean fields: red-root amaranth (Amaranthus retroflexus), annual yellow woundwort (Stachys annua), velvet! eaf (Abuthilon theophrasi), jimsonweed (Datura stramonium) and cockspur (Echinochloa crus- galli). In the case of red-root amaranth, velvetleaf and jimsonweed the combination showed outstanding performance. Other species that can be successfully controlled with the combination:

foxtail grass (Setaria sp.),

panicgrass (Panicum sp.),

Johnson grass (Sorghum halepense),

purple crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis),

goosefoot (Chenopodium album),

black nightshade (Solanum nigrum),

Maple-leaved goosefoot (Chenopodium hybridum),

common purslane (Portulaca oleraceae),

rough cocklebur (Xanthium strumarium).

It has been found particularly advantageous to have the same herbicidal effect with the same phytotoxicity values in the course of weed control, when applying the combination in an amount no greater than herbicides are generally used under the current weed control technology, or even to an amount less then permitted in the case of maize. This means that the invention can provide a much more cost-effective and environmentally-friendly way for weed control in legumes, in particular in soybeans, which may result in not only cheaper production and a lower herbicide pressure on the environment but also the production of a significantly healthier food or feed.

Examples

The invention will be further described in the following examples. Please note that the examples are by no means considered restrictive relating to the protective scope of present invention. It is obvious for professionals - both on agricultural, scientific and biological grounds - that the invention is more widely applicable than the experiments and test results described below reveal, so it is clear to skilled experts that equivalent results may be achieved in the case of most crops belonging to legumes.

During the experiments, the effectiveness of various herbicides was .studied in soybeans, which belong to legumes. The objectibve of the experiments was to demonstrate that the combination of nicosulfuron and clomazone effectively inhibits the emergence and growth of weeds in soybeans, which belong to legumes.

An accredited and EPPO principle based small parcel study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of different herbicides in the case of post-emergent application, against monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous weeds in soy; and to check any phytotoxic symptoms that may appear on the crop.

No problems were encountered during mixing or application in the case of none of the formulations examined.

Comparative studies were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the herbicides in the case of post-emergent application against monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous weeds in soybeans. The tests were conducted by Eurofins Agroscience Services ft carried out strictly in accordance with the requirements and guidelines of the relevant national and international regulations. The experiment was carried out in soybeans (GK Bahia and ES Mentor varieties) near Szentes. The experiment was set up at an operational soybean production field. The crop was sowed at a density of 450,000 plant/ha. Post-emergent treatment was applied on June 1, 2016, between 9:00 and 11 :30 am. During the test, the meteorological conditions were as follows: air temperature: 24.8 °C soil temperature: 19.1 °C' relative humidity: 50.1%, wind speed: 0.3 m/s, soil surface: dry.

After the division of the experimental sample area into small parcels, the various treatments and the untreated control areas were randomly selected, and treatments were carried out thereafter. As reference we used both untreated parcels and the typically used product of the relevant market. As an application tool, a specialised small parcel sprayer type Schachtner PSGT3.S300/50 of the following parameters was used:

The applied herbicides were as follows:

Preparation Active substance(s) Dose Product as/ha dose/ha

1. Untreated

2. Troy 480 bentazone 960 g 2 1/ha

3. Pulsar 40 SL imazamox 40 g 1 1/ha

4. Refine 50 SX tifensulforon methyl 5 g 10 g/ha

5. Refine 50 SX tifensulforon methyl 7-5 g 15 g/ha

6. Corum bentazone + imazamox 912 +43 g 1.9 1/ha 7. Command 480 + NH041 clomazone + nicosulfuron 0.27 1/ha + 23 (SAH13017) g/ha

8. Command 480 + NH041 clomazone + nicosulfuron 0.54 1/ha + 46 (SAH26034) g/ha

as = amount of active substance

As a reference product, product 6, which is commercially available under the name given in the table, was used. The applied herbicides were obtained from Eurofins domestic trade, while coded and Sumi Agro products were supplied by Sumi Agro.

The phenology of soy at the time of application was as follows:

BBCH = standardized phenological status recording system

Weeds

The efficacy of the preparations was tested for the following weed species; the emergence and density of goosefoot, red-root amaranth, Abitulon sp, jimsonweed, velvetleaf and cockspur provided for unified evaluation (of course there were more weed species present, but the emergence or density thereof did not allow for the evaluation of each experimental parcel).

During the treatment, the weeds present, their phenological phase and their coverage were surveyed. The weed population was measured by counting the weed species in quadrates of 4 x 0.25 m2 (0.5m x 0.5m), and estimating the percentage of weed coverage for each weed species in the untreated control parcels. The resulting values were as follows:

The phenological phase and the coverage of the weeds were the following during each evaluation

Results

Application problems associated with the formulations were not detected. The tests were performed using the following types of evaluation: Time of evaluaTime elapsed Plant Soy Evaluation tion since the treatphenological coverage name ment phase

BBCH

3 June 2015 O day 14 25 Number of weeds, weed coverage

10 June 2015 7 days 14 40 Number of weeds, weed coverage, weed control efficacy, phytotoxicity

16 June 2015 13 days 16 60 Number of weeds, weed coverage, weed control efficacy, phytotoxicity

12 July 2015 39 days 63 35 Number of weeds, weed coverage, weed control efficacy, phytotoxicity

4 August 2015 62 days 73 95 Number of weeds, weed coverage, weed control efficacy, phytotoxicity

During the evaluations the following results were obtained:

Phytotoxicity:

Date of treatment

10 June 16 June 12 July 4 August 2016 2016 2016 2016

Phenological phase 14 16 63 73

Plant cover (%) 40 60 95 95

Time elapsed between treatment and 7 13 39 62 evaluation

1. (untreated) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Preparation No.2 8 50 7.00 2.50 0.00

Preparation No.3 14.75 18.50 9.50 0.00

Preparation No.4 17.00 14.75 5.75 0.00

Preparation No.5 28.50 27.50 10.75 0.00 Preparation No.6 31.75 27.25 1 1.50 0.00

Preparation No.7 27.00 23.75 7.00 0.00

Preparation No.8 4.75 3.50 0.00 0.00

At the time of first evaluations (7 days after treatment), all treatments, and treatment combinations, showed phytotoxic symptoms on soybeans. There were significant differences between treatments. Mild and transient chlorosis was observed on the plants as the most serious symptom.

Herbicidal efficacy

I) Herbicidal efficacy (%) in the case of goosefoot (Chenopodium album, CHEAL)

At the time of treatment, goosefoot had a 10.8 pes I ^' density, and 4.5% area coverage in untreated control parcels. At the time of the first evaluation (7 days after the treatment), there were significant differences in the treatments against goosefoot. In the case of combinations of Command 480EC (0.27 and 0.54L/ha) + NH-041 (0.023 and 0.046 kg/ha) or Nic-it (0.07 and 0.14L/ha) (2., 3., 6. treatments), the observed efficacy values were ques- tionable. The efficacy of these herbicidal combinations with the simultaneous use of Spur adjuvant (treatments No. 4 and No. 5) resulted in a slight increase. Command 480 EC (0.27 / 0.54 1/ha) + NH-041 (0.023 / 0.046 1/ha) showed a questionable-acceptable efficacy. Corum 1.9 1/ha + Dash 0.5 1/ha (Treatment No.8) resulted in acceptable-good weed control efficacy At the last evaluation point (62 days after treatment) these treatments and combinations showed acceptable and good weed control results against goosefoot.

II.) Herbicidal efficacy (%) in the case of jimsonweed (Datura stramonium, DATST):

At the time of treatment, jimsonweed had a 3.0 pes / m² density and 2.0% area coverage in untreated control parcels. At the time of the first evaluation (7 days after the treatment), there were significant differences in the treatments against jimsonweed. All non-adjuvant combinations of Command 480EC (0.27 and 0.54 L/ha) + NH-041 (0.023 and 0.046 kg / ha) or Nic-it (0.07 and 0.14 L/ha) (treatments No.3, No.4, No.5, No.6) showed good herbicidal efficacy. Corum 1.9 l/ha + Dash 0.5 l/ha (Treatment No.8) resulted in very good herbicidal efficacy. Herbicidal efficacy increased for 39 days after treatment for all treatments and combinations (95.25-99%). These values remained stable until the end of the experiment against jimsonweed.

IV.) Herbicidal efficacy (%) in the case of velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti, ABUTH):

At the time of treatment, velvetleaf had 2.0 pcs/m² density and 0.63% area coverage in untreated control parcels. At the time of the first evaluation (7 days after the treatment), there were significant differences between the treatments against velvetleaf. All non- adjuvant combinations of Command 480EC (0.27 and 0.54 L/ha) + NH-041 (0.023 and 0.046 kg / ha) or Nic-it (0.07 and 0.14 L/ha) (treatments No.2, No.3, No.4, No.5, No.6) showed acceotable herbicidal efficacy. Coram 1.9 l/ha + Dash 0.5 l/ha (Treatment No.8) resulted in acceptable-good weed control efficacy The herbicidal efficacy has increased for 39 days after treatment for all treatments and combinations, and these values remained stable until the end of the experiment against velvetleaf.

V.) Herbicidal efficacy (%)in the case of cockspur grass (Echinochloa crus-galli, ECHCG):

Date of treatment

10 June 16 June 12 July 4 August 2016 2016 2016 2016 Phenological phase 14 16 63 73

Plant cover (%) 40 60 95 95

Time elapsed between treatment and 7 13 39 62 evaluation

1. (untreated) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Date of treatment

10 June 16 June 12 July 4 August 2016 2016 2016 2016

Preparation No.2 80.25 87.00 93.75 92.00

Preparation No.3 84.25 90.00 94.50 90.00

Preparation No.4 81.50 90.50 90.50 89.25

Preparation No.5 82.75 92.25 92.50 90.25

Preparation No.6 78.00 89.75 93.25 88.50

Preparation No.7 81.50 92.00 96.00 95.00

Preparation No.8 71.25 76.75 84.75 90.00

At the time of treatment, cockspur grass had a 3.0 pcs/m2 density, 1.25% area coverage in untreated control parcels. At the time of the first evaluation (7 days after the treatment), there were significant differences between the treatments against cockspur grass. All non- adjuvant combinations of Command 480EC (0.27 and 0.54 L/ha) + NH-041 (0.023 and 0.046 kg / ha) or Nic-it (0.07 and 0.14 L/ha) (treatments No.2, No.3, No.4, No.5, No.6) showed weak-questionable herbicidal efficacy. Corum 1.9 l/ha + Dash 0.5 l/ha (Treatment No.8) resulted in weak herbicidal efficacy. The herbicidal efficacy has increased for 39 days after all treatments and combinations, and these values remained stable until the end of the experiment against cockspur grass. It is easy to see that the combinations according to the invention have achieved an equivalent effect to the combinations of active ingredients used as reference and proven as best.

From the results obtained, it is clear that the combination of nicosulfuron and clomazone is effective in soybeans against weeds. The results show a particularly significant herbicidal effect in the case of jimsonweed and velvetleaf, where the combination of nicosulfuron and clomazone showed virtually the same herbicidal effect, even if the quantity applied was significantly lower, as comparative preparations, with negligible phytotoxic effect, with the exception of the initial values. Although experiments were limited to the evaluation of only a few weeds typical of soybeans, according to the requirements, it was sufficient to subsequently apply nicosulfuron and its combinations later on at several sites and times to obtain data on its herbicidal effect on several weeds. Thus, it is obvious for skilled experts that the herbicidal efficacy of the combination of nicosulfuron and clomazone against the tested weeds will be comparable in the case of other weeds similarly susceptible to nicosulfuron and clomazone.

The results have shown in practice that the combination of nicosulfuron and clomazone may be applied effectively in soybeans against a variety of weeds, particularly jimson- weed and velvetleaf, without harming the cultivated crop, in a very wide range of application time. One of the great advantages of the present invention is that the combination of nicosulfuron and clomazone has the same herbicidal effect in soybeans as the currently known dedicated herbicidal preparations, with the same phytotoxicity values, if applied in the same quantity, and even if applied in smaller quantity.

This also means that the solution provided by the invention is much more cost-effective and environmentally friendly for soybean weed control than currently applied alternatives; and also helps combat the risk of resistance caused by limited herbicide use. All this provide an opportunity to produce soybeans cheaper and with a reduced environmental herbicide load, and thus produce healthier food or feed.

It is obvious for experts that the applicability of the invention is not limited to the solutions described above, i.e. the method described by the invention may give equivalent results in most of the legume crops.

An additional unexpected and surprising feature of the invention is that, since the two active substances have different molecular structures and different modes of action, they provide further specific advantages for soybean producers, fully satisfying the requirements of breaking resistance, which have so far been very limited. These include a very broad spectrum of weed control against a wide range of monocots and dicots, and after its application clomazone extends the germination inhibitory effect through the soil for a long time, thus keeping the field weed free for a longer period of time. Most of the products currently au- thorized for post emergent weed control contain a single active substance that carries the risk of high resistance and are characterized by a narrow weed control spectrum. This is also supported by the fact that these products can only be used against dicotyledonous weeds, except for imazamox, and have no effect through the soil, except for imazamox. It is also a fact that even imazamox was unable to perform in the latter case as good as the combination of clomazone + nicosulfuron.

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS

1. Application of nicosulfuron and clomazone for weed control in the case of crops belonging to the Leguminosae / Fabace family.

2. Procedure described under claim No. 1 for weed control in soybeans.

3. Application according to claim No.l or No.2, with the post-emergent use of the combination of nicosulfuron and clomazone.

4. Application according to any one of claims No.l to No.3, with applying the combination in the following quantity: 0.1 g as/ha - 70 g as/ha nicosulfuron + 0.1 g as/ha - 960 g as/ha clomazone.

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5. Application according to claim No.4, with perferably applying the combination in the following quantity: 17 g as/ha to 34 g as/ha nicosulfuron + 130 g as/ha. - 260 g as/ha clomazone.

6. Application according to any of claims No.l through No.4, where the combination is used against the following weed species: cockspur grass (Echinochloa crus-galli), setaria (Setaria sp.), panicgrass (Panicum sp.), Johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense), purple crab- grass (Digitaria sanguinalis) , goosefoot (Chenopodium album), amaranth (Amaranthus sp.), jimsonweed (Datura stramonium), European black nightshade (Solanum nigrum), velvetleaf (Abuthilon theophrasti), Maple-leaved goosefoot (Chenopodium hybridum), common purslane (Portulaca oleraceae), annual yellow woundwort (Stachys annua), clot- bur (Xanthiutn strumarium).

7. Application according to claim No.6, where the weed species are preferably cockspur grass, jimsonweed, velvetleaf.

8. Application according to any of claims No.l through No.7, where the application occurs in the course of the time interval from the emergence of the cotyledon to the emergence of the first flowers.

9. Procedure for weed control in crops belonging to the Leguminosae / Fabaceae family, where a combination of nicosulfuron and clomazone is applied to the cropping area in an amount effective against the weeds.

10. Procedure under claim No.9, where the crop belonging to the Leguminosae / Fabace family is soybean.

11. Procedure under claim No.9 or No.10, wherein it is carried out during the time interval from the emergence of the cotyledon through the emergence of the first flowers.