WO2025064329A1

WO2025064329A1 - Herbicide mixture composition for weed control in pastures and hayfields

Info

Publication number: WO2025064329A1
Application number: PCT/US2024/046844
Authority: WO
Inventors: Rakesh S. CHANDRAN
Original assignee: West Virginia Universityboard Of Governors On Behalf Of West Virginia University
Current assignee: West Virginia Universityboard Of Governors On Behalf Of West Virginia University
Priority date: 2023-09-19
Filing date: 2024-09-16
Publication date: 2025-03-27
Anticipated expiration: 2026-03-19

Abstract

In one aspect, the disclosure relates to herbicide compositions effective for controlling weeds without damaging forage grasses and/or legumes such as white clover, methods of making the same, and methods of treating forage environments such as pastures or hayfields using the same. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure.

Description

HERBICIDE MIXTURE COMPOSITION FOR WEED CONTROL IN PASTURES AND HAYFIELDS CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application claims priority to, and the benefit of, U.S. provisional application Serial No.63/583,610 filed September 19, 2023, and U.S. provisional application Serial No.63/604,945, filed December 1, 2023, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. BACKGROUND [0002] Almost half of the habitable land in the world is used for agriculture, much of which is used to feed livestock, including forage pastures, meadows, grasslands, and land to grow grains for animal feed. Although many different grasses and legume species can support livestock production, white clover (Trifolium repens) is considered as one of the most important forage legumes of temperate zones, which make up some of the most agriculturally productive regions in the world. [0003] White clover is a cool-season perennial legume that is originally from the Mediterranean region but is now found worldwide. It is ideal for pastures and animal grazing because of its relatively high protein content compared to other forbs, apart from its ability to grow rapidly and thickly with an interconnecting root system that mitigates soil erosion and fixes nitrogen, which improves soil and grass health, and because it resists overgrazing. However, weed infestations of forage lands can significantly reduce their productivity because weeds compete with forage crops for light, water, and soil nutrients. In some cases, weeds can reduce forage yield of cool season grass pastures and hayfields by 80% or more. Furthermore, some weeds are toxic to grazing livestock. Although several different herbicides are currently available to mitigate weed losses in pastures and hayfields, they can cause significant injury to white clover when used as directed. [0004] Many herbicides on the market today can kill weeds in pastures and hayfields. However, most also negatively impact white clover to the extent that it does not recover, which can lead to reduced protein conversion in livestock, increased soil erosion and reduced nitrogen fixation that reduces soil health and neighboring grass growth that allows for further invasion by weeds after clover loss. For example, herbicide brands containing active ingredients such as aminopyralid, dicamba, clopyralid, fluroxypyr, quinclorac, picloram, or triclopyr will kill or significantly damage established clover in pastures and hayfields. Although some herbicides have little negative impact on white clover when used at certain concentrations, times of the year, and plant growth stages; however, these are relatively expensive and have a minimum waiting periods on the order of months between application and harvest. Moreover, these active ingredients may not be universally approved for use in pastures by various regulatory agencies. Furthermore, there are currently no herbicides that provide effective broad-spectrum weed control in cool-season pastures and hayfields that are safe for white clover. Other herbicides that do not significantly impact white clover contain sethoxydim and clethodim, but are designed to kill grasses and thus cannot be used on pasture lands that have both cool season grasses and white clover. [0005] Despite advances in herbicide research, there is still a scarcity of herbicide compositions capable of killing weeds without causing permanent harm to grasses and forage legumes such as white clover. These needs and other needs are satisfied by the present disclosure. SUMMARY [0006] In accordance with the purpose(s) of the present disclosure, as embodied and broadly described herein, the disclosure, in one aspect, relates to herbicide compositions effective for controlling weeds without damaging forage grasses and/or legumes such as white clover, methods of making the same, and methods of treating forage environments such as pastures or hayfields using the same. [0007] Other systems, methods, features, and advantages of the present disclosure will be or become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following drawings and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features, and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the present disclosure, and be protected by the accompanying claims. In addition, all optional and preferred features and modifications of the described embodiments are usable in all aspects of the disclosure taught herein. Furthermore, the individual features of the dependent claims, as well as all optional and preferred features and modifications of the described embodiments are combinable and interchangeable with one another. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0008] Many aspects of the present disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. [0009] FIG.1 shows a hayfield treated with a tank mixture of saflufenacil at 0.045 lb ai/A (2 oz of product per acre) + carfentrazone at 0.031 lb ai/A (2 oz of product per acre) + 2,4-D at 1.9 lb ai/A (2 qt product per acre); photo was taken 1 week after treatment and shows weed kill and signs of transient crop phytotoxicity. The treated area is within the flags. [0010] FIG.2 shows a hayfield treated with a tank mixture of Saflufenacil at 0.045 lb ai/A (2 oz of product per acre) + carfentrazone at 0.031 lb ai/A (2 oz of product per acre) + 2,4-D at 1.9 lb ai/A (2 qt product per acre); photo was taken 4 weeks after treatment and shows weed kill and forage (grass and clovers) growing out of phytotoxicity. [0011] FIG.3 shows a pasture treated with a tank mixture of Saflufenacil at 0.045 lb ai/A (2 oz of product per acre) + carfentrazone at 0.031 lb ai/A (2 oz of product per acre) + 2,4-D at 1.9 lb ai/A (2 qt product per acre); photo was taken 4 weeks after treatment and shows weed kill and forage (grass and clovers) that have outgrown phytotoxicity. [0012] FIG.4 shows a field treated with a tank mixture of Saflufenacil at 0.045 lb ai/A (2 oz of product per acre) + carfentrazone at 0.031 lb ai/A (2 oz of product per acre); photo was taken 2 weeks after treatment and shows weed kill and white clovers showing signs of transient phytotoxicity. [0013] FIG.5 shows a field treated with a tank mixture of Saflufenacil at 0.045 lb ai/A (2 oz of product per acre) + carfentrazone at 0.031 lb ai/A (2 oz of product per acre); photo was taken 3 weeks after treatment and shows weed kill and white clovers that have recovered with new growth showing no signs of phytotoxicity. [0014] FIG.6 shows a field treated with a tank mixture of Saflufenacil at 0.045 lb ai/A (2 oz of product per acre) + carfentrazone at 0.031 lb ai/A (2 oz of product per acre) + 2,4-D at 0.5 lb ai/A (1 pint product per acre); photo was taken 1 week after treatment and shows weed kill and white clovers showing signs of transient phytotoxicity. [0015] FIG.7 shows a field treated with a tank mixture of Saflufenacil at 0.045 lb ai/A (2 oz of product per acre) + carfentrazone at 0.031 lb ai/A (2 oz of product per acre) + 2,4-D at 0.5 lb ai/A (1 pint product per acre); photo was taken 3 weeks after treatment and shows weed kill and white clovers that have recovered with new growth showing no signs of phytotoxicity. [0016] Additional advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or can be learned by practice of the invention. The advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION [0017] Disclosed herein is a herbicide tank mixture containing three active ingredients that are registered (labeled) separately for use in cool-season pastures. In one aspect, the disclosed tank- mixture provided excellent in-season control of troublesome weeds in a pasture and hayfield where it was tested, without causing significant injury to white clover or forage grasses. In an aspect, the herbicide compositions disclosed herein can be used as additional tools to manage herbicide-resistant weeds in major row crops such as soybeans. In one aspect, the disclosed herbicide compositions can be utilized for selective weed management on other leguminous crops including, but not limited to, alfalfa, beans, lentils, chickpeas, peanuts, and peas, including genetically modified (GM) variants thereof. [0018] In one aspect, the disclosed mixture provides fast and effective in-season weed control. In another aspect, the mixture showed excellent burndown of exposed weeds, including troublesome perennial weeds present in test plots. In still another aspect, the disclosed mixture showed no significant injury to forages. Further in this aspect, although some transient but tolerable injury noted; both grasses and white clover recovered and demonstrated signs of active growth three to four weeks after treatment. Furthermore, the disclosed mixture is cost-effective to produce and is subject to limited restrictions compared to similar herbicides. Herbicide Compositions [0019] In one aspect, disclosed herein is a herbicide composition comprising saflufenacil, carfentrazone, and 2,4-D (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid). In another aspect the herbicide composition further includes a carrier such as, for example, water. In still another aspect, the herbicide composition includes at least one surfactant such as, for example, methylated seed oil (MSO). In one aspect, the surfactant is present at about 1% (vol/vol) in the herbicide composition. In another aspect, the surfactant can be a non-ionic surfactant. Further in this aspect, the surfactant can be present at about 0.25% (vol/vol). [0020] In another aspect, the saflufenacil is present at from about 0.02% to about 0.08% (vol/vol), or at about 0.02, 0.03, 0.04, 0.05, 0.06, 0.07, or about 0.08% (vol/vol), or a combination of any of the foregoing values, or a range encompassing any of the foregoing values. In an aspect, the carfentrazone is present at from about 0.02% to about 0.08% (vol/vol), or at about 0.02, 0.03, 0.04, 0.05, 0.06, 0.07, or about 0.08% (vol/vol), or a combination of any of the foregoing values, or a range encompassing any of the foregoing values. In still another aspect, the 2,4-D is present at from about 0.313% to about 1.878% (vol/vol), or at about 0.313, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, 1, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, or about 1.878% (vol/vol), or is present at about 1.252% (vol/vol) in the herbicide composition. [0021] In an aspect, the approved use rate of saflufenacil alone ranges from 1 to 2 oz per acre (0.023 to 0.045 lb ai/A), while the approved use rate of carfentrazone alone ranges from 1 to 2 oz per acre (0.016 to 0.031 lb ai/A), and the approved use rate of 2,4-D alone ranges from 1.5 to 3.0 quarts per acre (1.4 to 2.8 lb ae/A). In a further aspect, the components in the disclosed herbicide compositions can be equally effective when applied at lower rates than standard recommendations for individual use of the components. [0022] In another aspect, disclosed herein is a herbicide composition including 0.08 % (vol/vol) saflufenacil, 0.08% (vol/vol) carfentrazone, 1.252% (vol/vol) 2,4-D, 1% (vol/vol) methylated seed oil, and water. In another aspect, disclosed herein is a herbicide composition including 0.08 % (vol/vol) saflufenacil, 0.08% (vol/vol) carfentrazone, 1.252% (vol/vol) 2,4-D, 0.25% (vol/vol) non- ionic surfactant, and water. In another aspect, disclosed herein is a herbicide composition including 0.08 % (vol/vol) saflufenacil, 0.08% (vol/vol) carfentrazone, 0.63% (vol/vol) 2,4-D, 0.25% (vol/vol) non-ionic surfactant, and water. In another aspect, disclosed herein is a herbicide composition including 0.04 % (vol/vol) saflufenacil, 0.04% (vol/vol) carfentrazone, 1.252% (vol/vol) 2,4-D, 0.25% (vol/vol) non-ionic surfactant, and water. In another aspect, disclosed herein is a herbicide composition including 0.04 % (vol/vol) saflufenacil, 0.04% (vol/vol) carfentrazone, 0.63% (vol/vol) 2,4-D, 0.25% (vol/vol) non-ionic surfactant, and water. [0023] In any of these aspects, individuals herbicides in the herbicide composition may be in commercial use and subject to EPA approval for herbicide use as an individual compound. However, in another aspect, the individual herbicides, when used alone and in recommended amounts, may not provide satisfactory weed control. It has been fortuitously discovered that the disclosed composition allows for weed control without permanent harm to forage grasses and legumes. In one aspect, the compositions are affordable. In one aspect, individual herbicides in the herbicide composition are currently approved for use by the EPA in cool-season pasture and hayfield but are subject to approval as the disclosed composition. Two-Way Herbicide Compositions [0024] In some aspects, a composition including only two of the active components may be effective on certain weeds. Thus, in one aspect, disclosed herein is a herbicide composition including two compounds selected from saflufenacil, carfentrazone, and 2,4-D. In one aspect, the two compounds can be saflufenacil and carfentrazone. In another aspect, the two compounds can be saflufenacil and 2,4-D. In still another aspect, the two compounds can be carfentrazone and 2,4-D. In any of these aspects, the herbicide compositions including two components can have the same carriers, adjuvants, excipients, surfactants, and the like, as the compositions including all three active components. [0025] In one aspect, disclosed herein is a herbicide composition including 0.08% (vol/vol) saflufenacil, 0.08% (vol/vol) carfentrazone, 0.25% (vol/vol) non-ionic surfactant, and water. In one aspect, disclosed herein is a herbicide composition including 0.04% (vol/vol) saflufenacil, 0.04% (vol/vol) carfentrazone, 0.25% (vol/vol) non-ionic surfactant, and water. In one aspect, disclosed herein is a herbicide composition including 0.04% (vol/vol) saflufenacil, 0.04% (vol/vol) carfentrazone, 1% (vol/vol) methylated seed oil, and water. Method for Killing Weeds [0026] Also disclosed herein is a method for killing weeds in a forage environment, the method including at least the step of applying a disclosed herbicide composition to the forage environment. In another aspect, performing the method does not kill at least one forage crop such as, for example, forage grasses, legumes such as white clover, or both, even though components of the disclosed composition may be harmful to legumes and/or forage grasses when used singly (e.g., 2,4-D). In still another aspect, because the disclosed method does not kill significant numbers of legumes, the forage environment does not need to be re-seeded with the legume following treatment. In still another aspect, no waiting period is required between treatment and green-harvest and/or livestock grazing on the field, thus representing a significant cost savings as well as a time savings. [0027] In one aspect, the weeds can be selected from horseweed (Erigeron canadensis), te heath aster (Symphyotrichum ericoides) , Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense), plumeless thistle (Cardus nutans), horsenettle (Solanum carolinense), stickweed (Verbesina occidentalis) or any combination thereof. In another aspect, at least about 70% of the weeds can be killed, or at least about 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, or 99% of the weeds can be killed. [0028] In one aspect, the forage environment can be a pasture, a meadow, grasslands, a hayfield, or any combination thereof. In one aspect, the carfentrazone and saflufenacil can be applied at from about 0.5 oz per acre to about 2.0 oz per acre, or at about 0.5, 1, 1.5, or about 2.0 oz per acre, or a combination of any of the foregoing values, or a range encompassing any of the foregoing values. In another aspect, the 2,4-D can be applied at from about 0.25 quarts per acre to about 3 quarts per acre, or at about 0.25, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, or about 3 quarts per acre, or a combination of any of the foregoing values, or a range encompassing any of the foregoing values. In another aspect, the saflufenacil can be applied at about 2 oz per acre, the carfentrazone can be applied at about 2 oz per acre, and the 2,4-D can be applied at about 2 quarts per acre. [0029] In any of these aspects, the method can be performed during a cool season, in a cool climate, or both. [0030] Many modifications and other embodiments disclosed herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which the disclosed compositions and methods pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the disclosures are not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. The skilled artisan will recognize many variants and adaptations of the aspects described herein. These variants and adaptations are intended to be included in the teachings of this disclosure and to be encompassed by the claims herein. [0031] Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. [0032] As will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reading this disclosure, each of the individual embodiments described and illustrated herein has discrete components and features which may be readily separated from or combined with the features of any of the other several embodiments without departing from the scope or spirit of the present disclosure. [0033] Any recited method can be carried out in the order of events recited or in any other order that is logically possible. That is, unless otherwise expressly stated, it is in no way intended that any method or aspect set forth herein be construed as requiring that its steps be performed in a specific order. Accordingly, where a method claim does not specifically state in the claims or descriptions that the steps are to be limited to a specific order, it is no way intended that an order be inferred, in any respect. This holds for any possible non-express basis for interpretation, including matters of logic with respect to arrangement of steps or operational flow, plain meaning derived from grammatical organization or punctuation, or the number or type of aspects described in the specification. [0034] All publications mentioned herein are incorporated herein by reference to disclose and describe the methods and/or materials in connection with which the publications are cited. The publications discussed herein are provided solely for their disclosure prior to the filing date of the present application. Nothing herein is to be construed as an admission that the present invention is not entitled to antedate such publication by virtue of prior invention. Further, the dates of publication provided herein can be different from the actual publication dates, which can require independent confirmation. [0035] While aspects of the present disclosure can be described and claimed in a particular statutory class, such as the system statutory class, this is for convenience only and one of skill in the art will understand that each aspect of the present disclosure can be described and claimed in any statutory class. [0036] It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular aspects only and is not intended to be limiting. Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the disclosed compositions and methods belong. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the specification and relevant art and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly defined herein. [0037] Prior to describing the various aspects of the present disclosure, the following definitions are provided and should be used unless otherwise indicated. Additional terms may be defined elsewhere in the present disclosure. Definitions [0038] As used herein, “comprising” is to be interpreted as specifying the presence of the stated features, integers, steps, or components as referred to, but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more features, integers, steps, or components, or groups thereof. Moreover, each of the terms “by”, “comprising,” “comprises”, “comprised of,” “including,” “includes,” “included,” “involving,” “involves,” “involved,” and “such as” are used in their open, non-limiting sense and may be used interchangeably. Further, the term “comprising” is intended to include examples and aspects encompassed by the terms “consisting essentially of” and “consisting of.” Similarly, the term “consisting essentially of” is intended to include examples encompassed by the term “consisting of. [0039] As used in the specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “a surfactant,” “a forage environment,” or “a herbicide,” includes, but is not limited to, mixtures or combinations of two or more such surfactants, forage environments, or herbicides, and the like. [0040] It should be noted that ratios, concentrations, amounts, and other numerical data can be expressed herein in a range format. It will be further understood that the endpoints of each of the ranges are significant both in relation to the other endpoint, and independently of the other endpoint. It is also understood that there are a number of values disclosed herein, and that each value is also herein disclosed as “about” that particular value in addition to the value itself. For example, if the value “10” is disclosed, then “about 10” is also disclosed. Ranges can be expressed herein as from “about” one particular value, and/or to “about” another particular value. Similarly, when values are expressed as approximations, by use of the antecedent “about,” it will be understood that the particular value forms a further aspect. For example, if the value “about 10” is disclosed, then “10” is also disclosed. [0041] When a range is expressed, a further aspect includes from the one particular value and/or to the other particular value. For example, where the stated range includes one or both of the limits, ranges excluding either or both of those included limits are also included in the disclosure, e.g. the phrase “x to y” includes the range from ‘x’ to ‘y’ as well as the range greater than ‘x’ and less than ‘y’. The range can also be expressed as an upper limit, e.g. ‘about x, y, z, or less’ and should be interpreted to include the specific ranges of ‘about x’, ‘about y’, and ‘about z’ as well as the ranges of ‘less than x’, less than y’, and ‘less than z’. Likewise, the phrase ‘about x, y, z, or greater’ should be interpreted to include the specific ranges of ‘about x’, ‘about y’, and ‘about z’ as well as the ranges of ‘greater than x’, greater than y’, and ‘greater than z’. In addition, the phrase “about ‘x’ to ‘y’”, where ‘x’ and ‘y’ are numerical values, includes “about ‘x’ to about ‘y’”. [0042] It is to be understood that such a range format is used for convenience and brevity, and thus, should be interpreted in a flexible manner to include not only the numerical values explicitly recited as the limits of the range, but also to include all the individual numerical values or sub- ranges encompassed within that range as if each numerical value and sub-range is explicitly recited. To illustrate, a numerical range of “about 0.1% to 5%” should be interpreted to include not only the explicitly recited values of about 0.1% to about 5%, but also include individual values (e.g., about 1%, about 2%, about 3%, and about 4%) and the sub-ranges (e.g., about 0.5% to about 1.1%; about 5% to about 2.4%; about 0.5% to about 3.2%, and about 0.5% to about 4.4%, and other possible sub-ranges) within the indicated range. [0043] As used herein, the terms “about,” “approximate,” “at or about,” and “substantially” mean that the amount or value in question can be the exact value or a value that provides equivalent results or effects as recited in the claims or taught herein. That is, it is understood that amounts, sizes, formulations, parameters, and other quantities and characteristics are not and need not be exact, but may be approximate and/or larger or smaller, as desired, reflecting tolerances, conversion factors, rounding off, measurement error and the like, and other factors known to those of skill in the art such that equivalent results or effects are obtained. In some circumstances, the value that provides equivalent results or effects cannot be reasonably determined. In such cases, it is generally understood, as used herein, that “about” and “at or about” mean the nominal value indicated ±10% variation unless otherwise indicated or inferred. In general, an amount, size, formulation, parameter or other quantity or characteristic is “about,” “approximate,” or “at or about” whether or not expressly stated to be such. It is understood that where “about,” “approximate,” or “at or about” is used before a quantitative value, the parameter also includes the specific quantitative value itself, unless specifically stated otherwise. [0044] As used herein, the term “effective amount” refers to an amount that is sufficient to achieve the desired modification of a physical property of the composition or material. For example, an “effective amount” of a herbicide refers to an amount that is sufficient to achieve the desired improvement in the property modulated by the formulation component, e.g. achieving the desired level of weed control while retaining clover tolerance. The specific level in terms of vol% in a composition required as an effective amount will depend upon a variety of factors including the amount and type of weeds, amount and type of forage plants, climate, season, and the like. [0045] As used herein, the terms “optional” or “optionally” means that the subsequently described event or circumstance can or cannot occur, and that the description includes instances where said event or circumstance occurs and instances where it does not. [0046] As used herein, a “cool season grass” typically refers to a grass that has a C3 photosynthetic pathway, while a “warm season grass” such as, for example, Bermuda grass, has a C4 photosynthetic pathway. In an aspect, cool season grasses are typically used as forage grasses in “cool climates” (e.g., temperate regions) while warm season grasses are typically used as forage grasses in “warm climates” (tropical and sub-tropical regions). In one aspect, the compositions disclosed herein are especially useful in cool climates. [0047] As used herein, a “cool season” refers to late fall, winter, and early spring, and is particularly used to describe plants making the majority portion of their growth during these times. In an aspect, the compositions disclosed herein are especially useful in cool seasons and for cool season plants. [0048] Unless otherwise specified, temperatures referred to herein are ambient and pressures are based on atmospheric pressure (i.e. one atmosphere). [0049] Now having described the aspects of the present disclosure, in general, the following Examples describe some additional aspects of the present disclosure. While aspects of the present disclosure are described in connection with the following examples and the corresponding text and figures, there is no intent to limit aspects of the present disclosure to this description. On the contrary, the intent is to cover all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents included within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. EXAMPLES [0050] The following examples are put forth so as to provide those of ordinary skill in the art with a complete disclosure and description of how the compounds, compositions, articles, devices and/or methods claimed herein are made and evaluated, and are intended to be purely exemplary of the disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of what the inventors regard as their disclosure. Efforts have been made to ensure accuracy with respect to numbers (e.g., amounts, temperature, etc.), but some errors and deviations should be accounted for. Unless indicated otherwise, parts are parts by weight, temperature is in °C or is at ambient temperature, and pressure is at or near atmospheric. Example 1:Three-Way Compositions Materials [0051] Saflufenacil (N'-[2-chloro-4-fluoro-5-(3-methyl-2,6-dioxo-4-(trifluoromethyl)-3,6-dihydro- 1(2H)-pyrimidinyl)benzoyl]-N-isopropyl-N-methylsulfamide having the trade name SHARPEN®) was obtained from BASF. Carfentrazone (ethyl 2-chloro-3-[2-chloro-4- fluoro-5-[4- (difluoromethyl)-4,5-diydro-3-methyl- 5-oxo-1H-1,2,4-trizol-1-yl)phenyl]propanoate having the trade name AIM®) was obtained from FMC Corporation. 2,4-D (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid) was obtained from Universal Crop Protection Alliance, LLC (UCPA). [0052] A test solution was first prepared using 0.2 mL of Saflufenacil, 0.2 mL of Carfentrazone, and 3.13 mL of 2,4-D, with water to a total volume of 250 mL. The final solution was opaque white in color. A larger volume of solution was then prepared for outdoor use, conforming to the same general proportions of components and water. [0053] The herbicide tank mixture was applied in a pasture (Wardensville, WV) and a hayfield (Rowlesburg, WV) and was found to be effective for weed control (see Example 2). The mixture was composed of Saflufenacil, Carfentrazone, and 2,4-D. The herbicides were tank-mixed at the appropriate concentrations to arrive at the application rates indicated in Table 1, using water as the carrier, and were applied using a CO₂-pressurized backpack sprayer delivering 20 gallons per acre (flow rate) using TeeJet 8002 flat-fan nozzles spaced 20 inches apart on a boom that carried 6 nozzles. Methylated Seed Oil (MSO) was added to the tank-mixture at 1% (vol/vol) to serve as a surfactant.

Results [0054] One week after treatment of a hayfield with the disclosed composition, the hayfield showed weed kill and signs of transient crop phytotoxicity (see FIG.1). Four weeks after treatment of a hayfield, the hayfield showed weed kill and forage (grass and clovers) growing out of phytotoxicity (see FIG.2). [0055] Four weeks after treatment of a pasture with the disclosed composition, the pasture showed weed kill and forage (grass and clovers) that have outgrown phytotoxicity (see FIG.3). [0056] Weed control, forage injury, and forage fresh weight were recorded at the two field experimental locations identified in Example 1. Results are presented in Table 2:

Example 2: 2-Way Compositions Materials [0057] Saflufenacil (N'-[2-chloro-4-fluoro-5-(3-methyl-2,6-dioxo-4-(trifluoromethyl)-3,6-dihydro- 1(2H)-pyrimidinyl)benzoyl]-N-isopropyl-N-methylsulfamide, having the trade name SHARPEN®) was obtained from BASF. Carfentrazone (ethyl 2-chloro-3-[2-chloro-4-fluoro-5-[4- (difluoromethyl)-4,5-diydro-3-methyl-5-oxo-1H-1,2,4-trizol-1-yl)phenyl]propanoate, having the trade name AIM®) was obtained from FMC Corporation. [0058] A test solution was first prepared using 0.1 mL of Saflufenacil and 0.1 mL of Carfentrazone, with water to a total volume of 250 mL. The final solution was opaque white in color. Larger volumes of solution were then prepared for outdoor use, conforming to the same general proportions of components and water to obtain the desired application rates (see Table 3).

[0059] The herbicide tank mixture was applied in a field with established white clover in Morgantown, WV, on September 14, 2023. The mixture was composed of Saflufenacil and Carfentrazone to arrive at the application rates indicated in Table 1, using water as the carrier, and were applied using a CO₂-pressurized backpack sprayer delivering 20 gallons per acre (flow rate) using TeeJet 8002 flat-fan nozzles spaced 20 inches apart on a boom that carried 6 nozzles. Non-ionic surfactant (NIS) was used as an adjuvant (surfactant) for Treatments 1 and 2 at 0.25% (vol/vol), whereas Methylated Seed Oil (MSO) was used as an adjuvant (surfactant) at 1% (vol/vol) for Treatment 3. The herbicide mixture was found to be effective for weed control and safe on white clover. Results [0060] Two weeks after treatment all rates of the composition provided weed kill with the white clover showing signs of transient crop phytotoxicity (see FIG.4). Three weeks after treatment the field showed weed kill and the white clover growing out of phytotoxicity (see FIG.5). [0061] Weed control, white clover injury, and forage fresh weight were recorded at the field experimental location identified above. Results are presented in Table 4.

Example 3: Application Rate Testing and Optimization Materials [0062] A field experiment was carried out to determine the tolerance of white clover and weed control from various combinations of the 3-way tank mixture containing Saflufenacil (N'-[2-chloro- 4-fluoro-5-(3-methyl-2,6-dioxo-4-(trifluoromethyl)-3,6-dihydro-1(2H)-pyrimidinyl)benzoyl]-N- isopropyl-N-methylsulfamide having the trade name SHARPEN®). Carfentrazone (ethyl 2-chloro- 3-[2-chloro-4-fluoro-5-[4-(difluoromethyl)-4,5-diydro-3-methyl-5-oxo-1H-1,2,4-trizol-1- yl)phenyl]propanoate having the trade name AIM®), and 2,4-D (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid). [0063] A test solution was first prepared using 0.2 mL of Saflufenacil, 0.2 mL of Carfentrazone, and 3.13 mL of 2,4-D, with water to a total volume of 250 mL. The solution was opaque white in color. A larger volume of solution was then prepared for outdoor use, conforming to the same general proportions of components and water to obtain the desired application rates (see Table 5).

[0064] The herbicide tank mixture was applied in a field with established white clover in Morgantown, WV on September 14, 2023. The mixture was composed of Saflufenacil, Carfentrazone and 2,4-D to arrive at the application rates indicated in Table 3, using water as the carrier, and were applied using a CO₂-pressurized backpack sprayer delivering 20 gallons per acre (flow rate) using TeeJet 8002 flat-fan nozzles spaced 20 inches apart on a boom that carried 6 nozzles. Non-ionic surfactant (NIS) was used as an adjuvant (surfactant). The herbicide mixture was found to be effective for weed control and safe on white clover. Results [0065] Two weeks after treatment all rates of the composition provided weed kill with the white clover showing signs of transient crop phytotoxicity (see FIG.6). Three weeks after treatment the field showed weed kill and the white clover growing out of phytotoxicity (see FIG.7). [0066] Weed control, white clover injury, and forage fresh weight were recorded at the field experimental location identified above. Results are presented in Table 6.

[0067] It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments of the present disclosure are merely possible examples of implementations set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the disclosure. Many variations and modifications may be made to the above- described embodiment(s) without departing substantially from the spirit and principles of the disclosure. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure and protected by the following claims.

Claims

CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. A herbicide composition comprising saflufenacil, carfentrazone, and 2,4-D.

2. The herbicide composition of claim 1, further comprising a carrier.

3. The herbicide composition of claim 2, wherein the carrier comprises water.

4. The herbicide composition of claim 1 , further comprising at least one surfactant.

5. The herbicide composition of claim 4, wherein the at least one surfactant comprises methylated seed oil or a non-ionic surfactant.

6. The herbicide composition of claim 4, wherein the surfactant is present at from about 0.25% (vol/vol) to about 1 % (vol/vol) in the herbicide composition.

7. The herbicide composition of claim 1 , wherein the saflufenacil is present at from about 0.02% (vol/vol) to about 0.08% (vol/vol) in the herbicide composition.

8. The herbicide composition of claim 1 , wherein the carfentrazone is present at from about 0.02% (vol/vol) to about 0.08% (vol/vol) in the herbicide composition.

9. The herbicide composition of claim 1 , wherein the 2,4-D is present at from about 0.313% (vol/vol) to about 1.878% (vol/vol) in the herbicide composition.

10. The herbicide composition of claim 1 comprising:

0.08% (vol/vol) saflufenacil;

0.08% (vol/vol) carfentrazone;

1.252% (vol/vol) 2,4-D;

1% (vol/vol) methylated seed oil; and water.

11. The herbicide composition of claim 1 comprising:

0.08% (vol/vol) saflufenacil;

0.08% (vol/vol) carfentrazone;

1.252% (vol/vol) 2,4-D;

0.25% (vol/vol) non-ionic surfactant; and water.

12. The herbicide composition of claim 1 comprising:

0.08% (vol/vol) saflufenacil;

0.08% (vol/vol) carfentrazone;

0.63% (vol/vol) 2,4-D;

0.25% (vol/vol) non-ionic surfactant; and water.

13. The herbicide composition of claim 1 comprising:

0.04% (vol/vol) saflufenacil;

0.04% (vol/vol) carfentrazone;

1.252% (vol/vol) 2,4-D;

0.25% (vol/vol) non-ionic surfactant; and water.

14. The herbicide composition of claim 1 comprising:

0.04% (vol/vol) saflufenacil;

0.04% (vol/vol) carfentrazone;

0.63% (vol/vol) 2,4-D;

0.25% (vol/vol) non-ionic surfactant; and water.

15. A herbicide composition comprising two compounds selected from saflufenacil, carfentrazone, and 2,4-D.

16. The herbicide composition of claim 15, wherein the two compounds are saflufenacil and carfentrazone.

17. The herbicide composition of claim 15, wherein the two compounds are saflufenacil and 2,4-D.

18. The herbicide composition of claim 15, wherein the two compounds are carfentrazone and

19. The herbicide composition of claim 15, further comprising a carrier.

20. The herbicide composition of claim 19, wherein the carrier comprises water.

21. The herbicide composition of claim 15, further comprising at least one surfactant.

22. The herbicide composition of claim 21 , wherein the at least one surfactant comprises methylated seed oil or a non-ionic surfactant.

23. The herbicide composition of claim 21 , wherein the surfactant is present at from about 0.25% (vol/vol) to about 1 % (vol/vol) in the herbicide composition.

24. The herbicide composition of claim 15, wherein the saflufenacil is present at from about 0.02% (vol/vol) to about 0.08% (vol/vol) in the herbicide composition.

25. The herbicide composition of claim 15, wherein the carfentrazone is present at from about 0.02% (vol/vol) to about 0.08% (vol/vol) in the herbicide composition.

26. The herbicide composition of claim 15, wherein the 2,4-D is present at from about 0.313% (vol/vol) to about 1.878% (vol/vol) in the herbicide composition.

27. The herbicide composition of claim 15 comprising:

0.08% (vol/vol) saflufenacil;

0.08% (vol/vol) carfentrazone;

0.25% (vol/vol) non-ionic surfactant; and water.

28. The herbicide composition of claim 15 comprising:

0.04% (vol/vol) saflufenacil;

0.04% (vol/vol) carfentrazone;

0.25% (vol/vol) non-ionic surfactant; and water.

29. The herbicide composition of claim 15 comprising:

0.04% (vol/vol) saflufenacil;

0.04% (vol/vol) carfentrazone;

1% (vol/vol) methylated seed oil; and water.

30. A method for killing weeds in a forage environment, the method comprising applying the herbicide composition of any one of claims 1-29 to the forage environment

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the weeds comprise horseweed, white heath aster, Canadian thistle, or any combination thereof.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein at least about 70% of the weeds are killed.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein performing the method does not kill at least one forage crop.

34. The method of claim 30, wherein the at least one forage crop comprises forage grasses, legumes, or any combination thereof.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the legumes comprises clover.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the clover comprises white clover.

37. The method of claim 34, wherein the forage environment does not need to be re-seeded with the legume following treatment.

38. The method of claim 30, wherein the forage environment comprises a pasture, a meadow, grasslands, a hayfield, or any combination thereof.

39. The method of claim 30, wherein the saflufenacil is applied at from about 0.5 oz per acre to about 2 oz per acre.

40. The method of claim 30, wherein the carfentrazone is applied at from about 0.5 oz per acre to about 2 oz per acre.

41. The method of claim 30, wherein the 2,4-D is applied at about 0.25 quarts per acre to about 3 quarts per acre.

42. The method of claim 30, wherein the saflufenacil is applied at 2 oz per acre, the carfentrazone is applied at 2 oz per acre, and the 2,4-D is applied at 0.5 quarts per acre.

43. The method of claim 30, wherein the saflufenacil is applied at 2 oz per acre, the carfentrazone is applied at 2 oz per acre, and the 2,4-D is applied at 0.25 quarts per acre.

44. The method of claim 30, wherein the saflufenacil is applied at 1 oz per acre, the carfentrazone is applied at 1 oz per acre, and the 2,4-D is applied at 0.5 quarts per acre.

45. The method of claim 30, wherein the saflufenacil is applied at 1 oz per acre, the carfentrazone is applied at 1 oz per acre, and the 2,4-D is applied at 0.25 quarts per acre.

46. The method of claim 30, wherein the saflufenacil is applied at 2 oz per acre and the carfentrazone is applied at 2 oz per acre.

47. The method of claim 30, wherein the saflufenacil is applied at 1 oz per acre and the carfentrazone is applied at 1 oz per acre.

48. The method of claim 30, wherein the method is performed during a cool season, in a cool climate, or both.