A Monsanto’s glyphosate formulation awarded U.S. patent

Monsanto Technology, St. Louis, has been assigned a patent (8,268,749) developed by five co-inventors for "fast symptom glyphosate formulations." The co-inventors are Daniel R. Wright, St. Louis, Joseph J. Sandbrink, Chesterfield, Mo., Paul G. Ratliff, Olivette, Mo., Bryan A. Kliewer, Delegacion Miguel, Mexico, and Dawn Y. Wyse-Pester, O Fallon, Mo.

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: "Aqueous herbicidal glyphosate compositions are provided, particularly sprayable, ready-to-use (RTU) formulations that are capable of inducing early visually apparent phytotoxic effects while minimizing antagonism to the glyphosate component of the composition and preserving the equally desirable attribute of prolonged control of the treated plants. The compositions combine a glyphosate component and a fatty acid component as a fast symptomology active ingredient and, in one embodiment, are enhanced by the concentration of the fatty acid component utilized and the inclusion of an agronomically acceptable inorganic ammonium salt, preferably ammonium sulfate. In another embodiment, the compositions of the present invention include a nonionic surfactant component comprising certain water-soluble, alkoxylated alcohols."