Effect of additives in aqueous formulation on the foliar uptake of dimethomorph by cucumbers

The efficacy enhancement of dimethomorph formulation by several adjuvants is thought to be through increased foliar uptake. In order to identify the most effective adjuvants, the adjuvancy of 36 additives was examined in aqueous formulations in relation to the absorption of dimethomorph by cucumber leaves.

Polyethylene glycol monohexadecyl ethers with ethylene oxide (EO) contents of between 7 and 20, polyethylene glycol monooctadecyl ethers with EO contents of between 10 and 20 and polyethylene glycol monooctadecenyl ethers with EO contents of between 6 and 20 were effective adjuvants for promoting dimethomorph uptake from both aqueous acetone solutions and aqueous wettable powder (WP) suspensions into cucumber leaves. Polyethylene glycol monododecyl ethers with EO contents of between 7 and 9 were effective in promoting dimethomorph uptake from aqueous WP suspensions but less effective relative to the other adjuvants tested with aqueous acetone solutions. Foliar uptake of dimethomorph was also facilitated by the addition of methyl hexadecanoate, methyl octadecenoate and methyl octadecadienoate.

Although the foliar uptake of dimethomorph from both aqueous WP suspensions and aqueous acetone solutions was greatest in the presence of fatty alcohol ethoxylates generally having a C(16) or C(18) lipophile, uptake from aqueous surfactant-acetone solutions was, on average, 7.6-fold greater than that from aqueous WP suspensions containing surfactant.