Oil-water emulsion stability was determined for crop origin and refinement of seed oils and their methyl esterified fatty acids (methylated seed oil) as influenced by emulsifiers and herbicides. Oil-in-water emulsion stability of one-refined, degummed, and crude seed oils was affected by the emulsifier. However, emulsion stability of methylated seed oil was not affected by the refinement of the seed oil used to produce the methylated seed oil or by the emulsifier. Oils without emulsifiers or emulsifiers alone added to formulated herbicide-water emulsions reduced emulsion stability depending upon the herbicide and emulsifier. Further, emulsion stability of formulated herbicides plus oil adjuvants was influenced by the oil type, the emulsifier in the oil adjuvant, and the herbicide. Oil-in-water emulsions improved or were not affected by increasing concentration of the emulsifier in the oil. However, T-Mulz-VO at a concentration greater than 10% with soybean oil or 5% with methylated soybean oil reduced emulsion stability with sethoxydim. Emulsion stability of herbicides with adjuvants depends upon the herbicide, the emulsifier, emulsifier concentration, and the crop origin, type, and refinement of oil.

Selected fatty acids, such as pelargonic acid and caprylic acid, are effective nonselective herbicides for a wide spectrum of annual weed species. Greenhouse and field studies evaluated the potential of certain food-grade organic acids to enhance herbicide activity of pelargonic acid-based formulations. The addition of diammonium succinate and succinic acid improved the efficacy of a pelargonic acid formulation from 117 to 200% in the greenhouse. L-Lactic acid and glycolic acid enhanced the efficacy of pelargonic acid formulations on velvetleaf and common lambsquarters in the greenhouse by 126 to 168% and in the field by 117 to 138%. Thus, combinations of fatty and organic acids with selected emulsifiers can be highly effective as safe, nonselective herbicides.

In an effort to find safe natural products to function in traditional agricultural chemical roles, short-chain fatty acids were evaluated as desiccants for dry beans. Desiccation was evaluated in greenhouse studies on three dry bean cultivars: ‘Montcalm’ kidney, ‘Midnight’ black turtle, and ‘Vista’ navy bean. Caprylic (C8) and pelargonic acid (C9) were the most effective in the C2 through C10 range. Effective emulsifiers with C8 were Henkel Emsorb 6900 and Henkel Emsorb 6915. Organosilicone, saponified, methylated, and ethylated seed oil activator adjuvants enhanced the efficacy of the caprylic acid. C8 was also phytotoxic to velvetleaf, giant foxtail, and common lambsquarters; esters of C6, C8, and C10 fatty acids were comparatively less effective than C8.