Abstract: Provided is a liquid spray agent for agricultural use, including a polyvinyl alcohol-based resin having a saponification degree of from 30 mol %, to 60 mol %. With this, a liquid spray agent for agricultural use, which is used in agricultural and horticultural fields and has high fixation ability and excellent sprayability, can be provided.

Abstract: Process for producing a beverage comprising a cocoa material having an enhanced level of polyphenols, the process comprising the steps of: (a) adding a base to an aqueous phase to adjust the pH to between about 6.5 and about 7.5, (b) mixing ingredients into the aqueous phase to give a dispersion, the ingredients including the cocoa material having an enhanced level of polyphenols, (c) performing a thermal treatment on the dispersion, comprising heating the dispersion to over about 85° C. for at least about 5 seconds, and (d) cooling the treated dispersion. A beverage obtainable by the process is also disclosed.

Abstract: Defoliation of maize plants, based on percent seed moisture, has advantageous outcomes including greater number of seeds per pound; increased volume or proportion of saleable seed per field and per female acre; decreased discard of seed due to commercially undesirable size or shape; lower moisture content of seed at harvest; earlier harvest date; less fuel and time expended in drying seed for storage; improved performance in laboratory tests for germination at cold temperatures; improved seed treatment efficacy; improved emergence under stress in field conditions; improved plantability in mechanical systems; more uniform stand; fewer runt plants and improved grain yield.

Abstract: The invention relates to compositions useful in the field of agricultural chemistry and methods for making and using the compositions. The compositions include (i) a permeabilizing agent, and (ii) a active component, for example, a pesticide or plant growth regulator, and can include additional components as well, for example, flow agents. The permeabilizing agent, or a mixture of permeabilizing agents, acts as an adjuvant to the active component or chemicals to improve the degree of efficacy of the active component or speed of action of the active component. The permeabilizing agents are typically one or more chelating agents, cationic materials, anionic materials, and zwitterionic materials, and include polyphosphate salts. Examples of cationic materials include polyamines such as ethylenediamine and quaternary ammonium salts. The active components can be pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, virucides, bacteriocides, and acaricides.

Abstract: A composition and method for early bloom thinning of fruit trees and controlling cracking, wherein the composition provides that glyceride type of lipids are effective compounds for bloom thinning of fruit trees and controlling cracking of fruits and the method comprises making an aqueous emulsion with these lipids as active ingredients and spraying the emulsion on fruit trees at appropriate phenophases for blossom thinning or fruit cracking control. The composition further provides that copper compounds act as blossom thinning agents but cause phytotoxicity to trees and a mixture of the said lipid emulsion and copper compounds displays higher thinning effect than each applied alone and does not cause phytotoxicity to trees.

Abstract: Calcium nitrate-urea adduct, a product having the formula ?Ca(NO.sub.3).sub.2.4CO(NH.sub.2).sub.2 !, is obtained by means of a process which basically consists of the following steps:mixing molten urea and calcium nitrate;feeding the resulting solution to a turbodryer;feeding the resulting molten salt to a granulator drum;recovery of calcium nitrate-urea adduct.