A novel agricultural formulation includes at least one finely divided
solid water-insoluble material and at least one novel dispersant
containing a polymer synthesized from first and second comonomers. The
first comonomer is an .alpha.,.beta.-unsaturated oxyacid or anhydride,
and the second comonomer is an olefin having at least one polymerizable
double bond. Also disclosed is a method for dispersing a finely divided
solid insoluble material, in particular, an active water-insoluble
agrochemical principal, in an aqueous solution; a method for treating a
substrate with such a material or principal; and a method of making an
agrochemical formulation, where the methods are based on application of
the novel dispersant to the preparation of aqueous dispersions of the
solid material and agrochemical principal.