AU2016202568B2

AU2016202568B2 - Method and device to impact plant growh

Info

Publication number: AU2016202568B2
Application number: AU2016202568A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Terry James Allen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2009-04-26
Filing date: 2016-04-22
Publication date: 2018-03-15
Anticipated expiration: 2029-04-26
Also published as: AU2016202568A1; AU2009344268A1

Abstract

A method to improve growth and/or productivity of a plant by the use of the exhaust emissions from the type of internal combustion engine found in an agricultural machine such as a tractor, mower, harvester, blower and the like, said method including directing said exhaust emissions towards said plant as said machine passes over said plant sufficient for said plant to absorb at least some of said emissions, wherein the method is performed whilst the plant is moistened or wetted by dew or spray irrigation. cALL14100 2016-04-21.docx

Description

The present invention has particular, but not exclusive, application to the type of internal combustion engines found in self-propelled agricultural machines such as tractors, mowers, harvesters and similar and also in hand propelled or hand held

LO machines such as garden mowers, leaf blowers and the like.

Throughout this specification, unless the contrary is expressly stated, where a document, act or item of knowledge is referred to or discussed, this reference or discussion is not an admission that the document, act or item of knowledge or any

L5 combination thereof was, at the priority date, publicly available, known to the public, part of the common general knowledge, or known to be relevant to an attempt to solve any problem with which this specification is concerned.

Climate change is an important current issue. Popular ϋθ opinion is that, inter alia, exhaust emissions from internal combustion engines are contributing to a detrimental greenhouse effect with the expulsion of gaseous carbon dioxide into the atmosphere from the tailpipes of vehicles. Such exhaust emissions include nitrogen oxides which can contribute to acid rain and/or can be present in smog. The scientific evidence on anthropogenic climate change has changed recently changed from a discernible effect to a significant effect, and although it seems that the emissions from internal combustion engines are not the prime source of greenhouse gas emissions, there is public pressure to reduce the emissions of such gases from internal combustion engines generally and from motor vehicles in particular .

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Unfortunately, technological developments which have resulted in reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from internal combustion engines individually have been outpaced by increases in the use of such engines. Accordingly, it would be prudent 5 find some way of utilising such gases while at the same time redirecting them from making a contribution to the greenhouse gas component of the atmosphere. In this respect, the present inventor has noted that the major components of these gases play important roles in supporting life; plants undertake L0 photosynthesis to convert carbon dioxide into carbohydrates releasing oxygen in the process; nitrogen is essential for many biological processes and is also crucial for any life on Earth. It would be advantageous if emissions from the use of hydrocarbon fuels could put the carbon and nitrogen that they contain to a L5 beneficial use.

It is also the traditional teaching that lawns and grassed area should be mown after the morning dew has either dried off or been absorbed because grass clippings are more easily collected when the grass is not wet. However, it has been ?0 surprisingly found that directing the exhaust to the ground when mowing or performing other grooming procedures with an equipment powered by internal combustion engine, though it may not eliminate the clumping of material altogether, can still be effectively undertaken when the morning dew is still very evident, or in the evening as the night-time due is forming. If dew is not present, the plant or plants may be wetted by spray irrigation.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method to improve growth and/or productivity of a plant by the use of the exhaust emissions from the type of internal combustion engine found in an agricultural machine such as a tractor, mower, harvester, blower and the like, said method

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2016202568 22 Apr 2016 including directing said exhaust emissions towards said plant as said machine passes over said plant sufficient for said plant to absorb at least some of said emissions, wherein the method is performed whilst the plant is moistened or wetted by dew or 5 spray irrigation.

Preferably, the method utilises a device to direct the exhaust emissions from the type of internal combustion engine found in an agricultural machine such as a tractor, mower, harvester, blower and the like as said machine passes over a L0 plant, said device including:

a connector connecting a body to at least one exhaust pipe of said machine and adapted to allow said exhaust emissions to pass through said connector into said body;

said body having an outlet in close proximity to said plant L5 allowing said emissions to exit said body in a direction substantially towards said plant.

Preferably, said outlet is positioned at the base of said body. Preferably, said outlet is substantially the full width of said body. The distance between said outlet and said plant may be adjustable when connected to said machine. In one embodiment, said distance is manually adjustable. In another embodiment, said distance is automatically adjustable to maintain a set said distance from said plant as said machine passes over terrain containing one or more of said plant. In such form, the device is particularly suited to plants in the form of grass or lawn to be mown, the outlet including contact means for contacting the surface of the ground for supporting the outlet a predetermined distance therefrom.

Where the present invention is to be used over a large ground area, said device may be attached to a self-propelled machine such as a tractor, mower or harvester. For a smaller

CALL14100 2016-04-21.docx

2016202568 22 Apr 2016 ground area, typically a household lawn, said device may be attached to a hand- (or self-) propelled garden mower or attached to a hand-held leaf blower and the like.

As said emissions are at an elevated temperature when 5 exiting said outlet, and such emissions generally are emitted with a pulsatory flow, either one of these properties can be used to reduce the surface tension of the dew or other moisture that may be present on a multiple of said plants or otherwise enhance the wetting thereof - for example, when said plants are L0 grass that form a bowling green, golfing green, sports pitch, garden lawn or the like - which assists the plants to absorb that moisture with the nutrients therein dissolved.

Whilst not being bound by theory, or limiting the scope of the present invention thereto, it is understood that plants use

L5 absorbed carbon dioxide by photosynthesis to convert the (dissolved) gas into carbohydrates, releasing oxygen in the process. Exhaust gas emissions from an internal combustion engine include carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides which may be absorbed by the dew to form dissolved substrates which can be ?0 absorbed by the plants more readily than directly in gaseous form.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood and put into practical effect, preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. la is a perspective illustration of one component of a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. lb is a perspective illustration of the component of FIG. la in combination with additional components of the first embodiment of the present invention;

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FIG. 2 is an illustration of the first embodiment of the present invention in use; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective illustration of a second embodiment of the present invention,

The apparatus (1) shown in FIGS. 1-2 includes an elongated hollow triangular cross-sectioned body (2) with bores 3 (a, b) extending through each end 4(a, b) of the body (2) as seen best in FIG. la. One side (5) of the body (2) is of a greater depth than the opposing side (6) and angled to create an opening (7) L0 extending the full width of the body (2), First conduits 8 (a, b) shown best in FIG. lb are connected to the respective bores 3(a, b) of the body (2), converging to be connected to one end of a single second flexible conduit (9). The other end (10) of the conduit (9) can be connected to the exhaust pipe (11) of a L5 mower (12) (FIG. 2) .

In use (FIG. 2), the device (1) is supported on a bar (13) by any suitable means, for example, by a pair of chains 14(a,b) as illustrated. The dimensions and positioning of the bar (13) and chains 14 (a, b) are such that the opening (7) of the body ?0 (2) is positioned close to the grass when the device is in use.

The bar (13) is connected to the rear of a mower (12) powered by an internal combustion engine in a manner to enable the end (10) of the conduit (9) to be connected to the exhaust pipe (11) of the mower (12). When the mower is in use, for example, cutting the grass of a sporting field, spent gas from the exhaust pipe (11 ) passes through the conduits (9, 8a, 7b) into the body (2) and out of the opening (7) passing in close proximity to the grass which can absorb at least part of the gaseous emissions. Any moisture on the grass can be absorbed by the grass and any excess evaporated by the hot exhaust gases passing thereover.

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In evaluating turf growth characteristics, typically, the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP) is invoked whereby aesthetic and functional aspects of turf are rated on a scale from 1 to 9, from 9 being a perfect or ideal quality to 1 being 5 the poorest. One or more aspects such as colour, texture, density, vigour, disease resistance, drought tolerance, frost tolerance, traffic tolerance, thatch accumulation, and mowing quality can be rated. An overall rating is then determined for the turf, a rating of 6 or above being generally considered L0 acceptable.

A convenient initial visual assessment of the quality of a turf can readily be determined from the NTEP ratings for turf colour and turf density. Yellow green turfs are rated (1 ,2), light green (3,4), intermediate green (5,6), dark green (7,8) L5 and dark shiny green (9). Turf density rates from 1 (bare ground visible) to 9 (very dense).

To evaluate the effectiveness of the device of FIGS. l(a,b), 2, four plots of Cyndon dactylon (couch grass/Bermuda grass) variety Windsor Green were prepared, each of /0 approximately 1 sq. m. in area. One plot was left as control with no fertilizers or water added during the evaluation period. For each of the three remaining plots, the device of FIGS. 1 (a,b), 2, attached to a Toro Fairway

D400 Series mower, was passed over the plot in the early morning, when dew was present thereon, daily for four weeks. No other treatment was undertaken on those remaining plots.

After each pass, a significant reduction in the dew present was noted. At the end of the evaluation period, using the NTEP ratings for turf colour and turf density, the control plot had an overall rating of 4,5 (unacceptable rating) while the remaining plots each had an overall rating of 6.5 (more than

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2016202568 22 Apr 2016 acceptable), representing a significant Improvement in the overall quality of the turf after using the present invention.

Turning to the second embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 3, a leaf blower (15) of the type well known 5 commercially is adapted by affixing a conduit (16) between its exhaust outlet (17) and its air outlet (18) such that exhaust gases exiting the outlet (17) pass into the outlet (18) to be expelled from the end (19) of the outlet (18). When in ordinary use, the operator of this hand-held leaf blower not only removes L0 leaves and other debris from the area but also simultaneously improves the subsequent growth and/or productivity of that area.

It is estimated that, by using the present invention, the amount of fertiliser required for a given area can be reduced by approximately 50% and that the use of pesticides could

L5 possibly be eliminated as lawn grub and lawn mite were seen to be adversely affected by the use of the present invention. Further, by assisting the uptake of dew or other moisture by a plant, a reduction in additional watering should be possible.

the present invention thus offers a number of advantages /0 which include:

beneficial use of at least a portion of exhaust emissions from internal combustion engines which otherwise would be lost to the atmosphere;

an ability to remove moisture from a sports playing field 25 relatively easily and quickly at any given time thus reducing the likelihood of injury should a player slip on a wet or damp playing surface;

reduces dependence on artificial fertilizers and pesticides to be applied to the plant thus leading to reduced growing costs and to less pollution from such chemicals; and possible

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2016202568 22 Apr 2016 reduction in additional watering, thus saving a precious resource .

It will be appreciated that the above described embodiments are only exemplifications of the various aspects of the present invention and that modifications and alterations can be made thereto without departing from the inventive concept as defined in the following claims.

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Claims

THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1. A device operable to direct the exhaust emissions from an internal combustion engine to a plant including:

a connector connecting a body to at least one exhaust pipe of said machine and adapted to allow said exhaust emissions to pass through said connector into said body;

said body being elongate and having an outlet in close proximity to said plant allowing said emissions to exit said body in a direction substantially towards said plant and two inlets spaced from each other along the body; and wherein said connector divides into two passages such that each passage is in fluid connection with a respective inlet to the body.
2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the inlets are provided at opposed ends of the body.
3. The device according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein, said outlet is positioned at the base of said body.
4. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein, said outlet is substantially the full width of said body.
5. A device according to in any one of Claims 1 to 4 wherein, the distance between said outlet and said plant is adjustable when connected to said machine.
6. The device according to Claim 5 wherein, said distance is manually adjustable.
7. The device according to Claim 5 wherein, said distance is automatically adjustable to maintain a set said distance from said plant as said machine passes over terrain containing one

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2016202568 27 Feb 2018 or more of said plant by contact means for contacting the surface of the ground and supporting said outlet a predetermined distance therefrom.
8. A device according to any one of Claims 1 to 5 wherein, said device is attached to a self-propelled said machine.
9. A device according to any one of Claims 1 to 5 wherein, said device is attached to a hand-propelled said machine.

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