AU2019202785B2 - Granular Fertilizer and Manufacturing Method Thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

A granular fertilizer and a method of manufacturing the granular fertilizer are provided. The method comprises a step of molding or rolling a material into a granule, a step of preparing a solution by mixing at least one surface additive with an oil, a step of spraying the solution on the granule to form a layer on the surface of the granule, and a step of drying the granule to form the granular fertilizer. /l MOLDING OR ROLLING A MATERIAL TO SOl FORM A GRANULE \/ PREPARING A SOLUTION BY DISPERSING AT LEAST ONE SURFACE ADDITIVE IN AN S02 OIL \/ SPRAYING THE SOLUTION ON THE S03 GRANULE TO FORM A LAYER ON THE SURFACE OF THE GRANULE \/ DRYING THE GRANULE TO FORM THE S04 GRANULAR FERTILIZER FIG. 1

Description

/l

MOLDING OR ROLLING A MATERIAL TO SOl FORM A GRANULE

\/ PREPARING A SOLUTION BY DISPERSING AT LEAST ONE SURFACE ADDITIVE IN AN S02 OIL

\/

SPRAYING THE SOLUTION ON THE S03 GRANULE TO FORM A LAYER ON THE SURFACE OF THE GRANULE

\/ DRYING THE GRANULE TO FORM THE S04 GRANULAR FERTILIZER

FIG. 1

Attorney Docket No. KS-00000

GRANULAR FERTILIZER AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THEREOF CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION AND CLAIM OF PRIORITY

[0001] This application claims the benefit of Taiwanese Patent Application No.

107113428, filed on April 20, 2018, in the Taiwan Intellectual Property Office,

the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

1. Technical Field

[00021 Some embodiments of the present invention provide a granular fertilizer and

a method of manufacturing the granular fertilizer. The method is characterized by

a step of spraying a mixture of a surface additive and oil on the surface of a

granule to obtain the granular fertilizer.

2. Description of the Related Art

[00031 Bio-fertilizers, especially microbial fertilizers, earn huge attention recently.

They are supplied to vitalize lands, promote plant growth, enhance plant

resistance, and elevate the quality and quantity of crops

[00041 Bio-fertilizers are provided in either liquid form or solid (powder) form.

The production costs for liquid bio-fertilizers are lower. However, liquid bio

fertilizers rapidly deteriorate and therefore offer shorter shelf-life; they are also

easy to leak and cause inconvenience during transportation. On the other hand,

solid bio-fertilizers offer higher stability and longer shelf-life; they are easy to

transport as well. But when it comes to administration, powders have their

disadvantages. Powders are easily blown away by airflows and are harmful to

people as airborne particles. The administration of powder is also largely limited

by the terrain.

[00051 Bio-fertilizers are frequently mixed with inorganic salts. Because of the

high hygroscopicity of inorganic salts, such bio-fertilizers forms clots easily after

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absorbing water from the air. Clots may diminish the appearance and the quality

of bio-fertilizers, not to mention they are difficult to transport and administer.

SUMMARY

[00061 Liquid bio-fertilizers are infamous for their short shelf-life, tendency to

leak, and inconvenience during transportation. Solid bio-fertilizers are easily

blown away by airflows and have high hygroscopicity. The high hygroscopicity

usually leads to clotting and cause inconvenience during transportation and

administration.

[00071 At least one embodiment of the present invention is proposed to resolve the

disadvantages above. In one embodiment, a granular fertilizer is provided. The

granular fertilizer comprises a granule comprising at least one granule additive,

and NPK fertilizer and calcium sulfate (CaSO4), a layer on the surface of the

granule. More particularly, the layer comprises an oil and at least one surface

additive dispersed in the oil. The at least one granule additive comprises an

adhesive, an anticaking agent or the combination thereof, and the at least one

surface additive is a bacterial powder.

[00081 In another embodiment, a method of manufacturing a granular fertilizer is

provided. The method comprises a step of molding or rolling a mixture of at least

one granule additive and a material to form a granule, a step of preparing a

solution by dispersing at least one surface additive in an oil, a step of spraying

the solution on the granule to form a layer on the surface of the granule, and a

step of drying the granule to form the granular fertilizer, wherein the at least one

granule additive comprises an adhesive, an anticaking agent or the combination

thereof; wherein the at least one surface additive is a bacterial powder.

Attorney Docket No. KS-00000

[00091 There are many embodiments described and illustrated herein. The present

inventions are neither limited to any single aspect nor embodiment thereof, nor to

any combinations and/or permutations of such aspects and/or embodiments.

Moreover, each of the aspects of the present inventions, and/or embodiments

thereof, may be employed alone or in combination with one or more of the other

aspects of the present inventions and/or embodiments thereof. For the sake of

brevity, many of those permutations and combinations will not be discussed

separately herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[00101 FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method of manufacturing a granular

fertilizer, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

[00111 FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a method of manufacturing a granular

fertilizer, in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[00121 The drawings disclose some preferred embodiments of the present

invention, which are intended to be used with the descriptions herein to enable

one skilled in the art to understand the claimed features, as well as to make and

use the claimed invention.

[00131 FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method of manufacturing a granular

fertilizer, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The

method begins with a step (SO1) of molding or rolling a mixture of at least one

granule additive and a material to form a granule. The material may be urea,

calcium carbonate (CaCO3), calcium sulfate (CaSO 4), magnesium sulfate

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(MgSO4), peat soil, kaolinite, clay, bentonite, diatomaceous earth, acid clay, or

the combination thereof. The material may be known compound fertilizers or

organic fertilizers, such as No.43 Compound Fertilizer, No.39 Compound

Fertilizer, or No.5 Compound Fertilizer obtained from Taiwan Fertilizer Co., Ltd.

[00141 In this embodiment, the particle size of the granule which may be formed by

molding or rolling in the step (SO1) is not over 325 mm.

[00151 The next step (S02) of the method is to prepare a solution by dispersing at

least one surface additive in an oil. The at least one surface additive is

homogeneously mixed with the oil to form the solution. The oil is one selected

from the group consisting of mineral oil, base oil, lubricating oil, vegetable oil

(e.g., palm oil, soybean oil), and the combination thereof. The oil is characterized

by the huge quantity of unsaturated hydrocarbons in it.

[00161 In this step (S02), the at least one surface additive may be a bacterial

powder. The bacterial powder comprises phosphate-solubilizing microorganisms

(PSM), actinobacteria, saccharomyces, Trichoderma, fungi, or the combination

thereof. In some preferred embodiment, the bacterial powder comprises Bacillus

lichenformis, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens,Pseudomonasfluorescens,Bacillus

mycoides AGB1, Bacillus subtilis, or the combination thereof. The at least one

surface additive may be calcium lignosulfonate, sodium lignosulfonate, biochar,

humic acid, amino acid, micronutrient, and the combination thereof. The granule

and the at least one micronutrient together may serve as sources of nutrients. The

as least one micronutrient may be B, Ca, Cl, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, Na, Zn, or

the combination thereof, and provided as salts, like sulfates, nitrates, and halides.

[00171 The particle size of the at least one surface additive dispersed in the oil is

not over 60 mesh.

[00181 The 16S rDNA of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens comprises a nucleic acid

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sequence of SEQ ID No. 1, the 16S rDNA of Bacillus mycoides AGB0

comprises a nucleic acid sequence of SEQ ID No. 2, and the 16S rDNA of

Bacillus subtilis comprises a nucleic acid sequence of SEQ ID No. 3.

[00191 Following the second step (S02) is a step (S03) of spraying the solution on

the granule to form a layer on the surface of the granule. The solution comprising

the surface additive and oil is atomized by a device and then sprayed on the

surface of granule to form a layer. The layer fixes the surface addictive (e.g., a

bacterial powder, sodium lignosulfonate, biochar, humic acid, amino acid) on the

surface of the granule to elevate the nutrient content of the granule. It also

protects the fertilizer from clotting, as well as maintains the appearance and

quality of the fertilizer, by isolating the granule from humidity with the oil.

[00201 During the step of spraying, it is suggested to keep the granule and the

device at an appropriate distance. If the distance is too short, the solution may

bounce off the granule and decrease the coverage and integrity of the layer; if the

distance is too far, the adhesiveness of the solution significantly decreases as the

temperature falling, and thus failing to be attached on the surface of the granule.

[00211 In the fourth step (S04), granule is dried to form the granular fertilizer. The

granule with the layer obtained in the third step (S03) is send to a machine for

air-drying with cold or hot air to prevent clotting. Once pass the inspection, the

manufacturing of granular fertilizer is completed.

[00221 FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a method of manufacturing a granular

fertilizer, in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. The

method comprises a step (S11) of molding or rolling a mixture of at least one

granule additive and a material to form a granule, a step (S12) of preparing a

solution by dispersing at least one surface additive in an oil, a step (S13) of

spraying the solution on the granule to form a layer on the surface of the granule,

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and a step of drying the granule to form the granular fertilizer.

[00231 The embodiments in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are slightly different at the step of

molding or rolling. In FIG. 2, the at least one granule additive is added to the

material, and then molding or rolling them into granule. The at least one granule

additive here may be an adhesive, anticaking agent, or further comprises biocide,

antioxidant, reducing agent, surfactant, or the combination thereof. The selection

criteria of at least one granule additive may be based on the characteristics of the

material used.

[00241 The adhesive may be xanthan gum, gelatin, arabic gum, clay, or the

combination thereof. Some other examples of adhesives include poly(ethylene

vinyl acetate) (PEVA), chloroprene rubber phenolic adhesive, poly(oxyethylene)

(PEG), and methyl methacrylate (MMA).

[00251 The following embodiments demonstrate the advantages of some granular

fertilizers disclosed in the present invention by several studies. The embodiments

are intended to enable one skilled in the art to understand the claimed features.

The present inventions are neither limited to any single aspect nor embodiment

thereof.

[00261 The first study is based on one embodiment of the present invention. In the

study, the effects of different fertilizers on tomatoes cultivated in a screen house

were investigated. Group A as control was treated with water in this study; Group

B was treated with CaSO 4 granule; and Group C was treated with a granular

fertilizer of the present invention. The granular fertilizer was manufactured by

the following steps: first, molding or rolling CaSO 4 to form a CaSO 4 granule;

then, the surface additive, 2.2x10 7 CFU/g PSM, was homogeneously mixed with

an oil, mineral oil, to form a solution; finally, sprayed the solution on the surface

of CaSO 4 granule to let the solution (i.e., the mineral oil with PSM dispersed

Attorney Docket No. KS-00000

within) cover the CaSO 4 granule to form a granular fertilizer.

[00271 In order to investigate the effect of different fertilizers on tomatoes, 3 blocks

of CHUNG-HUA-TSAO soil (available at Taiwan Fertilizer Co., Ltd.,

characterized by that the N, P 2 0 5 , and K20 content is less than1%) were

allocated into Group A, B, and C. As previously described, the soil in Group A,

Group B, and Group C was fertilized with water, CaSO 4 granule, and the

granular fertilizer respectively. Tomato seedlings were then transplanted in these

three blocks. Two days after transplantation, each groups were administrated

with additional 80 g of Lion-horse Nitrophoska Special (characterized by that

N:P 2 0 5 :K 2 0 = 12.0:12.0:17.0). Tomatoes were harvested after three weeks, and

the weight, sweetness, and flower numbers were then measured.

[00281 The result of this study is described in the table below. From the aspect of

total weight, Group C (treated with the granular fertilizer manufactured by a

method disclosed in the present invention) has the highest total weight (3267 g),

followed by Group B (1993 g) and Group A (659 g). The differences on the

average sweetness and average flower numbers were not significant, but Group

C does have the highest average sweetness (7.3°Bx) and average flower numbers

(17 flowers).

Avg. Total Avg. Flwe Group Harvest Weight Sweetness Flower Weight Sweetness Num. 1 0g O0 Bx 2 0g O0 Bx 3 0g O0 Bx A 4 203 g 7°Bx 659 g 7.05°Bx 11 5 152 g 7.1°Bx 6 154 g 7.1°Bx 7 150 g 7°Bx

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1 150 g 7.6°Bx 2 53 g 6°Bx 3 150 g 7.6°Bx B 4 600 g 7.8°Bx 1993 g 7.2°Bx 13 5 412 g 7.5°Bx 6 178 g 7°Bx 7 450 g 6.8°Bx 1 200 g 7.1°Bx 2 232 g 7.3°Bx 3 800 g 7.1°Bx C 4 657 g 7.7°Bx 3267 g 7.3°Bx 17 5 456 g 7.5°Bx 6 322 g 7.3°Bx 7 600 g 7.1°Bx

[0029] Accordingly, this study demonstrates that the granular fertilizer

manufactured by the method can significantly improve the weight of tomatoes,

and, though not significant, elevate the average sweetness and average flower

number.

[00301 The second study is based on multiple embodiments of the present

invention. In the study, the methods to manufacture granular fertilizers are

slightly varied as described in the table below.

Fertilizer A B C D E F Powder Powder Form Granular Granular Granular Granular (Instant) (Instant) NPK NPK NPK NPK NPK NPK 1 Material (11:5.5:22) (15:10:8) (3:3:3) S 40% SOC 5 50% SOC c(3:3:3) 60% SOC (3:5:5) (2.5:5.5:2.5)

Bacillus Bacillus Bacillus Bacillus Bacillus Bacillus o Surface safensis safensis safensis safensis mycoides Additive mycoides AGBO1 AGBO1 kgper 20 20 20 1 1 or5 l or5

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Package pH 6.8 6.8 6.92 8.36 Drying Temp. 100 100 110 70-80 ( 0 C) Drying Time 15 15 10 20-30 (min) pH 6.3 6.9 6.8 8.2 6.0 6.1 EC 52-83 29-45 30-58 13-28 28-40 35-47 (mS/cm) =1 CF/ 107 107 107 107 1010

[0031] The material used to produce Fertilizer A is an NPK fertilizer (N:P 2 0:K2 0

= 11.0:5.5:22.0) containing 40% soil organic matter (SOC). The NPK fertilizer is

first molding or rolling into a granule A, and then a solution (Bacillus mycoides

AGBO1 dispersed in mineral oil) is sprayed on the surface of the granule A.

Finally, the granule A is dried under 100°C to forma granular fertilizer A (i.e.,

Fertilizer A).

[00321 The material used to produce Fertilizer B is an NPK fertilizer (N:P2 0:K2 0

= 15.0:18.0:10.0) containing 50% SOC. The NPK fertilizer is first molding or

rolling into a granule B, and then a solution (Bacillus safensis dispersed in

mineral oil) is sprayed on the surface of the granule B. Finally, the granule B is

dried under 100°C to form a granular fertilizer B (i.e., Fertilizer B).

[00331 The material used to produce Fertilizer C is an NPK fertilizer (N:P2 0:K2 0

= 3.0:3.0:3.0) containing 60% SOC. The NPK fertilizer is first molding or rolling

into a granule C, and then a solution (Bacillus safensis dispersed in mineral oil)

is sprayed on the surface of the granule C. Finally, the granule C is dried under

110°C to forma granular fertilizer C (i.e., Fertilizer C).

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[0034] The material used to produce Fertilizer D is an NPK fertilizer (N:P 2 0:K2 0

= 3.0:3.0:3.0). The NPK fertilizer is first molding or rolling into a granule D, and

then a solution (Bacillus safensis dispersed in mineral oil) is sprayed on the

surface of the granule D. Finally, the granule D is dried under 70-80°C to form a

granular fertilizer D (i.e., Fertilizer D).

[00351 The material used to produce Fertilizer E is an NPK fertilizer (N:P 2 0:K2 0

= 3.0:5.0:5.0). The NPK fertilizer is first molding or rolling into a granule E, and

then a solution (Bacillus safensis dispersed in mineral oil) is sprayed on the

surface of the granule E. As such, a granular fertilizer E (i.e., Fertilizer E) is

formed.

[00361 The material used to produce Fertilizer F is an NPK fertilizer (N:P 2 0:K2 0

= 2.5:5.5:5.5). The NPK fertilizer is first molding or rolling into a granule F, and

then a solution (Bacillus mycoides AGBO1 dispersed in mineral oil) is sprayed on

the surface of the granule F. As such, a granular fertilizer F (i.e., Fertilizer F) is

formed.

[00371 The third study is based on some other embodiments of the present

invention. In the study, the effects of different fertilizers, produced by the

methods disclosed in the present invention with a commercial fertilizer as the

material, on Ipomoea aquaticawere investigated. Group A as control was treated

with water in this study; Group B was treated with a granule molded from 1/2

HSIN-YANG-FENG Fertilizer B (N:P2 05 :K2 0 = 13.0:5.0:7.0 and containing

15% SOC) as the material; Group C was treated with a granule molded from

HSIN-YANG-FENG Fertilizer B as the material; Group D was treated with a

granular fertilizer using HSIN-YANG-FENG Fertilizer B as the material for

granule, in which a solution containing PSM dispersed in mineral oil is sprayed

on the surface of the granule; and Group E was treated with a granular fertilizer

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using HSIN-YANG-FENG Fertilizer B and CaSO4 as the material for granule, in

which a solution containing PSM dispersed in mineral oil is sprayed on the

surface of the granule.

[00381 The results of the study are recorded in the table below. From the aspect of

weight, Group E has the highest weight (111.2 g) followed by Group D (80.8 g).

Compared to Group C, the weights of Group E and Group D are 73.8% and

41.9% higher.

[00391 Accordingly, this study demonstrates that granular fertilizers manufactured

by the methods disclosed in the present invention can significantly improve the

weight of Ipomoea aquatica.

Group A B C D E Treatment BK 1/2B B PSBB BCaPSB Weight (g) 44.4 49.6 64.0 80.8 111.2 Percentage -30.6 -22.5 0 41.9 73.8 (%) (basal line) Number of 23.4 30.2 31.2 29.6 39.2 Leaf

[00401 The forth study is based on some other embodiments of the present

invention. In the study, the effects of different fertilizers, produced by the

methods disclosed in the present invention with another commercial fertilizer as

the material, on Ipomoea aquaticawere investigated. Group A as control was

treated with water in this study; Group B was treated with a granule molded from

1/2 HSIN-YANG-FENG Fertilizer A (N:P2 0 5 :K2 0 = 12.0:8.0:10.0 and

containing 20% SOC) as the material; Group C was treated with a granule

molded from HSIN-YANG-FENG Fertilizer A as the material; Group D was

treated with a granular fertilizer using HSIN-YANG-FENG Fertilizer A as the

material for granule, in which a solution containing PSM dispersed in mineral oil

is sprayed on the surface of the granule; and Group E was treated with a granular

Attorney Docket No. KS-00000

fertilizer using HSIN-YANG-FENG Fertilizer A and CaSO4 as the material for

granule, in which a solution containing PSM dispersed in mineral oil is sprayed

on the surface of the granule.

[00411 The results of the study are recorded in the table below. From the aspect of

weight, Group E has the highest weight (126.4 g) followed by Group D (116.4

g). Compared to Group C, the weights of Group E and Group D are 31.1% and

20.7% higher.

[00421 Accordingly, this study demonstrates that granular fertilizers manufactured

by the methods disclosed in the present invention can significantly improve the

weight of Ipomoea aquatica.

Group A B C D E Treatment BK 1/2A A PSBA ACaPSB Weight (g) 44.4 68.0 96.4 116.4 126.4 Percentage -53.9 -29.5 0 20.7 31.1 (%) (basal line) Number of 23.4 28.6 34.8 38.6 40.2 Leaf

[00431 There are many inventions described and illustrated above. The present

inventions are neither limited to any single aspect nor embodiment thereof, nor to

any combinations and/or permutations of such aspects and/or embodiments. For

the sake of brevity, many of those permutations and combinations will not be

discussed separately herein.

Claims (12)

Claims What is Claimed:

1. A granular fertilizer, comprising:

a granule, wherein the granule comprises at least one granule additive, an NPK

fertilizer and calcium sulfate (CaSO 4); and

a layer on the surface of the granule, wherein the layer comprises an oil and at

least one surface additive dispersed in the oil;

wherein the at least one granule additive comprises an adhesive, an anticaking

agent or the combination thereof;

wherein the at least one surface additive is a bacterial powder.

2. The granular fertilizer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the granule further

comprises urea, peat soil, kaolinite, clay, bentonite, diatomaceous earth, acid clay, and

the combination thereof.

3.The granular fertilizer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the oil is one selected from

the group consisting of mineral oil, base oil, lubricating oil, palm oil, soybean oil, and

the combination thereof.

4. The granular fertilizer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one surface

additive further comprises calcium lignosulfonate, sodium lignosulfonate, biochar,

humic acid, amino acid, trace element, and the combination thereof.

5.The granular fertilizer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one granule

additive further comprises biocide, antioxidant, reducing agent, surfactant, and the combination thereof.

6.A method of manufacturing a granular fertilizer, comprising:

molding or rolling a mixture of at least one granule additive and a material to form

a granule, wherein the granule comprises an NPK fertilizer and calcium sulfate

(CaSO 4);

preparing a solution by dispersing at least one surface additive in an oil;

spraying the solution on the granule to form a layer on the surface of the granule;

and

drying the granule to form the granular fertilizer;

wherein the at least one granule additive comprises an adhesive, an anticaking

agent or the combination thereof;

wherein the at least one surface additive is a bacterial powder.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the particle size of the granule is not

more than 325 mm.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the material further comprises urea,

peat soil, kaolinite, clay, bentonite, diatomaceous earth, acid clay, and the combination

thereof.

9.. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the oil is one selected from the

group consisting of mineral oil, base oil, lubricating oil, palm oil, soybean oil, and the

combination thereof.

10. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the at least one surface additive further comprises calcium lignosulfonate, sodium lignosulfonate, biochar, humic acid, amino acid, micronutrient, and the combination thereof.

11. The method as claimed in claim 8 or 10, wherein the particle size of the at least

one surface additive is not more than 60 mesh.

12. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the at least one granule additive

further comprises biocide, antioxidant, reducing agent, surfactant, and the

combination thereof.