AU605032B2 - Fertiliser - Google Patents

Description

T h Cr uO 501 ICY.dX~t COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA The Patents Act 1952 Name of Applicant(s): Addr~ess of Applicant(s): Actual Inventor(s): CARLTON ANDREW BURDETT 1 Ballarat Street, Ellerelie Auckland, New Zealand CARLTON ANDREW BURDETT *.Address for Ser'vice: G.R. CULLEN COMPANY, Patent Trade Mark Attorneyst Dalgety Hour~e, 79 Eagle Street, Brisbane, Qld. 4000, Australia.

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR THE INVENTION ENTITLED: VERTILI SER The following statement is a full description of the invention including the best method of performing it known to me: /1) 2 This invention relates to fertilisers, growth promoters, and additives for use with fertilisers and growth promoters.

Various fertilisers are available in New Zealand, either in dry, or liquid form. Many natural fertilisers are available in liquid form based on extracts from sea weeds, fish, or the like. The weaker solutions of these are called "growth promoters" as current legislation requires that a product have minimum nitrogen content before it can be registered as a fertiliser. Thus the term fertiliser or growth promoter is intended in this specification to embrace all forms of materials used in improving plant growth and quality.

*0 000 S0 00 0 so 0 20 060 0 02 There is a need for an improved fertiliser and/or growth promoter, and additive for use with same, in order to promote healthy plant growth whilst minimising damage to the soil and the environment. It will be appreciated that excessive use of fertilisers such as superphosphate can lead to excessive quantities of superphosphate in run off water, and thus damage to rivers and lakes.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved fertiliser or growth promoter, or additive for use with the same, or one which will at least provide the public with a useful choice.

In one aspect the invention provides composition for use in a fertiliser, growth promoter, or as an additive for use with fertilisers or growth promoters said composition comprising corn steep liquor provided as a by-product from the processing r -IL

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*r OS 0 5* 0 S2 S *s 3 of corn or maize, and at least one liquid fertiliser or growth promoter of the seaweed-based or fish-based type.

In another aspect the invention provides a method of promoting plan't growth comprising: applying to plants, via either foliar feeding or application through the soil, a fertilizer, or growth promoter, or additive for use with a fertilizer, or growth promoter as described in the preceding paragraph.

It has been found surprisingly, that corn steep liquor significantly improves the plant quality and growth characteristics when used in combination with a seaweed-based or fish-based liquid fertilizer or growth promoter.

Corn steep liquor is provided as a by-product from the pr.ocessing of corn or maize, and is generally available as a thick liquid or slurry containing approximately 50% water and approximately 50% solids, of which about 8% of the solids consist of nitrogen, the bulk of which is available in the form of amino acids.

The mechanism by which the corn steep liquor functions as a fertiliser or fertiliser additive is not known, although it is possible that the amino acids are taken up directly by the plants and used for plant growth, or they are used by the associated soil fungi, or perhaps they provide a slow release form of nitrogen. Whatever the mechanism, it appears that the most likely characteristic of the corn steep liquor is the provision of the mixture of amino acids derived from the processing of corn and maize.

The invention now will be further described by way of reference to the following examples.

a_ Example 1: As a fertiliser additive, the corn steep liquor is utilised in equal proportions with existing commercially available liquid fertilisers or growth promoters of the seaweed-based or fish-based type.

For example, it can be used with the following: all of which are listed by their trade marks, and are all commercially available in New Zealand 0@ *5

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MAXICROP

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STRENGTH 4 REACTION PLUS

LIQUIPHOS

PLANT TONIC Seaweed based growth promoter Seaweed based growth promoter Fish based liquid fertiliser Seaweed based liquid fertiliser Seaweed base liquid fertiliser .Fish based liquid fertiliser 5e55 0 0055 See.

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*r e 55 Example 2: Corn steep liquor can be used on its own as a fertiliser or growth promoter, as it contains naturally occurring nitrogen as well as a small percentage of potassium and phosphorus.

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20 The following is an analysis of a typical sample of i. corn steep liquor, in order to illustrate the range of amino acids and other plant derived material. It will be appreciated that the amino acids present will vary in quantity from time to time depending upon the processing of the corn steep liquor. Thus this analysis is intended only ad a general guide to the range of material present in the corn steep liquor.

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ANALYSIS OF CORN STEEP LIQUOR I. GEkVERAL: Approximate Range Average

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6 60 90 0 0066 06 *0 0 00 :io

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20 Water pH Colour Dialyzable Solids Conductivity Weight per gallon (approx) II. MAJOR COMPONENTS., Total Solids Nitrogen phosphorus, Total Inorganic P (by differen Phytin P Potassium Crude Protein (N x 6.25) Nitrogenous Organics (N x Lactic Aci~d Carbohydrates Ash Phytic Acid Ether Extractables 55 -45 6.8 -7.1 tD. B.

45 55 47% 6.9 Medium Brown 88% 2.5 moh.

12.4 lb ce) 1.0 2.8 44 53 5.3)37 45 20 29 10.8 .15.0 16.2 21.4 3.5 9.5 0.5 3.5

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52 8 3 1.1 2.2 48.8 41.4 26 12.5 18 Traces of Various organic acids including acetic, succinic and oxalic, may be present.

III. ASH CONSTITUENTS tD. B.

006* 0S S. 0.

10 S *0 6 .0 0

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magnesium Sodium Sulfur, Total Sulfate S Sulfite S 3.5 -5.2 2.15 -4.26 0,49 -1.4 0.22 -0.28 0.15 -0.35 iD. B.

4.9 3.2 0.70 0.25* 0.25 other sulfur forms include traces of sulfide, thiosuif ate, and tetrathionate as well as sulphur containing amino acids, Calcium Chloride Iron Copper Mn, Zn, Co, Al,B, etc.

0.046 0.10 0.5 0.9 0.01 0.05 0.006 0.015 0.065 0.70* 0.025* 0,01* .55.

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IV. NITROGEN FRACTIONS: Steepwater as obtained Protein N (Nondialyzable) Peptide N (by difference) Amino N (E'ormol Titration) Amide N Ammonia N Amino Acids Analyzed Glutainic Acid Isoleucine Leucinte Mthionine Phenylalanine Theonine Tyrosine vaJline t off Total N 25- 40 1.5 4.5 7.5 14.5 6.5 8.0 3.2 4.,9 2.6 -3i7 2,2 -3.5 2.0 3.4 1.3 -2.5 3.2 -4,9 wQo Tot-al 3 12 7.8 4.8 2.63 2.4 2.2 1.4 3,6 *efi- ~1 00.0 00 00 010 0000 S S 00 5 00 0

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IV. NITROGEN FRACTIONS: Hydrolyzed Steepwater Ammonia Alanine Arginine Aspartic Acid Cystine Glutaic Acid Histidine isoleucine Leucine Lysine Methionine Phenylalanine Praline Serine Theonine Tyrosine Valine t- of Total N 8.0 -18.0 4.7 7.5 5.0 6.4- 1.0- 2.0- 6.6 6.2 10.4 6.5 8.2 3.0 2.9 8.4 t of Total 12 14* 3.6* 5.4 3.3* 6.7 7.8 2.2 2.4 7.2 3.8 2.6 3.7 2.0 3.3 0.5 1.4 0000 0 0005 00 50 0 9* 00 0 00 V. VITAHINS and GROWTH FACTORS* Ribof lavin B 2 Lactof3,avin Niaoin Nicotinic Acid Pyridoxine B 6 Adern N 1anthothenic Acid Folic Acid Biotin Inasitol (Mesa) Choline Auxin (as Indoleacetic Acid) 50 5 00 0 55 00 0

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0 05 Microgr~a,- per Gram 0 4

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10 800 so 0,5 0.1 0.2 500 1400 200 Not known very accurately because only a small number of samples have been analyzed.

ni~ i 4 1 11 111 I Example 3: The corn steep liquor and seaweed-based or fish-based fertilizer or growth promoter can be used with dry fertilisers, by admixing the liquors with the dry fertiliser to form a slurry, and then drying the slurry to form powder granules as required. Any convenient form of drying may be used, eg evaporation by heat, accelerated freeze drying, or the like. Any dry fertiliser or growth promoter may be used.

Examples include superphosphate, blood and bone powder, and Ammo-Phos, dry ammonium phosphate .10 :fertiliser

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0* Example 4: In addition to the formation of dried fertilisers, the corn steep liquor and seaweed-based or fish- 15 5 based liquid fertilizer or growth promoter can be admixed with other ingredients to form a slurry or thickened liquid. If the above liquors are to be used as a liquid base for a slurry containing a large quantity of particulate fertiliser, thickening agents or other additives may be used to retain the particulate material in suspensions.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing examples that the corn steep liquor and seaweed-based or fishbased liquid fertilizer or growth promoter can be readily admixed with other fertilisers or growth .i promoters, to improve the quality of such fertilisers or growth promoters. Indeed the quantity of nitrogenous material in the corn steep liquor, Senables it to be used as a nitrogen based fertiliser.

Thus the invention is applicable to fertilisers, fertiliser additives, and methods of fertilising

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IS SO plants, or stimulating or promoting or improving the growth thereof. By providing the fertiliser in liquid form either alone or in conjunction with other liquid based fertilisers or growth promoters, it has been found that the combination of corn steep liquor and seaweed-based or fish-based liquid fertilizer or growth promoter is beneficial to plant growth when prayed onto the plant either for foliar feeding, or for application through the soil.

Finally, it will be appreciated that various alterations or modifications''may be made to the foregoing without departing from the spirit or scope of this invention, as exemplified by the following claims: *005 0 0, sells feet I* VS of 0S 0 05

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Claims (4)

1. A composition for use as a fertiliser, growth promoter, or as an additive for use with fertilisers or growth promoters, said composition comprising corn steep liquor provided as a by-product from the processing of corn or maize, and at least one liquid fertiliser or liquid growth promoter of the seaweed-based or fish-based type.

2. The composition as claimed in claim 1, admixed with *0 s a dry fertiliser to form a slurry, said slurry then being e dried to form powder granules.

3. The composition as claimed in claim 1, substantially as herein described with reference to examples 1, 3 and 4.

4. The composition as claimed in claim 1, *ee* substantially as hereinbefore described. A method of promoting plant growth comprising; a 0* applying to plants, via either foliar feeding or application through the soil, a composition as defined in any one of the preceding claims. DATED this twenty-first day of August 1990. o0 CARLTON ANDREW BURDETT By His Patent Attorneys CULLEN CO *Y ,aen =rss