CA1084290A - Mulch material produced from vegetable fibers - Google Patents
Mulch material produced from vegetable fibersInfo
- Publication number
- CA1084290A CA1084290A CA263,672A CA263672A CA1084290A CA 1084290 A CA1084290 A CA 1084290A CA 263672 A CA263672 A CA 263672A CA 1084290 A CA1084290 A CA 1084290A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- fibers
- mulch material
- mulch
- vegetable
- plant growth
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
- A01G—HORTICULTURE; CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES, FLOWERS, RICE, FRUIT, VINES, HOPS OR SEAWEED; FORESTRY; WATERING
- A01G13/00—Protecting plants
- A01G13/02—Protective coverings for plants; Coverings for the ground; Devices for laying-out or removing coverings
- A01G13/0256—Ground coverings
- A01G13/0262—Mulches, i.e. covering material not-pre-formed in mats or sheets
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02A—TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02A40/00—Adaptation technologies in agriculture, forestry, livestock or agroalimentary production
- Y02A40/10—Adaptation technologies in agriculture, forestry, livestock or agroalimentary production in agriculture
- Y02A40/28—Adaptation technologies in agriculture, forestry, livestock or agroalimentary production in agriculture specially adapted for farming
Landscapes
- Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Toxicology (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Environmental Sciences (AREA)
- Protection Of Plants (AREA)
Abstract
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A process for manufacturing a mulch material used to encourage plant growth, said process comprising breaking down mechanically vegetable fibers having a high cellulose content by grinding, crushing and/or swelling until the cell structure of said vegetable fibers is opened, separating fibers having a length from 10 to 25 mm, and drying the separated fibers at a temperature below about 40°C to a final moisture content of about 13%.
The inventive mulch material may be used in seed slurries sprayed onto barren growing surfaces and owing to its purely biological composition it is a good nutrient medium for micro-organisms, thus creating optimal conditions for new plant growth whilst aerating the soil and creating a moisture reservoir on the surface of the soil.
A process for manufacturing a mulch material used to encourage plant growth, said process comprising breaking down mechanically vegetable fibers having a high cellulose content by grinding, crushing and/or swelling until the cell structure of said vegetable fibers is opened, separating fibers having a length from 10 to 25 mm, and drying the separated fibers at a temperature below about 40°C to a final moisture content of about 13%.
The inventive mulch material may be used in seed slurries sprayed onto barren growing surfaces and owing to its purely biological composition it is a good nutrient medium for micro-organisms, thus creating optimal conditions for new plant growth whilst aerating the soil and creating a moisture reservoir on the surface of the soil.
Description
l' ~6~8~2~Q
The pr~s~nt invention concerns a new mulch rnater:ial for use in agriculture and horticulture. The 7 mulch material Or the invention is particularly suitable for use in providing areas devoid of humus with green ~' ' ' plant growth by spraying on a slurry which includes the mulch materlal as one of its constituents.
;~ Areas of rock or of very poor soil on road embankments and the like wi]l not support plant growth to any extent but remain largely bare. Such barren ~- lO areas can however be encouraged to support plant growth ~- by first spraying an aqueous slurry of seeds, fertilizers and fillers from e.g. trucks or hellcopters onto the area. The area is then covered with straw or hay which is secured in place with an adhesive such as bitumen.
This procedure is however complicated, time-consuming and dirty. Too much labour and transport is required, ~- making the procedure uneconomic.
~he art has therefore seen a change over to adding wood fibers, cellulose and the like to the aqueous ~; 20 slurry as a mulch material and spraying on this mixture.
~'` The mulch material is conveniently coloured green and ~; is supposed to cover the growing-surface evenly, prevent ~j" .
erosion of the soil by wind and water, absorb and hold moisture and protect the seeds from extremes of kemperature.
~- 25 Since the materials involved are completely sterile, containlng none of the natural nutrients which support ~, .
,`~ micro-organisms, these materiaIs do not entirely measure r- - 2 - ~ ;
, :
9~ ~
up to requirelllellts.
An object of the present invention is to make avai]able a novel mulch material which does not have the above disadvantages and is very sui-table -for use in seed slurries sprayed onto barren growing surfaces.
A further object of the invention is to provide a method for n~anufacturing the above mulch material.
According to the present invention, there is provided a mulch material for use in encouraging plant growth said mulch material comprising ~'~ vegetable fibers having a high cellulose content with a length of from 10 to .
25 mm~ the fibers having been broken down mechanically by grinding, crushing and/or swelling to give an open cell structure, the mulch material being in an unsterilised condition. `~
In another aspect, the invention provides a process for manufactur~
;~ ing a mulch material used to encourage plant growth, said process comprising breaking down mechanically vegetable fibers having a high cellulose content by grinding, crushing and/or swelling until the cell structure of said vegetable fibers is opened, separating fibers having a length from lO to 25 mm~
and drying the separated fibers at a temperature below about 40C to a final mois~ure content of about 13%.
.~ . .
~: 20 The mulch material of the invention may also contain binders such as raw cellulose (chemically untreated cellulose pulp, chemically untreated ~ paper waste) and/or fertilisers and/or non-foaming wetting agents. The mulch ;, material of the invention is made up predominately of purely vegetable material and does not contain any harmful chemicals. Waste products from :: ~
?. agriculture, forestry and the food industry may be used in the manufacture ~ of the . .
., ., .~ .
~''', ~ ' ' s - 3 -z, ,;
.: . : . .
iL0~3 4291~
rna~erial, thus r-eslllting in low production costs.
The mulch material of the invention can be rnade from straw, hay, reeds, cotton fibers (f`ine-~ibered but cotton waste, combings from raw cotton) by not only cutting/
grlndin~,, crushing and/or pounding these materials and drying at a low temperature such as room temperature to ~j~ ca. 40 C, e.g. by air drying. The processed material is then baled.
O~ing to its purely biological composition, this mulch material represents a good nutrient medium for micro-organisms, thus creating optimal conditions for .; new plant growth and the utilization of nutrients such as ' protein and trace elements in the mulch material. In ~-~ addition, the mulch material aerates the soil as well as creating a moisture reservoir on the surface of the soil.
The mulch material preferably contains 2 to 5 % by weight of binders of biological origin such as plant extracts (e.g. hydrophilic colloids, galactomannose, ~-~ molasses etc.).
The following represent suitable vegetable fibers:
~ grasses (e.g. esparto), al~alfa, sugar ~eet chips, fruit ;~ and wastes such as sugar cane waste or desugarized sugar ~'~ beet, mixed if necessary with long-fibered peatg kapok, .,; ...
dried animal dung, waste cellUlose, maize stalks, cotton waste, sheepswool waste and plant refuse. Preferred are vegetable fibers containing protein.
According to the invention, the fibers are~
reduced in size in such a way that the cell structure .~. ,. , , ~
~ ~ is broken up to a great extent. This signi~icantly ~"' ' ' , .
:~'; ~ 4 ~
.. . . .
.: ~ , .
~L~8~L2~
incr~ases the capacity Or the fibers to absorb water~
i.e. they are rendered more strongly hydrophilic. The advanta~es mentioned above cannot be achieved by the conventional methods of chopping or cutting in a hammer mill. The comminu~lon accordlng to the invention gives more elastic flbers than simply cutting. The mesh apertur~
of the sieve can thus be about 50 % smaller than the desired fiber length. Drying at below 40 C ensures that .;; :~ .
, ~ no sterilization of the material takes place so that .;; ~
bacteria and en~ymes are retained. Hence a biologically active material is produced.
: , ~ Examples l to 4 .. : ....
Mulch materials of the following compositions were prepared:
~' 15 Example 1 2 3 4 Straw 48 %52 % 18 %
` Hay 42 % 21 %
:~ , Paper waste 5 % 5 %5 % 12 %
Sugar beet 2 %
Cotton . 2 % 78 %38 % 4ll %
non-foaming, particulate :
~- wetting agent l % 2 %2 % 2 %
~, Flash-dried Cellulose _ 15 %3 % 3 %
~ The wetting agent can be omitted.
,~,,:,'~;
;.: ...................................... . .
~ - 5 -:,., ,:
',"':' ,~ .
.' , . ..
.~ . .
`
'rhese mulch ma~,erials are sultable for use at the tlrne of sowing and encourage the germination of grasses and legumes. They can also be used to encourage the ger mination and early growth of bush and tree varieties.
The mulch material may be compressed to form bales having a density Or about 250 kg/m3. ~he capacity of the material to ~ absorb water has the followirlg minimum values:
s 320 % by weight after 1 hour ~-~ ca. 525 % by weight after 24 hours `,~ 10 ca. 700 % by weight after 216 hours.
, The mulch material of the invention may be used both in slurries for spraying onto barren surfaces .... ..
and also for dry sowings. It protects the soil against erosion and the seeds from being washed away. It also 15 ~ provides the seeds with protection against the wind, ' strong sunshine and the effects of evaporation of the - moisture in the soil. ~he mulch material may also be used to cover the soil in the intensive cultivation of e.g.
strawberries, fruit and vines so that the soil conditions ~; 20 remain suitable, the fruit is kept clean and weeds are ;, ' !
kept under control.
,;.
.~i, ' , g;~ ., ';`
:: - . ;.
~1''' ' ~
~ - 6 .~, , , ~
~": :
The pr~s~nt invention concerns a new mulch rnater:ial for use in agriculture and horticulture. The 7 mulch material Or the invention is particularly suitable for use in providing areas devoid of humus with green ~' ' ' plant growth by spraying on a slurry which includes the mulch materlal as one of its constituents.
;~ Areas of rock or of very poor soil on road embankments and the like wi]l not support plant growth to any extent but remain largely bare. Such barren ~- lO areas can however be encouraged to support plant growth ~- by first spraying an aqueous slurry of seeds, fertilizers and fillers from e.g. trucks or hellcopters onto the area. The area is then covered with straw or hay which is secured in place with an adhesive such as bitumen.
This procedure is however complicated, time-consuming and dirty. Too much labour and transport is required, ~- making the procedure uneconomic.
~he art has therefore seen a change over to adding wood fibers, cellulose and the like to the aqueous ~; 20 slurry as a mulch material and spraying on this mixture.
~'` The mulch material is conveniently coloured green and ~; is supposed to cover the growing-surface evenly, prevent ~j" .
erosion of the soil by wind and water, absorb and hold moisture and protect the seeds from extremes of kemperature.
~- 25 Since the materials involved are completely sterile, containlng none of the natural nutrients which support ~, .
,`~ micro-organisms, these materiaIs do not entirely measure r- - 2 - ~ ;
, :
9~ ~
up to requirelllellts.
An object of the present invention is to make avai]able a novel mulch material which does not have the above disadvantages and is very sui-table -for use in seed slurries sprayed onto barren growing surfaces.
A further object of the invention is to provide a method for n~anufacturing the above mulch material.
According to the present invention, there is provided a mulch material for use in encouraging plant growth said mulch material comprising ~'~ vegetable fibers having a high cellulose content with a length of from 10 to .
25 mm~ the fibers having been broken down mechanically by grinding, crushing and/or swelling to give an open cell structure, the mulch material being in an unsterilised condition. `~
In another aspect, the invention provides a process for manufactur~
;~ ing a mulch material used to encourage plant growth, said process comprising breaking down mechanically vegetable fibers having a high cellulose content by grinding, crushing and/or swelling until the cell structure of said vegetable fibers is opened, separating fibers having a length from lO to 25 mm~
and drying the separated fibers at a temperature below about 40C to a final mois~ure content of about 13%.
.~ . .
~: 20 The mulch material of the invention may also contain binders such as raw cellulose (chemically untreated cellulose pulp, chemically untreated ~ paper waste) and/or fertilisers and/or non-foaming wetting agents. The mulch ;, material of the invention is made up predominately of purely vegetable material and does not contain any harmful chemicals. Waste products from :: ~
?. agriculture, forestry and the food industry may be used in the manufacture ~ of the . .
., ., .~ .
~''', ~ ' ' s - 3 -z, ,;
.: . : . .
iL0~3 4291~
rna~erial, thus r-eslllting in low production costs.
The mulch material of the invention can be rnade from straw, hay, reeds, cotton fibers (f`ine-~ibered but cotton waste, combings from raw cotton) by not only cutting/
grlndin~,, crushing and/or pounding these materials and drying at a low temperature such as room temperature to ~j~ ca. 40 C, e.g. by air drying. The processed material is then baled.
O~ing to its purely biological composition, this mulch material represents a good nutrient medium for micro-organisms, thus creating optimal conditions for .; new plant growth and the utilization of nutrients such as ' protein and trace elements in the mulch material. In ~-~ addition, the mulch material aerates the soil as well as creating a moisture reservoir on the surface of the soil.
The mulch material preferably contains 2 to 5 % by weight of binders of biological origin such as plant extracts (e.g. hydrophilic colloids, galactomannose, ~-~ molasses etc.).
The following represent suitable vegetable fibers:
~ grasses (e.g. esparto), al~alfa, sugar ~eet chips, fruit ;~ and wastes such as sugar cane waste or desugarized sugar ~'~ beet, mixed if necessary with long-fibered peatg kapok, .,; ...
dried animal dung, waste cellUlose, maize stalks, cotton waste, sheepswool waste and plant refuse. Preferred are vegetable fibers containing protein.
According to the invention, the fibers are~
reduced in size in such a way that the cell structure .~. ,. , , ~
~ ~ is broken up to a great extent. This signi~icantly ~"' ' ' , .
:~'; ~ 4 ~
.. . . .
.: ~ , .
~L~8~L2~
incr~ases the capacity Or the fibers to absorb water~
i.e. they are rendered more strongly hydrophilic. The advanta~es mentioned above cannot be achieved by the conventional methods of chopping or cutting in a hammer mill. The comminu~lon accordlng to the invention gives more elastic flbers than simply cutting. The mesh apertur~
of the sieve can thus be about 50 % smaller than the desired fiber length. Drying at below 40 C ensures that .;; :~ .
, ~ no sterilization of the material takes place so that .;; ~
bacteria and en~ymes are retained. Hence a biologically active material is produced.
: , ~ Examples l to 4 .. : ....
Mulch materials of the following compositions were prepared:
~' 15 Example 1 2 3 4 Straw 48 %52 % 18 %
` Hay 42 % 21 %
:~ , Paper waste 5 % 5 %5 % 12 %
Sugar beet 2 %
Cotton . 2 % 78 %38 % 4ll %
non-foaming, particulate :
~- wetting agent l % 2 %2 % 2 %
~, Flash-dried Cellulose _ 15 %3 % 3 %
~ The wetting agent can be omitted.
,~,,:,'~;
;.: ...................................... . .
~ - 5 -:,., ,:
',"':' ,~ .
.' , . ..
.~ . .
`
'rhese mulch ma~,erials are sultable for use at the tlrne of sowing and encourage the germination of grasses and legumes. They can also be used to encourage the ger mination and early growth of bush and tree varieties.
The mulch material may be compressed to form bales having a density Or about 250 kg/m3. ~he capacity of the material to ~ absorb water has the followirlg minimum values:
s 320 % by weight after 1 hour ~-~ ca. 525 % by weight after 24 hours `,~ 10 ca. 700 % by weight after 216 hours.
, The mulch material of the invention may be used both in slurries for spraying onto barren surfaces .... ..
and also for dry sowings. It protects the soil against erosion and the seeds from being washed away. It also 15 ~ provides the seeds with protection against the wind, ' strong sunshine and the effects of evaporation of the - moisture in the soil. ~he mulch material may also be used to cover the soil in the intensive cultivation of e.g.
strawberries, fruit and vines so that the soil conditions ~; 20 remain suitable, the fruit is kept clean and weeds are ;, ' !
kept under control.
,;.
.~i, ' , g;~ ., ';`
:: - . ;.
~1''' ' ~
~ - 6 .~, , , ~
~": :
Claims (7)
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A process for manufacturing a mulch material used to encourage plant growth, said process comprising breaking down mechanically vegetable fibers having a high cellulose content by grinding, crushing and/or swelling until the cell structure of said vegetable fibers is opened, separating fibers having a length from 10 to 25 mm, and drying the separated fibers at a temperature below about 40°C to a final moisture content of about 13%.
2. A process according to claim 1 wherein the fibers having a length of from 10 to 25 mm are separated by sieving and the dried fibers are sub-sequently compressed into bales.
3. A mulch material for use in encouraging plant growth said mulch material comprising vegetable fibers having a high cellulose content with a length of from 10 to 25 mm, the fibers having been broken down mechanically by grinding, crushing and/or swelling to give an open cell structure, the mulch material being in an unsterilised condition.
4. A mulch material according to claim 3 further comprising a binder.
5. A mulch material according to claim 4 wherein the binder is selected from the group consisting of chemically untreated cellulose pulp and chemically untreated paper waste.
6. A mulch material according to claim 3 further comprising a non-foaming wetting agent.
7. A mulch material according to claim 3 comprising a mixture of vegetable fibers selected from the group consisting of straw, hay, cotton fibers, sugar beet chips, sugar beet industry waste, maize stalks, cotton waste and vegetable refuse.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA263,672A CA1084290A (en) | 1976-10-19 | 1976-10-19 | Mulch material produced from vegetable fibers |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA263,672A CA1084290A (en) | 1976-10-19 | 1976-10-19 | Mulch material produced from vegetable fibers |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1084290A true CA1084290A (en) | 1980-08-26 |
Family
ID=4107086
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA263,672A Expired CA1084290A (en) | 1976-10-19 | 1976-10-19 | Mulch material produced from vegetable fibers |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA1084290A (en) |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NL1021978C2 (en) * | 2002-11-22 | 2004-05-26 | Tno | Covering layers to prevent weed growth. |
-
1976
- 1976-10-19 CA CA263,672A patent/CA1084290A/en not_active Expired
Cited By (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NL1021978C2 (en) * | 2002-11-22 | 2004-05-26 | Tno | Covering layers to prevent weed growth. |
| WO2004047520A1 (en) * | 2002-11-22 | 2004-06-10 | Nederlandse Organisatie Voor Toegepast- Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek Tno | Cover layers to prevent weed growth |
| US7597753B2 (en) | 2002-11-22 | 2009-10-06 | Nederlandse Organisatie Voor Toegepast-Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek Tno | Cover layers to prevent weed growth |
| US7805883B2 (en) | 2002-11-22 | 2010-10-05 | Nederlandse Organisatie Voortoegepast-Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek Tno | Cover layers to prevent weed growth |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKEX | Expiry |