DE102021121578A1 - climate change concept - Google Patents

Abstract

A method for permanently binding CO2, comprising the steps of wetting straw (10) and spreading the straw onto seed (11).

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a method for permanently binding CO2 in an agricultural area.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Methods are known in the prior art which enable effective management of agricultural areas.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Climate change is playing an increasingly important role in public debate. In particular, the increase in CO2 in the atmosphere is assigned a disadvantageous role.

One object is therefore to provide a method that allows effective management of agricultural land and at the same time CO2 can be bound to a large extent.

As a first embodiment of the invention, a method for permanently binding CO2 in an agricultural area is provided, comprising the steps: wetting straw and spreading the straw on seed that has been spread.

Soaking the straw promotes humus formation and ensures that the CO2 bound in the straw is not released into the atmosphere.

Exemplary embodiments are described in the dependent claims.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, there is provided a method comprising the further step of: adding fertilizer to the straw to bring the C/N ratio of the straw to 1:25.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a method is provided, comprising the step: immediately after harvesting the crops: sowing seed.

Planting seeds immediately can quickly create new plants that can take additional CO2 from the atmosphere.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided, further comprising the step of: covering the seed with the straw.

According to a further exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided in which straw is wetted with water, in which the water is obtained from salt water by desalination from a desalination plant and/or in which the salt water is sea water.

By using desalinated water, the groundwater reservoir can be protected, which means that the groundwater level can be kept constant.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a method is provided wherein water obtained from the desalination plant and not used for agriculture is used as drinking water for humans or animals.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a method is provided wherein the water for wetting straw has a higher salinity compared to water used as drinking water.

Water from a desalination plant that is used for agriculture can preferably be relatively salty. As a result, important salts are added to the soil. On the other hand, water for humans or animals should have a low salt content.

One idea of the invention can be seen as achieving absorption and binding of CO2 by useful plants in that seed is sown again immediately after harvesting, as a result of which young useful plants which can absorb CO2 can quickly develop. In addition, according to the invention, the seed that is sown is covered with straw, which is watered and mixed with fertilizer. This creates humus from the straw, preventing the straw from releasing the stored CO2. In addition, the young plants can obtain the necessary nutrients from the humus, so that the soil is largely protected and not leached out.

The individual features can, of course, also be combined with one another, which in some cases can also result in beneficial effects that go beyond the sum of the individual effects.

character list

• 1 eine Erntemaschine 1 mit einer sofortigen Ausbringung des Saatguts und einem Bedecken des Saatguts mit gewässertem Stroh, das mit Dünger angereichert ist.

Further details and advantages of the invention will become clear from the exemplary embodiment shown in the drawing. It shows:

• 1 a harvester 1 with an immediate sowing of the seed and covering the seed with watered straw enriched with fertilizer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

1 shows a harvester 1 harvesting crops. Part of the grains of the crops are immediately sown again. Beforehand, the seeds of the weeds are sorted out from the harvested crops using an optical reader. In addition, the harvested crops are sprayed with a dressing. The harvested crops are used in particular for human food and animal feed. The parts of the harvested plant that are not suitable for further processing are collected in the harvesting machine for application.

Through the growth of plants, for example useful plants, CO2 is bound in the plants and oxygen is released 2. By harvesting the useful plants, grain is harvested and seeds can be made available. If the straw produced is not kept wet, the straw cannot hold the bound CO2 and it is released. In the method according to the invention, the straw is immediately wetted and also supplied with fertilizer in order to obtain a suitable C/N ratio. This prevents the straw from releasing the bound CO2, because the humus formed from the straw can hold CO2 permanently. The humus produced in this way is applied to the seed 11.

A further advantage can be seen in the fact that, due to the rapid growth of the useful plants, further CO2 can be absorbed and bound by the young useful plants 5. In addition, the young plants produce oxygen 6, which is also advantageous in the fight against climate change.

The straw is sprayed with a liquid to bring the C/N ratio to 1:25. Bacterial cultures are also added to accelerate the decomposition of the plant remains in the humus. The C/N ratio represents the ratio of carbon to nitrogen by weight. The C/N ratio is an indicator of nitrogen availability for plants.

Advantageously, the straw is spread over the entire harvested area, which prevents the soil from drying out. This enables the seed that has been sown to start growing immediately.

Fertilizer is also added to the straw, which creates a humus layer. CO2 can be bound through the formation of the humus layer. Another advantage is that by covering the seed with straw and fertilizer, optimal conditions are created for rapid growth of the seed that is sown and that the crops load the soil to a lesser extent by absorbing nutrients.

Another advantage of the method according to the invention is that the soil remains constantly moist, which means that CO2 remains stored. The method according to the invention is therefore suitable for binding CO2 and preventing its release into the atmosphere. The method according to the invention can therefore contribute to the fight against climate change.

It can be assumed that 1 millimeter of new humus binds 6 tons of CO2 per hectare in agriculture and forests. It is also assumed that under optimal conditions, the cultivation of one hectare of grain binds 9 tons of CO2 and one hectare of forest binds 12 tons of CO2 per year.

However, these conditions do not exist in the forests, since drought and intensive forestry slow down assimilation and prevent humus build-up. The German forests currently bind 6 tons of CO2 per hectare annually. That's a total of 11.09 * 6 = 66.5 million tons of C02, which corresponds to 8.8% of annual emissions.

For comparison, new humus in agriculture (18.13) * 6 = 108.8 million tons of CO2 can be bound. To these come with two grain harvests in the year 2 * 7.07 * 9 = 127.3 million tons of CO2, which are stored in the plants. In total, this is 108.8+127.3 = 236.1 million tons of CO2 or 31.3% of the current total emissions. This is 3.5 times the amount stored in the forests.

On average, rapeseed is grown on 1.1 million hectares in Germany. You could expand this to 3.63 million hectares with a five-year crop rotation on all agricultural land. 1.26 tons of biodiesel can be synthesized from one hectare of rapeseed. Today, 100 liters or 0.084 tons of diesel are required to cultivate one hectare of agricultural land. However, this can be done through more efficient technolo be halved to 0.042 tons per hectare per year in the foreseeable future.

In order to manage all agricultural and green areas in Germany, 18.13 * 0.084 = 1.52 million tons of diesel are required. From the current rapeseed area, 1.1 * 1.26 = 1.39 million tons of biodiesel could be synthesized annually, or 91% of the current requirement. However, by using modern technologies and expanding the oil planting areas, the demand could be reduced to 18.13 * 0.042 = 0.76 million tons and a production of 3.63 * 1.26 = 4.57 million tons could produce a surplus of up to 500% or 3.81 million tons of biodiesel.

In Germany, 204 million tons of liquid manure, manure and other biological fertilizers are used in agriculture every year. These can be converted into energy with twice the amount of biomass in biogas plants. This biomass can come from agricultural waste, household biological waste such as leftover food and dedicated energy crops. The energy requirement in Germany in 2018 was 2498 TWh. In a biogas plant, 100 MW of energy can be generated from one million tons of biomass, which corresponds to 0.8544 TWh with year-round operation.

Today, 204 * 2 * 0.8544 = 348.6 TWh or 16% of the total energy requirement could be covered from all organic fertilizers occurring in Germany. The corresponding biomass would have to be available for this, which is possible and realistic if it is included in the larger agricultural planning. In addition, parts of the agricultural land can also accommodate solar and wind power plants without sacrificing efficiency.

The new method involves mulching (covering). Light germinators such as wind stalks or black grass only germinate when there is light and do not have the opportunity to germinate. Money can also be saved on fertilizer. Seed costs are significantly reduced as the seed is taken directly from the grain tank and does not need to be dried or driven away, so costs can range from 15 to 30 euros per hectare. By not tilling the soil, all bacterial cultures and microorganisms stay alive! These are able to make the nutrients fixed in the soil available again for the plants as soon as the roots are established. As a result, only those nutrients that are removed with the harvest need to be fertilized, which means that substances such as phosphorus and potash can be used industrially instead. In addition, at least 200-300 mm of water can be saved over a harvest period, as both thaw water is trapped and soil condensation is prevented. In addition, 6 tons of C02 are saved with every mm of new humus.

When the seed is transported from the grain tank via the feederhouse to the double cutterbar, the weeds can also be picked out and the seed treated if required. The straw that has been sprayed with nutrients can then be evenly distributed over the entire width of the cutterbar with the chopper. Underneath, the grain can swell and grow.

The area used for growing food in Germany should be more than enough to supply the population. Nevertheless, far less fruit and vegetables are produced than are ultimately consumed, so that large quantities have to be imported. At the same time, animal products such as dairy products and meat in particular are overproduced. For the production of these, a disproportionate amount of space is required for grazing and forage compared to plant foods. Three-fifths of German agricultural land is needed for animal feed alone.

Consistently following a five-year crop rotation of many different crops on all farmland would ensure soil health and reduce the need for pesticides and fertilizers. To this end, land use should primarily be based on the needs of the animals, domestic consumption and only then on those of export, instead of serving purely market interests. Above all, the number of farm animals must also be reduced in order to ensure independent supply. A fundamental change in housing is also needed to capture waste products such as methane and ammonia. Animal stables must be animal-friendly and ecologically built in order to make long-term keeping in them possible.

With better overall planning, agriculture would be able to produce its own raw material needs for fuel and fertilizer without creating a shortage of food. This could make them self-sufficient while simultaneously providing energy and sequestering C02. For this, however, it is necessary to create the right conditions and build an infrastructure on which this can take place.

A part of this infrastructure must be a water supply that is independent of steadily sinking groundwater. For example, wise, water from the sea can be desalinated to be used as service water in fields by means of direct irrigation and in industry or further purified as drinking water in households instead of groundwater wells. As a result, no water is removed from nature, which is essential for the water cycle, which allows the natural water bodies to be restored.

Likewise, all other side effects of agriculture such as fertilizer residues and greenhouse gases must be controlled and separated from nature. The dominant paradigm must be to minimize human impact on the environment and only use raw materials that come from recycling or natural regeneration. To this end, the recycling of biological waste in sewage treatment and biogas plants must be expanded and the recovery of raw materials from all other waste must be researched and promoted in order to generate the lowest possible amount of pollutants.

It is noted that the term "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, just as the terms "a" and "an" do not exclude multiple elements and steps.

The reference numbers used are for convenience only and should not be taken as limiting in any way, the scope of the invention being indicated by the claims.

Reference List

1

harvester

2

CO2 is absorbed and bound by crops

3

Crops give off oxygen

4

Rain promotes the growth of crops

5

young crops absorb CO2

6

young crops give off oxygen

7

the crops are completely taken up by the harvesting machine 1

8th

the majority of the harvested grain is taken up in the harvesting machine and is used for human consumption or is processed or used as animal feed

9

Conveyor belt for the straw

10

Straw is wetted and fertilizer is added

11

the straw is applied to the seed sown, where it becomes humus and promotes the growth of young crops

Claims (7)

Method for permanently binding CO2 in an agricultural area, comprising the steps: wetting straw (10) and Spreading the straw on sown seeds (11). procedure after claim 1 comprising the further step of: adding fertilizer (10) to the straw to bring the C/N ratio of the straw to 1 to 25. Procedure according to one of Claims 1 or 2 , comprising the step: temporally immediately after harvesting the crops: sowing seeds (7). procedure after claim 3 , further comprising the step of: covering the seeds with the straw (11). Method according to one of the preceding claims, in which the wetting of straw is carried out with water, in which case the water is obtained from salt water by desalination from a desalination plant and/or in which the salt water is sea water. procedure after claim 5 , whereby water obtained from the desalination plant that is not used for agriculture is used as drinking water for humans or animals. Procedure according to one of Claims 5 or 6 , whereby the water used for wetting straw has a higher salinity than water used for drinking.

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