DE2056010A1 - Growing medium and method for soil improvement - Google Patents

Description

Dr. F Zumstein sen. - Dr. E. Aesmann
Dr.RlKoeiugsterger - Dipl. Phye. R. Holxbau "

Dr. V-. Zumstein jun.

Patent attorneys

8Mönchen2, BräuhouMlreße 4 / IU

RH 3625

SOCIETE RHODIACETA, Paris, France

Growing medium and method for soil improvement

The present invention relates to a new growing medium.

Attempts have been made at all times to convert cultivable soils into sterile ones Areas such as desert areas. Although certain proposed solutions, especially the at least partial replacement of sand with fertile soil, are technically possible, they nevertheless require considerable work and a arduous maintenance work, especially maintenance of moisture. They are therefore very expensive. ·

It is also used for culture in closed pots In rooms (greenhouses, apartments) or outdoors, mostly leaf soil as a substrate. This is with regard to the supply of supplies satisfactory for the plants, but it has the disadvantage of abundant and frequent irrigation for the maintenance of the plants to require. It has also been suggested to use peat to improve the water retention of soils. If so leads to certain results, these however remain inadequate. Attempts have been made to remedy this situation with special pots that have a water reserve, doca are the «3

10 9821/2073

quite bulky and expensive.

It is also known to partially replace the natural humus with a foam based on urea-formaldehyde resin. This product certainly has good water retention, but it has the disadvantage that it does not wipe the water off the body the watering spreads out and does not allow sufficient passage to the roots of the young shoots, so that the plant is not in the best growing conditions.

It has also been suggested that air and water be impermeable To improve heavy floors by adding polystyrene foam with closed pores.

The present invention provides an effective and economical one Solving these problems. It relates to a culture substrate, which is characterized in that it is at least partially from a Pulp product based on a polymer material which is insoluble in water at room temperature. This pulp product has preferably have the following properties:

on the one hand a Rohdioh'ce between 0.01 and 0.5, preferably between 0.04 and 0.2, and

on the other hand a specific surface which, determined by the method of measuring specific surfaces by gas adsorption [Brunauer method E ^t nras * Trllar (D.15 T *)], between 2

P P

and 25 ITi / g and preferably between 2 and 12 m '/ g.

Under "Puipenpro'V.ikt" is. Here to understand a fibrillar amorphous product, after precipitation -3 in a poly- material from its solution Xn a; “solvent is obtained in a 3ai, which is wrong. vie ^ ant Liohe ^: i -3 In Hi JhtlöüUü ^ ^ nLt bei for dia Po Iy, ner.ua be rial, t \ r \ s with the vei ^ - ^ rl '^ en solvent rnii ^ ibar ist, contains; . t / ob jl the P ■ "'η, ϋΓίρΓο, Ι ik'ö iich ^ ^ ■ .AessanJ / n lea Iiisafigsir.iteel and the Nichtlöo-ungo; ^n:; .i'sol bsfrüiu -: - ji. . * d.

ALa?: »Lymt; re, die .'iich · ν ... 'He ^ .- rt; j: .l ■: ^ d ^ r ¹ according to the

BATH 03! GWAL 1098? 1 / 7Π7Ί

Suitable products include synthetic polymers, among which polyamides and polyesters are preferably s'r *. However, the invention does not apply to these polymers, and the use of vinyl polymers, polymers based on acrylonitrile and polyolefins can be envisaged.

For the production of the pulp products according to the invention one can make use of several known methods.

According to a first method, the polymer solution is poured with stirring into a bath containing essentially a nonsolvent for the polymeric material, the resulting pulp product is obtained by filtration, subsequent suction, washing and drying.

You can also get these products continuously by introducing a Make a stream of the solution into a stream of the weak solvent. The pulp product obtained is taken up in the form of a strand on a conveyor belt. After draining, washing, vacuuming and drying, the strand is roughly chopped.

The culture substrate according to the invention is in the usual way either used alone or in a mixture with a known culture medium or with natural or chemical fibers. If if it is mixed with fertile soil, it is advisable to moisten the latter beforehand. This increases the homogeneity of the Mixture. The proportion of pulp product is not critical. Particularly interesting mixtures were obtained containing up to 75% of the pulp product contained. The seed or plant that one wants to cultivate, is then introduced into this substrate, to which an adequate amount of fertilizer may have been added. Finally, water is poured in order to give the substrate the To supply the necessary moisture to the plant.

It became the property of the pulp product, the germination of grains and to enable the growth of plants, proven. It has been found that garden cress that is against phytotoxic

409821/2073

Paktors is very sensitive to normal in the inventive Substrate developed.

In addition, this substrate has a strong water retention capacity by capillarity, so that it not only retains a higher amount of water than that caused by an equal weight Peat is retained, but this water is supplied to the plant very slowly in the bulk of its needs. This attribute therefore allows the frequency of irrigation and, if necessary, the supply of fertilizers to a considerable extent Reduce mass.

Finally, the low density of the pulp product makes it much easier to transport and use.

Because of these advantageous properties, the invention takes place Substrate particularly interesting uses in agriculture, especially in horticulture. You can get this pulp product either in the form of a layer for the germination of seeds and growth of flowers or vegetables, or in the form of a Use a top layer (mulching) on seeded fertile soil to slow the evaporation of water and compress it to prevent the earth in the case of irrigation by sprinkling. The pulp product according to the invention also enables the culture without soil or on an inert substrate, with the nutrition of the plants or bulbs balanced by the supply of Nutrient solutions takes place.

In all cases of seeds in the pulp product one observes opposite the usual growing media a reduction in the number of plants that die (seedling decline).

In general, the pulp product according to the invention is suitable for improving cultivation soils of good quality and for making them fertile of barren soil.

Finally, in intensive cultures, the substrate enables the

109821 // 073

to increase the amount of land available per square meter. Because of the good adhesion of the moist pulp product to the walls and bottom of containers containing it these are more inclined, which increases the cultivable area will.

The following examples serve to further illustrate the invention .

example 1

The water retention capacity of one prepared as follows is checked Pulp product: A polyhexamethylene adipamide is dissolved in an amount of 10% by weight in 98% sulfuric acid. The solution obtained is poured with stirring into a bath containing an aqueous 1N sodium hydroxide solution. The pulp product obtained is recovered by filtering, then washing it at ordinary temperature, sucks it off and dries it to constant weight. The white, dry pulp product has a bulk density of 0.06 and a specific surface area in the order of magnitude of

5 m / g. One compares it with usual substrates (sand, earth, garden soil, peat), which are dried and passed through a sieve with square Meshes of 2 mm side are sieved.

Four plastic containers with a capacity of about 200 ml are at their bottom with 15 holes 1 mm in diameter Mistake. The containers are completely filled with the substrates to be tested and placed in troughs, the water in a 1 cm high included. After 24 hours of soaking through capillarity the containers are weighed. The difference between the weights of the dry and wet substrates provides that amount of water retained by each of them.

In the case of garden soil and peat, the amounts of water absorbed by capillarity are very small. Therefore they wet 100 g of each of these substrates with 250 cnr ⁵ water in a beaker. After a lot

109821/2073

With gentle stirring, the mixture is left to soak in for 24 hours and then filtered to remove the excess and then weighed.

The results of this experiment are given in the table below, where the weight of water retained is that for 100 g of substrate.

Table I.

Substrates Water weight in g sand 18.5 Earth 47.7 Garden soil 155.8 peat 825.5 Pulp product 1,168.1

This table shows that the pulp product according to the invention has a water retention capacity that is clearly higher than that of peat.

Example 2

The phytotoxicity of that prepared according to Example 1 was determined Pulp product was tested using the following test, which was repeated five times.

Four identical plastic containers with a capacity of about 200 ml. Are filled with sand, potting soil, garden soil or pulp product according to the invention. 5 seeds of garden cress, which is very sensitive to phytotoxicity, are sown in each container and the contents of the container are poured to saturation. After 6 days, the number of sprouted seeds is counted. The results are given in the table below , expressed in%.

1098?! / 2073

Table II

Carrier. % Germination sand
Earth
Garden soil
Pulp product 56
60
80
92

This table shows that the substrate according to the invention completely is free from phytotoxicity. The substrate according to the invention represents an advance over garden soil even in this respect represent.

Example 3

In two identical clay bowls, ten types of vegetable seeds are sown in a row to compare with garden cress.

The first bowl contains a comparative mixture which contains 50% by weight of potting soil, 25 % of sand and 25 % of garden soil. This mixture is poured into the dish at a height of 4 cm. On the bottom of the second bowl, sand is placed at a height of 2 cm and then a layer of pulp product, as it is produced according to Example 1, at a height of 2 cm, in which the vegetable seeds are sown and at a depth of 1 up to 2 mm. The following seeds were used:

1G98? 1

Table III

Seeds variety Number of per bowl used seeds salad Batavia doree de printemps 30th leek Gros long d ^t ete 25th pumpkin Verte de maraichers 10 tomatoes De Marmande 25th Cabbage Clause premier 25th radish Gaudry rond rose a grand bout 25th spinach Monstrueux de Viroflay ^{blan 3} 25 Yellow beets Rouge de Chantenay 30th Turnips De Milan rouge 30th onion Jaune paille des vertus 25th Garden cress 25th

The experiment lasts ten days. The following table shows the percentage on seeds that emerged 4, 8 and 10 days after sowing was.

109821 /? 073

Table IV

Earth + Sand η ρ garden soil Pulp product + 8 + 10 90.0 93.0 ο amen + 4 + 8 + 10 + 4 40.0 64.0 salad 60.0 66 _f 6 70.0 76.6 100.0 100.0 leek - 28.0 60.0 - 36.0 76.0 pumpkin - 20.0 30.0 - 92.0 92.0 tomato - 48.0 64.0 - 80.0 84.0 Cabbage 20.0 92.0 92.0 4.0 48.0 76.0 radish 64.0 76.0 76.0 44.0 56.6 70.0 spinach - 40.0 56.0 - 70.0 76.0 Yellow turnip - 36.6 56.6 - 60.0 76.0 Turnip 33.3 33.3 46.6 20.0 80.0 84.0 onion - 16.0 64.0 - cress - 28.0 52.0 -

This table clearly shows that the vegetable seeds in the inventive Pulp product rise faster and more completely than in a normal culture device. It should also be noted that the The root system of the plants tested is well developed. The roots are strong and have a large number of root fibers.

Example 4

Two clay bowls 25 cm long and 5 cm wide Depth are filled in the following way:

a mixture is placed in the first, three equal parts by weight of earth, sand and garden earth contains; on the surface 100 seeds of lettuce Batavia doree de printemps are sown in the layer, which is 5 cm thick;

the obiga mixture is placed in the second bowl at a height of 4 cm} 100 seeds of the same Speoles as auvor in are sown this mixture and then covers it with a layer of pulp

109821/2073

product, as it is produced according to Example 1, at a height of 1 cm, which corresponds to a weight of 31 g of this pulp product .

The two bowls are poured to saturation. One observes then the behavior of the seeds for eleven days without irrigation. It is then found that:

1) all young lettuce plants of the first shell (two-leaf stage) have wilted; in addition, the plants are thin and show a tendency to shoot up;

2) the young lettuce plants of the second bowl have normal vegetation the withered state has not been reached and the leaves are larger and the plants more compact.

This shows that the substrate according to the invention is also advantageous can be used as a protective layer (mulcheri) to prevent evaporation limited and protects the sensitive plants.

Example 5

In each of a row of ten flower pots with a diameter of 1.5 cm and a height of 12 cm, place one after the other:

a 2 cm thick layer of pulp product made according to example 1 is preserved,

Place a geranium cuttings in the center of the pot, with each cuttings of analog strength 1st,

Pulp product until the inner volume of the pot is substantially filled is and

Complete fertilizer granules in several places, which are essentially on a circle, the center of which is the seedling and the one Has a diameter of 6 cm.

It is then poured until the pulp product is saturated.

G S 8 21> :? 0 7 3

The plants planted in this way are ^{exposed to sunlight in an atmosphere of 25 °} C. and 60 % relative humidity. After three days, the appearance of small leaves is observed on all the seedlings. In the course of the first month, growth of the plants is observed which is noticeably faster than that of ten seedlings which each come from the same plant as each of the first seedlings and have essentially the same thickness and were planted in foliage soil.

Example 6

In each of ten flower pots with a diameter of 15 cm and a height of 12 cm, ten plants A of a species called Ganella Alba are planted under the same conditions as in Example 5. The experiment is repeated with ten plants B, which have essentially the same strength, each in one A pot is planted, which is a mixture of potting soil and foliage soil contains. All plants are watered with the same amount of water, which corresponds to the saturation of the natural culture medium. After four days a relaxation of the upper leaves is observed of plants B, which occurs in plants A only after thirteen days.

Example 7

Two rectangular containers of the same dimensions are used. The first is filled with potting soil with little clay and the second with pulp product, as it is produced according to Example 1. Water to saturation. Each of the containers is inclined at an increasingly larger angle to a value called the "critical angle", just below that which causes the culture medium to slide off. It is observed that the critical angle for the first container is approximately 20 °, while the critical angle for the second container is approximately 45 °. The same operation is repeated, the container containing the pulp product having the same length as the first container but a width of 4/3 of that of the first container. “The second container therefore has a 33 % larger surface than

109821/9073

the first container. The two containers are tilted up to the critical angle. Due to the difference in the value of the critical angles, the two containers occupy the same floor surface. The use of the pulp product according to the invention therefore enables the cultivable area to be increased by 23% for the same usable area of the soil.

109821/7073

Claims (8)

4 ^ * f. Claims * 1. Process for improving the agricultural quality of a soil by at least partially replacing this soil with a substrate made of synthetic material, characterized in that this material is a pulp product based on an in water at ambient temperature insoluble polymer material. 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the pulp product has a bulk density between 0.01 and 0.5 and a specific Has surface between 2 and 25 m / g. 3 · The method according to claim 2, characterized in that the Pulp per having. Pulp product has a specific surface area between 2 and 12 ra / g 4. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that the Pulp product has a bulk density between 0.04 and 0.2. 5. Method according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that that the pulp product made from thermoplastic synthetic polymer! consists. 6. The method according to claim 5> characterized in that the Pulp product is a product based on polyamide. 7 'The method according to claim 5, characterized in that the Pulp product is a product based on polyester. 8. Culture medium, characterized in that it contains a Kültursub-8trat according to one of claims 1 big 7. ORIGINAL INSPECTED 1G98217207J