EA008089B1 - Bio-degradable plant growth composition and method for use - Google Patents

Abstract

A bio-degradable plant growth composition consisting essentially of coal particulate, sodium molybdate, linear alcohol C-Calkoxylate, magnesium sulphate, sand or other filler and water. For improving crop plant yield the inventive composition is applied to the ground of the crop plant.

Description

The present invention relates to a biodegradable composition for growing plants, which is based on coal particulates.

The background of the present invention

The plant growth composition of the present invention is an improvement to the formulation described in US Pat. No. 4,541,857; the content of this patent is incorporated herein by reference.

US Pat. No. 4,541,857 describes a fertilizer composition for plants containing a mixture of particulate coal, which includes released nutrients for plants, sodium molybdate (which serves to release these nutrients in a form that is suitable for use by plants); and one or more auxiliary agents selected from ferrous sulfate, magnesium sulfate, sodium chloride, zinc sulfate, zinc chloride, copper sulfate, sulfur, hydrogenated sodium borate, calcined limestone, and cobalt carbonate. The maximum size of coal particulates is approximately 100 mesh, and their content in the composition is about 50-75 wt.%, The molybdate content in the indicated composition is from 0.001 to 0.100 wt.%, And the rest is auxiliary agents.

Summary of the Present Invention

As indicated, the present invention provides certain improvements to the formulations described in US Pat. No. 4,541,857. These improvements retain the beneficial characteristics of the composition described in the earlier patent, but also lead to other advantages (described in detail below), including, for example, improving plant growth and productivity. , as well as to expand the applicability and use of the specified composition.

According to the present invention, the claimed biodegradable composition for growing plants mainly consists of coal particulates, sodium molybdate, linear C ₁₂ C ₁₅ alkoxylate, magnesium sulfate, sand and water.

Preferably, the inventive composition consists of the following components: 50-75% by weight of particulate coal of 100 mesh size or less; 0.01-1 wt.% Sodium molybdate; 0.2-2 wt.% Water; 0.1-1 wt.% Alkoxylate linear C ₁₂ -C ₁₅ alcohol; 0.01-4% by weight magnesium sulphate; and approximately 20-60 wt.% sand.

According to the invention, a method for increasing the yield of crops includes applying said composition to the soil occupied by these crops.

The remaining features of the present invention will be apparent from the following more detailed description.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The composition for growing plants of the present invention mainly contains the following components:

(1) particulate coal 40-80 wt.% (Preferably 70-80 wt.%);

(2) sodium molybdate 0.01–1 wt.% (Preferably 0.5–1 wt.%);

(3) water from 0.2 to 2 wt.%;

(4) linear C ₁₂ -C ₁₅ alcohol alkoxylate from 0.1 to 1 wt.%;

(5) magnesium sulfate from 0.001 to 4 wt.%; and (6) the residue is sand, usually in an amount of about 20-60% by weight of the total composition.

This composition, containing predominantly coal and sand, is a preferred embodiment of the present invention, however, the presence of molybdate, linear alcohol, magnesium sulfate alkoxylate, and water in the above boundaries is also important for the success of the present invention.

Of the above components, coal particulates are preferred. Coal particulates can be of any type (for example, anthracite, bituminous, bituminous, or lignite-like) and of any quality, but usually they all contain from about 0.5 to 3.0% nitrogen. Other nutrients for plants contained in coal and suitable for use by plants in accordance with the present invention include iron, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur or sulfates, calcium, chloride, and at least traces of magnesium, copper, boron, cobalt , aluminum and selenium.

Preferably, the particle sizes of the coal are 100 mesh or less, namely, such that the particles pass through a 100 mesh screen of Tyler. Larger or smaller particles may be used, for example in the range from 50 mesh to about 300 mesh. However, particles larger than 100 mesh tend to release plant nutrients more slowly. Therefore, it is preferable to use particulate 100 mesh coal or smaller, such particles so that they pass through a 100 mesh Tyler sieve.

The use of any type of coal is possible, however, the type of coal with high sulfur content is preferable, for example, given in US patent 4,541,857. According to the elementary analysis, this coal contains (by dry matter):

Carbon 73.19%

Hydrogen 5.05%

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Nitrogen 1.32%

Chlorine 0.07%

Sulfur 4.50%

Ash 6.00%

Oxygen 9.87%

According to the mineral analysis, this composition includes:

Phosphorus pentoxide 0.26%

Silicon 32.95%

Ferric oxide 33.09%

Aluminum oxide 22.13%

Titanium 0.68%

Limestone 2.66%

Manganese 0.52%

Sulfur trioxide 3.24%

Potassium oxide 1.43%

Sodium oxide 0.51% and

Not detected compounds 2.53%

As explained in US Pat. No. 4,541,857, sodium molybdate acts to make the coal particulates digestible and for plant nutrients to be released from these particles in a way that makes possible the efficient and preferential utilization of these substances. Although the amount of modibdat can be varied, and in some cases it can go beyond the specified limits, but, depending on the nature and size of the particulate coal, the best results can be obtained if the molybdate content is 0.5-1% by weight of the total composition. It is possible to use quantities larger than the indicated preferred amounts, however, it is believed that effective absorption of coal occurs when molybdate is used within the specified limits.

Said linear C ₁₂ -C ₁₅ alcohol alkoxylate is preferably a primary linear C1 ₂ -C15 alcohol (for example, dodecyl alcohol or its mixtures with another C ₁₂ -C ₁₅ alcohol) that has been ethoxylated, for example, polyethylene oxide ether of a primary linear alcohol containing 12 -15 carbon atoms. For use in our case, the preferred alkoxylate linear alcohol, which is a commercially available surfactant "Wais N". For the purposes of the present invention, it is possible to use this substance or its analogue. The described composition should also contain a small amount of water, usually amounting to no more than 2 wt.%. It is revealed that such a small amount of water accelerates the action of alkoxylate, and also helps to activate elements in the specified carbon component for growing plants. You can use any convenient source of sand. The amount of sand used can be varied, and it should depend on the nature and composition of the coal component, as well as on the amount of other substances present.

However, in essence, the sand content in the described composition should be in the previously specified range, namely to be 20-60 wt.%.

It turned out that optimal results are obtained if the sand used contains small amounts (for example, 0.001-0.01 wt.%) Of magnesium sulfate, copper sulfate, as well as trace amounts of sulfates of other metals.

In addition to magnesium sulfate, which may be part of the sand, it is useful to additionally add in the composition from 0.001 to 4 wt.% Magnesium sulfate.

The described composition can be prepared in any convenient way. However, it is preferable that coal and sand are uniformly mixed, and then sodium molybdate, alkoxylate and magnesium sulfate in water are sprayed over the coal-sand mixture obtained; in order to ensure uniformity of composition, the spraying process is carried out with stirring. The resulting product is left to dry, and then it can be packaged for future use or can be directly applied to the soil in places where it is necessary to use it.

Or, a mixture of coal with sand can be placed in the place where it will be used (for example, around the roots of a fruit tree), after which an aqueous mixture of molybdate and alkoxylate should be sprayed over the specified coal-sand mixture. Magnesium sulfate can be an ingredient of a water spray of alkoxylate and molybdate, or it can be mixed with coal and sand.

Usually, in order to obtain a mixture for spraying, mix 1-4 ounces of sodium molybdate (1 ounce = 28.3 g) and up to 1 gallon of alkoxylate (1 English gallon = 4.54 L; 1 American gallon = 3.78 L) with 50 gallons of water (it can be more or less); magnesium sulfate is also optionally present. Advantageously, a mixture of molybdate and alkoxylate in water is sprayed over a dry mixture of coal, sand, and magnesium sulphate after the dry mixture has been applied to the field or soil on which

- 2 008089 ryh desirable cultivation of plants, although (as noted earlier), the entire composition, including molybdate and alkoxylate, can be prepared before applying to the field or on the soil. It turned out that molybdate and alkoxylate spray helps activate nutrients or growth elements, whether this spray was prepared in advance or at the site of use.

The composition of the present invention is applicable on most soils (if not all). An important advantage of the present invention, as shown below, is that this composition can turn unsatisfactory soils for agricultural needs into extremely convenient. With extensive testing, it turned out that the resulting product consistently increased the yield from 1 acre by 50100% compared to the standard Ν-Ρ-Κ fertilizers used.

The present invention is illustrated by the following examples.

Example 1

pounds (1 pound = 453.6 g) of high-sulfur coal was turned into 100-mesh coal dust and mixed with 25 pounds of sand and 4 pounds of magnesium sulfate. Then, the resulting mixture was spread around the roots of peach trees grown in Western Pennsylvania on clay soils. Clay soils and the climate of Western Pennsylvania are unfavorable for growing peaches. These trees did not bear fruit for 8 years.

After the specified dry mixture was sprayed (not plowing) around the trees, the mixture was sprayed together with a liquid composition containing 50 gallons of water, 1 gallon Ba§1c H (polyethylene oxide ether of primary C12-C15 alcohols) and 4 oz of sodium molybdate. No pesticides, herbicides or fungicides have been used. The peaches are immaculate with excellent rich crown and great taste. The harvest over the entire growth period (approximately 4 months) from each tree was so large that it was necessary to use wooden stands to support the trees under the weight of fruits.

Example 2

Example 1 was repeated, except that in this case the indicated composition was used on 30-year-old apples, which in the initial stage and during their growth were found on clay soils of Pennsylvania. Although these apples and fruits, but their harvest was small. About 100 pounds of the composition were sprayed around the roots of the trees, and then the liquid mixture given in Example 1 was sprayed. The composition was applied around the trees in April. In May, flowering of trees occurred, and they began to bear fruit in late summer. During the following years, the apple harvest increased significantly. The quality of the apples was superb.

Example 3

On the same clay soils of Pennsylvania, the experiment from example 2 was repeated for the head of cabbage, while obtaining improved yield, improving the quality and size of the product. The normal diameter of the head of cabbage was approximately 6 inches (1 inch = 2.5 cm). However, when applying the studied composition on these soils immediately after planting in the spring, by the middle of summer they got heads made 14 inches in diameter. Despite the fact that they did not use any pesticides, there was no danger from insects. These results were obtained despite the fact that no special weed removal was carried out, and, consequently, they competed with cabbage for nutrients from the soil.

It was noted that during the tests according to the examples given, in the process of plant growth there was a tendency for the emergence and presence of earthworms in the soil, which contributed to the improvement of its condition.

Example 4

In a 24 acre grain field test (1 acre = 0.4 ha), the growth composition from example 1 was compared with commercially available Ν-Ρ-Κ fertilizer. This field was not used for 40-50 years, it was placed in the mountains and the soil layer was 1 inch, and then clay stones were encountered, i.e. For the conditions of the test, such a field was the worst type. It was estimated that 4000 pounds of limestone, 120 pounds of nitrogen and 180 pounds of phosphorus per acre of land would have to be used to effectively grow grain in this area. However, it was decided to use for each acre only about 200 pounds of the composition of the present invention, without the addition of limestone.

Periodically took photos. The grain field with Ν-Ρ-Κ fertilizer, including a 4 acre plot, as expected, did not sprout. No yield of 4 acres of stubble ears, in which here and there were grains, yielded any crop. This resulted from preliminary results.

On 20 acres of land adjacent to the field under study and separated by only 12 yards (1 yard = 914.4 mm) from the field with cereals, on which Ν-Ρ-Κ fertilizer was used, the composition was used for growing according to Example 1. All 20 acres yielded cereal crops, some of which were 104 inches tall. The entire harvest was of very good quality, and on average from each of the experienced 20 acres, it amounted to 100 bushels of excellent grain. Previously, using limestone and Ν-Ρ-Κ fertilizer, the total yield from the entire 24 acre field was only 50 bushels. In the experiment, no pesticides or herbicides were used, no damage to the plant stem or discoloration occurred; it was found that the cereal grains are located in a perfectly correct row.

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In addition to the fact that the yield per acre increased significantly, significantly less of the composition of the present invention was used on this site of 20 acres than on those 4 acres of land that did not germinate when using Ν-Ρ-удоб fertilizer.

The results of example 4 show that the composition for growing plants of the present invention can be used to obtain grain on unused land, or on farm land, which for one reason or another is considered too infertile to use. Such products can be widely used, for example, to obtain ethanol.

It should be clear that the amount of the composition of the present invention can be varied in a wide range. It was found that applying 200 pounds of the composition of the present invention (for example, the composition of Example 1) per 1 acre of area is usually effective for obtaining the desired results. You can use the amount of the composition greater or smaller than the specified, and the optimum number for each specific situation can be easily determined by changing the composition and observing the results. To obtain the desired results, it is usually sufficient to use 100-300 pounds (or more) per 1 acre, while preferably an amount of approximately 200 pounds per 1 acre.

Although in the examples given, the present invention increases the yield of fruits (apples and peaches), cereals and cabbages, however, the present invention is not limited to these fruits and vegetables. Similar results were obtained, for example, for tomatoes, hay and alfalfa, and the like. In another application of the present invention, the composition was applied to the growth of grass cover on the ground exposed as a result of the dismantling of the coal mines. In this particular case, it was previously impossible to create a ground cover, which was required by state and federal agencies. The composition of the present invention was sprayed over the surface of the soil in the form of a water spray (hydroseeding) with grass seeds, and a full soil cover was obtained within 2 weeks.

Analysis of the percentage of dry matter, volatile matter, total carbon (To1a1 C), total nitrogen (To1a1 Ν), organic nitrogen (Ogd Ν), ammonium nitrogen (ΝΗ ₄ -Ν), phosphorus (P), potassium (), magnesium (Md), calcium (Ca), sodium (Να), cadmium (Sy), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), nickel (Νΐ), zinc (η) and boron (B) comprising according to the present invention used in the following examples, gave

22.7 ± 1.1

4.98 ± 0.16 3.17 ± 0.35 1.82 ± 0.50 2.1 ± 0.33

5.6 ± 0.69 2.1 ± 0.11

6.6 ± 0.35 029 ± 0.02 0.63 ± 0.02

2.1 ± 0.16

0.31 ± 0.02 the following results:

Main components (all values are given in% by weight ± standard deviation)

Dry substances 95.9 ± 0.14

Volatiles 35.8 ± 4.7

To1a1 C To1a1 N Ογ§Ν ΝΗ4-Ν RK Md Ca Να Ge A1 Mp

Trace elements (all values are given in mg / kg or 1x10 ^b ± standard deviation)

sa 0.46 ± 0.02 Cr 49.85 ± 4.59 Si 9.35 ± 0.35 Pb 42.15 ± 2.05 Νΐ 1.5 ± 014 Ζη 33.5 ± 2.19 AT 184 ± 13

The content of Mo in this analysis was not determined.

Based on the above analysis, the indicated composition can be considered as a composition of 5-5-7 (ΝΡ-,), in which Ν is present as% Ν, P is present as% P2O5, and Κ is present as% K ₂ O, which is typical for fertilizer analysis. The exact composition is 5-4,8-6,8. Consequently, 10 tons of this substance in dry form will provide 100 pounds of total nitrogen, and 2.4 tons - 100 pounds of phosphorus. None of these trace elements are present in concentrations that would be of interest to the use of this substance on the soil as a fertilizer. Despite the fact that Cr, Pb and Ζη concentrations are more than 10x10 ^-6 , these values are not at all higher than those that can be found on unpolluted (untouched) soils, since these elements are also present in rocks. A high concentration of organic nitrogen and carbon indicates that the introduction of this substance into the soil should increase the content of organic matter in it, which will lead to an overall improvement in the quality

- 4 008089 soil, which is higher than the improvement produced by an equivalent amount of nutrient added in its pure form.

From the above, it should be obvious that the composition of the present invention offers a number of important advantages. For example, in addition to the fact that the composition increases the yield and works in conditions that are far from optimal soils, it has a direct impact on the fertilization of the soil without depleting it. As you know, the use of fertilizer Ν-Как-Κ has the opposite effect. Worldwide, over the centuries, soil has been seriously depleted of nutrients and contaminated with insecticides, herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides; but this has especially manifested itself in the last 50 years. Extensive, repetitive and ever-increasing quantities of Ν-Ρ-Κ fertilizers (nitrogen, phosphate and potash), or agricultural fertilizers were needed to harvest the depleted soils; all this happened at an increasing cost, while the quality of crops, such as grains, tomatoes, watermelons, or other vegetables and fruits, declined. Studies show that to produce a crop that meets or exceeds the yield from 1 acre of land using commercial Ν-Ρ-Κ fertilizer mixtures, a smaller amount of the composition of the present invention is needed. In addition, as it turned out, the present invention minimizes the need for pesticides, herbicides and fungicides. This is true for all crops, from cereals to cabbage, tomatoes, melons, peaches, apples, beans and other vegetables. In all trials, these cultures did not require (and did not use for them) any pesticides or herbicides. No side effects were observed, as was the case when nutrients were introduced into the soil.

In addition to the fact that the composition of the present invention reduces the cost of the product while improving plant growth, it offers a number of other advantages. For example, the present invention can be used to regenerate soils that were not previously usable (for example, exposing soils from coal mines and underground mines). To study the composition of the present invention (such as in examples 1-4) inflicted on the surface of "hot" or acidic soils, which were the result of coal mining in Pennsylvania. Previous attempts to create soil cover, as required by the departments, have been unsuccessful. However, approximately 10 days after the composition of the present invention was applied, a strong soil cover was obtained.

As should be clear from the above, the advantages of the present invention include the following: it makes it possible to avoid the use of expensive Ν-Ρ-Κ fertilizers (or their equivalent), as well as the disadvantages of these fertilizers. It eliminates the need for pesticides, herbicides and fungicides, or reduces their number; This composition undoubtedly leads to the disposal of agricultural pests by natural means. It turned out that this composition can carry out (and contributes) a more uniform permeability of soil to water, which makes the nutrients released from coal more accessible to plants in a shorter time than was possible using standard fertilizers. In addition, the present invention does not adversely affect the pH of the soil, which makes the leaves of plants more green, promotes seed germination, increases the yield; stimulates the emergence of earthworms, which contribute to the enrichment of the soil; contributes to the fact that the plants themselves, their upper part and the stem become taller, denser and increase in size; helps to more efficient use of water, because it returns water to the soil, thereby reducing soil erosion, evaporation of water and its outflow; at the same time contributes to the drainage of water in the zone of soils with excessive accumulation of water, and also contributes to water retention in dry weather; but, on the other hand, it helps water leaching of the soil in hot or dry weather.

In the invention described above, as well as in the following claims, certain changes are possible.

Claims (3)

CLAIM 1. A biodegradable composition for growing plants, the main components of which are coal particles, sodium molybdate, linear alkoxylate C ₁₂ -C ₁₅ alcohol, magnesium sulfate, sand and water. 2. The composition according to claim 1, the main components of which are 50-75 wt.% Particulate coal with a size of 100 mesh or less; 0.01-1 wt.% Sodium molybdate; 0.2-2 wt.% Water; 0.1-1 wt.% Alkoxylate linear C ₁₂ -C ₁₅ alcohol; 0.01-4 wt.% Magnesium sulfate, as well as approximately 20-60 wt.% Sand. 3. A method of increasing the yield of crops, including applying the composition according to any one of claims 1 to 2 to the soil occupied by these crops.