FI96164C - Procedure for improving plant growth - Google Patents

Description

96164

A method for improving plant growth

The invention relates to a method for improving the growth of plants, in which methanol is applied to the above-ground parts of the plants.

The beneficial effect of methyl alcohol, i.e. methanol, on plant growth has long been known, and this technique has been described e.g. in "The part of 10 carbon in photosynthesis: Improved crop yields with methanol", A.M. Nonomura and A.A. Benson, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, Vol. 89, pp. 9794-9798 (1992). It has been found that plants are able to use methanol in metabolism to convert it into sugars.

15 Various syringes or sprinklers have been used in practical experiments to spray an aqueous solution of methanol at a suitable concentration on the leaves of plants as a fine spray or mist. The methanol content of the aqueous solution has generally been 10-10-30% in these experiments. Aqueous solutions of methanol were found to have a beneficial effect on plant welfare, especially at high temperatures and in direct sunlight. Some species have achieved up to 50% higher growth compared to those not treated with methanol.

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Methanol solutions have hitherto been administered using traditional irrigation and watering systems in the open air and in greenhouses. The problem with this is that the application of methanol to the plants cannot be precisely controlled and regulated. The process also requires the preparation of an aqueous solution of methanol of suitable strength and the treatment and spraying of large amounts of * methanol solution. In addition, due to the method of application, some of the methanol solution is inevitably absorbed into the soil, where it is wasted.

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The object of the invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks and to provide a method by means of which 2 96164 met anions can be administered to the above-ground parts of plants in an intensified and controlled manner. To achieve this object, the process according to the invention is characterized in that the methanol is administered to plants in a confined space, such as a greenhouse, by evaporating the methanol 5 to a suitable concentration in the confined space.

The method is simple and does not require handling and pumping large volumes of aqueous solution. At its simplest, the method can use an open, heated or unheated vessel from which methanol can evaporate into the air surrounding the above-ground parts of the plants, causing a suitable concentration in the air. Because the methanol is gaseous bounded by an enclosed space in the air, the plants are exposed to it evenly and there is no risk of uneven dosing, in addition to which the used methanol cannot escape, unlike, for example, when handling plants outdoors. Another possibility is to feed methanol into the air stream in the form of small droplets which evaporate into the air very quickly, or to flow it in a thin layer through a suitable surface.

The method according to the invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawing, which schematically shows the method and the parts of the equipment used therein.

The method is used in an enclosed space 1, such as a greenhouse with normal ventilation facilities with outdoor air. An open container 2 containing methanol is placed in a suitable space in a closed space. The vessel is open so that the methanol can evaporate into the air in the closed space 1. In order to adjust the appropriate concentration, the vessel is connected to a heater 3, the temperature of which can be adjusted, for example, by a thermostat. This can mainly affect the rate at which the methanol evaporates to the confined space '*, reaching the desired final concentration, which alone. Iflil liite lii I Bt 3 96164 at its most can be adjusted by the amount of methanol evaporated at once in vessel 2. The final pup content after evaporation is obtained simply by dividing the mass of methanol to be evaporated at once by the volume of the enclosed space 1. The methanol content in the air then gradually drops to 0 as the plants use it in their metabolism. The spread of methanol can be enhanced by air currents. The vessel 2 used is preferably such that it has a large surface area of methanol relative to the volume.

A predetermined amount of methanol can be evaporated at suitable intervals, depending on the need and growth stage of the plants in the enclosed space 1. In this case, the evaporation 15 can be arranged, for example, so that during the evaporation there is no one in the closed space 1 who would be exposed to methanol. However, good results are already achieved at relatively low, harmless methanol concentrations of less than 200 ppm.

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The process can also be carried out in such a way that the evaporation is continuous, in which case a certain concentration of methanol in the air is continuously present in the closed space 1. In this case, methanol is continuously fed from a larger tank 25 into an open vessel 2, and overfilling of the vessel is prevented by some precautionary arrangement, e.g. a float. The methanol content can be adjusted to the desired limits by a closed-loop concentration-measuring sensor which controls the heating power 30 of the heater 3, for example by adjusting the thermostat of the heater.

Pure methanol (at least 99% by weight of methanol) can be used for evaporation, so that it does not have to be dissolved separately in water and large volumes of solution do not have to be treated. If heating is used, it should be mild, below 50 ° C, as methanol is otherwise volatile (boiling point 65 ° C).

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The method also does not require major changes to the greenhouses.

In addition, there are other ways to feed methanol intermittently or continuously to a closed space.

Pure methanol can also be sprayed in small droplets into the air stream, which can be provided by a propeller blower. The droplets evaporate very quickly 10 in this way into the air.

Another way to evaporate methanol in batches or continuously is to flow pure methanol as a thin layer through a suitable surface such as glass, plastic or metal. Evaporation from this surface can be accelerated by the flow of air through the surface.

The method has been tested in practice in a greenhouse for tomatoes, roses and skulls, resulting in a 20-fold increase in growth compared to plants not treated with methanol.

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Claims (6)

1. A process for improving the plant growth, in which methanol is added to the plant's upper parts, characterized in that the methanol is added to a closed space (1), such as greenhouse existing plants by volatilizing methanol in this enclosed space (1). a suitable hait. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that methanol is volatilized from an open vessel (2) in doses. Process according to claim 1, characterized in that methanol is continuously volatilized by continuously feeding new methanol into an open vessel (2). 15 4. A process according to claim 1, characterized in that methanol is volatilized by feeding it in the form of small droplets in an air stream. Process according to claim 1, characterized in that methanol is volatilized by letting it run in the form of a thin film over a suitable surface. . · A · «• I ä-l» i