FR2540100A1 - FERTILIZER COMPOSITION, PARTICULARLY FOR POT PLANTS - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a fertilizer composition based on conventional growth nutrients, characterized in that the composition is in the form of a tablet easily soluble in water and contains an effervescent combination of a solid substance. releasing carbon dioxide and a salt having an acid reaction.

Description

1- The present invention relates to a solid fertilizer which is suitable for

  providing nutrients to potted plants It has more

  particularly for object such a fertilizer containing substances nude-

  conventional tritives and in the form of a tablet easily soluble in water. Following the growth in the use of artificial fertilizers in agriculture and horticulture, solid fertilizers have also been developed for potted plants. These products come in the form of powders, but have a number of obvious disadvantages and have been entirely replaced by concentrated liquid fertilizers which were introduced about 25 years ago These liquid compositions are excellent from a nutritional point of view since they can be based on easily soluble salts, selected to provide an appropriate mixture of essential anions and cations and an advantageous p H These liquid compositions are used when the

  plants are watered and have a very rapid effect.

  The results of these compositions are manifested especially during their

  pulation Bottles containing the sol; concentrated ions become easily tacky and difficult to open due to the crystallization of salts in the fittings Liquid preparations are often sold with a screw cap, also used for dosing Very often a correct dosage is not successful due to

  salts precipitated in corks and plants receive quantities

  either too small or too large of nutrients, which

are both undesirable.

  Fertilizers in the form of sticks to be inserted into the growing medium were developed a few years ago. These sticks have become very popular and they are easy to handle by the user.

  types of fertilizers are not nearly as effective as cornpo-

  liquid positions with regard to their nutritional aspect The distribution of the nutritive substances in the culture medium is = much less good and since the nutritive substances coming from these 2 5 4 a 1 Q 3 2 - sticks are not generally found near the roots, the consequence will be an additional and superfluous energy expenditure to allow the roots to grow towards the source of the nutritive substances A comparison of the development of the plants for which the nutritive substances are provided by a liquid solution on the one hand, and by

  on the other hand, shows a marked slowdown in the development

development of the last.

  The fertilizers according to the present invention combine the advantages

  ges of the liquid compositions as for their nutritive effect and the advantages

  1 o solid compositions have their ease of handling.

  The solid fertilizer composition according to the invention is in the form of a tablet easily soluble in water and has

  an effervescent effect The tablets are easy to handle and

  put a correct dosage In principle they dissolve as quickly-

  that a medium-sized watering can is filled. They thus have all the advantages of liquid compositions with regard to a rapid effect and an appropriate distribution of the nutritive substances in

  culture medium In the same way as for liquid compositions

  des, the solid preparations according to the invention can contain all the ions required by the plants and at the same time correct the p H.

  The subject of the present invention is therefore a composition

  nutrient-based plant fertilizer sition convention-

  nelles, this composition being in the form of a tablet

  slightly soluble in water and containing a combination of at least one solid substance emitting carbon dioxide and at least one acid salt

having an acid reaction.

  Effervescent tablets, that is to say easily soluble tablets which release gas in the presence of water, are well known and are mainly used for the preparation of drinks, medicaments and vitamins. In these tablets combinations of bicarbonate and of an organic acid such as tartaric or citric acid are used

  as effervescent substances.

254 a 10 a -3-

  In current fertilizers the essential substances for pro-

  are a substance releasing carbon dioxide and

  a salt with an acid reaction This combination is chosen special-

  taking into account the properties of fertilizers Nutrient salts or-

  dinary are hygroscopic and one tablet containing the usual amounts of an organic acid, sufficient for other tablets

  effervescent, would not confer satisfactory stability here.

  Substances releasing carbon dioxide must be solid and easily soluble or fairly easily soluble in water.

  firstly bicarbonates because they release a quantity of car-

  bonique advantageous in relation to their weight, but the carbonates

  also come Mixtures of carbonates and bicarbonates can also be used of course The alkali metals except lithium and ammonium form carbonates and bicarbonates of which

  the water solubility is satisfactory and can be used with advance

  It is preferable that the cation in the gas-releasing substance

  carbon dioxide, either ammonium or potassium, because this ingredient

  thus drinks the nutritional value of the tablet It is particularly pre-

  fable to use potassium bicarbonate as a liberating substance

carbon dioxide.

  The other ingredient in the efferverscent mixture is a salt with an acid reaction This salt must naturally also be solid and have an appropriate water solubility This salt which releases the

  gas by reacting with the substance releasing carbon dioxide in pre-

  sence of water, is suitably an acid salt, that is to say a salt of a polyvalent organic or mineral acid. The cation of the salt can in principle be any metal giving with the acid a readily soluble salt and non-phytoxic The cation is suitably an alkali metal or

ammonium.

  The mineral acids giving acid salts are the acids

  sulfuric and phosphoric salts of organic acids di or poly-

  basic can be salts of aliphatic carboxylic acids, such as for example citric, tartaric, succinic acids, etc. 4 - Salts of mineral acids are preferably used The essential effervescent substances in the present fertilizers are therefore a substance releasing carbon dioxide and a salt However,

  if desired, the rate of dissolution of the tablets may be any

  only slightly increased by the presence of a small amount of a polyvalent aliphatic acid, anhydrides or lactones, that is to say intramolecular esters of hydroxyl acids, for example citric anhydride or glycone -lactone In case it is used, the amount of this

  ingredient should not exceed 3% by weight of the total weight of the tablet.

  As far as quantities are concerned, the general principle is that the concentration of salt must be high enough for all the gas

  carbon dioxide is released from the substance provided for this purpose It is clear

  rement from the above, that the effervescent substances can be selected so as to actively contribute to the content of

  nutrients from the tablets, i.e. to provide additional

  Nitrogen, Phosphorus and / or Potassium The other nutrients in the tablet can be the usual sources of N, P and K, such as ammonium sulfate, mono ammonium phosphate phosphate, phosphate ammonium diacid, urea, potassium nitrate, potassium sulfate, etc. A suitable mixture of anions and cations is selected with regard to the concentration

  of these compounds obtained as a function of the effervescent substances used

  The N / P / K ratio in fertilizers can vary depending on the needs of different plants. As fertilizer for pot plants for all purposes, compositions with an N / P / K ratio of 7/1 are often used. / 5 Other conventional additives and secondary fertilizers, for example calcium, magnesium, sulfur, iron, and traces of copper, manganese and zinc with complexing agents can

  also be incorporated into preparations.

  As indicated above, the present fertilizers are easy to handle and have very satisfactory nutritional properties. Since all the ingredients, including the substances producing the effervescent effect, can contribute to the nutrient content, the weight of the tablets can advantageously be kept low and bulking agents can be avoided Another advantage of fertilizers in the form of effervescent tablets according to the invention is the fact that the formation of gas is advantageous by its nature, taking into account the fact that carbon dioxide is assimilated by plants. In the composition of fertilizers, the ratio between the salt and the substance releasing carbon dioxide in the effervescent mixture must

  be, as already indicated, at least chemically equivalent compared to

  port to carbon dioxide which can be released It is further preferable that high quantities of effervescent substances are used in the tablet, so that the dissolution is as rapid as possible Advantageously, the effervescent composition constitutes up to about 40% by weight of the tablet This is possible without problems and without causing inconvenience, since the

  effervescent substances are at the same time nutrients.

  As an example of a suitable composition, the following may be mentioned: acid salt between 20 and 35% by weight, substance releasing carbon dioxide between 20 and 30% by weight, source of nitrogen, phosphorus and / or potassium between 35 and 60% by weight, micro-salts, etc. between 0 and 5% by weight, The beautiful acid here is advantageously ammonium diacid phosphate, the substance releasing carbon dioxide is potassium bicarbonate and as a source of nitrogen we can use a

  combination of urea and ammonium sulfate.

  The compositions of nutritive and effervescent substances, possible microsalts and other additives are put into the form of tablets of suitable dimensions by compression or by a

other way.

  If desired, it is possible to incorporate products to protect the compositions against the effects of moisture in order to protect the storage stability and to prevent a premature reaction.

  between effervescent substances As stabilizing agents vis-

  with regard to humidity, starch, albumen or

sodium sulfate.

6-

  The present plant fertilizers are intended mainly-

  water the potted plants, but they can of course be used 8

  also used to water and supply flower beds, box trees

sounds etc

Example

  The results obtained with the nutritive substances given in the form of tablets according to the invention are compared with those obtained by means of a commercial fertilizer in the form of a stick. A flowering plant, the Catharanthus roseus and a green plant, the Nephrolepis exaltata are used for the tests The duration of the tests is two

  months and the amount of nutrients added, calculated in the form

  me nitrogen, is the same in all cases The weight of plants in the state

  Fresh is determined by taking the average of five plants.

  Nephrolepis Catharanthus exaltata roseus fresh weight g fresh weight g no fertilizer, control 120 56 fertilizer stick 200 62 effervescent tablet according to the invention 211 70 A test is also carried out with a Begonia and, in this case, the effect obtained thanks to the tablets according to the invention is compared to that obtained with a commercial liquid preparation The duration of the test is 9 weeks and the results are indicated above in the form of the number of flowers, the values given being means of five plants without fertilizer, control stick of fertilizer compressed liquid fertilizer according to the invention Number of flowers 46.2 46.8, 6 52, 8 -7-

Claims (3)

  1 Fertilizer composition based on conventional growth nutrients, characterized in that the composition is in the form of a tablet easily soluble in water and contains an effervescent combination of a solid substance releasing carbon dioxide and d 'a salt with an acid reaction. 2 Composition according to claim 1, characterized in that   that the substance releasing carbon dioxide is a carbonate or a bicar-   alkali metal or ammonium bonate.   3 Composition according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the substance releasing carbon dioxide is potassium bicarbonate. 4 Composition according to claim 1, characterized in   what the salt is an acid salt of a versatile mineral or organic acid.   Composition according to claim 4, characterized in   whether the salt cation is an alkali ion or the ammonium ion.   6 Composition according to any of the claims   I to 5, characterized in that the amount of salt relative to the substance releasing carbon dioxide is at least equivalent to that necessary   to release all of the carbon dioxide.