GB2185472A - Plant leaf feeding composition and method for the production thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

A leaf feeding composition comprises a concentrated whey fermentate containing from 2 to 4% by weight of protein hydrolysate, macroelements and micro elements. The composition may be prepared by a method wherein a dispersion medium of concentrated whey fermentate containing protein hydrolysate is raised to elevated temperature, compounds for providing the macroelements are added to the medium, followed by a micro element concentrate and a starch suspension, and the liquid medium produced is fed to a cooling installation and cooled to ambient temperature. The leaf feeding composition of the invention is suitable for treatment of plants grown in agriculture.

Description

SPECIFICATION Plant leaf feeding composition and method for the production thereof This invention relates to a composition for use in the feeding of the leaves of plants in agricultural practice, in particular, and hereinafter referred to simply as "leaf feeding", and to a method for its production.

A leaf feeding composition for plants is known which contains nutrient macro- and microelements in the following amounts: nitrogen25% by weight; phosphorus-6% by weight; potas sium10% by weight; iron-0.i% by weight; boron-200 mg/kg; manganese-500 mg/kg; copper-500 mg/kg; zinc-500 mg/kg; molybdenum--5 mg/kg and cobalt 5 mg/kg. This composition is commercially available under the name Vuksal Suspension (Vuksal is a Registered Trade mark).

A drawback of this composition is that it does not exert a direct action on protein accumulated in plants and feeds.

A method and installation for preparing such a suspension in which the macro- and microelements mostly in the forms of salts are mixedwith water and other additives and ground in a suitable mixer in the cold state is known from Bulgarian Authors Certificate No. 39496.

A disadvantage of this method for preparing such a suspension for leaf feeding with the aforesaid nutrient composition is that while the salts are in suspension, crystal growth takes place, mainly of well crystallised potassium nitrate, thereby reducing the quality of the suspension. Physiologically inactive substances such as fillers and stabilisers are generally added in order to suppress crystallisation. Unfortunately these substances exert a negative action on the plant leaf mass in necessitating dosing of compositions of higher overall additive content. The high degree of crystallisation of potassium nitrate may be suppressed by the addition of the required amount of potassium supplemented by the addition of other potassium containing salts, in particular potassium chloride, in an amount of up to 30% by weight.This results in the presence in the mixture of chloride ions which are extremely undesirable where plant development is concerned.

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a leaf feeding composition which comprises a concentrated whey fermentate containing from 2 to 4% by weight of protein hydrolysate, expressed as aminoacids, oligo- and polypeptides, macroelements and micro-elements.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for the production of a leaf feeding composition which comprises raising a dispersion medium of concentrated whey fermentate containing protein hydrolysate to elevated temperature, adding to the medium compounds for providing macroelements, followed by a microelement concentrate and a starch suspension, feeding the liquid medium to a cooling installation and cooling it to ambient temperature, in which method the protein hydrolysate is employed in an amount sufficient to provide 2 to 4% by weight of aminoacids, oligo- and polypeptides in said composition. After cooling of the mixture thus obtained, a uniform fine grain suspension that does not change in character with passage of time is produced.

The advantage of the composition according to the invention is that when it is used for leaf feeding, the yield and content of protein in plants is increased. The method according to this invention for preparing such composition has the advantage that the heat treatment leads to dissolution of the components of the dispersion medium, while cooling of the thus obtained mixture leads to the generation of microcrystals that are not able to grow during their subsequent residence in the thus prepared composition. Another advantage of this method is that there is no need to use high speed revolving operational elements or high pressure pumps.

The composition of the invention is typified by the following example in which all percentages are expressed on a weight basis: 1. Protein hydrolysate (aminoacids, polypeptides and oligopeptides)-2% 2. Three times concentrated whey fermentate (lactic acid) solution-25%. In the lactic acid solution there will be present: lactic acid10% calcium0.5% and magnesium--0.1% riboflavin-0.5 mug/1; ascorbic acid-3 mug/1; thiamine-0.1 mg/1; 3. Macroelements: nitrogen-3 1.25%; phosphorus-7 .5%; potassium-i 5%.

4. Microelements: iron-400 mg/i; boron 312.5 mug/1; manganese-250 mug/1; cop per-187.5 mug/1; zinc-i25 mug/1; molybdenum-18.75 mug/1; cobalt-6.25 mg/1.

The method of this invention for preparation of such a composition is carried out in an installation wherein the following stages can be performed: 1. Fermentation of waste liquor (whey).

2. Concentration of the lactic acid solution constituted by the fermented whey, concentration being carried out by vacuum evaporation.

3. Enzymic hydrolysis of the protein component and concentration of the protein hydrolysate by vacuum evaporation.

4. Preparation of a salt suspension as final product.

In the first stage of this overall procedure, the whey ferments in a fermentation vessel at temperatures of about 45"C and at pH 5.0 to 5.2 (maintained by addition of a potassium base).

The lactose in the whey is converted by Bacillus Bulgaricus into the lactic acid that is necessary for converting the microelements into compounds that are easily assimilated by plants.

In the second stage, the lactic acid solution produced from the whey is concentrated three times in a vacuum evaporator to increase the lactic acid content up to about 10%, the lactic protein content from 1 to 2%, as well as increasing the concentration of the other components present, mainly vitamins and salts contained in the whey. The thus obtained concentrated solution is the basic part of the dispersion medium of the suspension which is to be produced.

In the next stage of the overall process, protein hydrolysate containing proteinic fractions (polypeptides, oligopeptides and amino acids) which are to form constituents of the inventive composition is prepared in a reactor vessel (hydrolysator). The protein source material is submitted to enzyme hydrolysis in the hydrolysator and the protein hydrolysate obtained is fed to a vacuum evaporator for concentration to one third to one fifth of its volume before it is added to the liquid suspension (whey fermentate concentrate) in amounts ensuring the presence in the final product of 2 to 4% by weight of the aforementioned protein hydrolysis products.

Finally, the liquid medium of the leaf feeding composition-concentrated whey and protein hydrolysate, the latter being generally used in an amount of 20% by volume of the former-is heated, preferably to 60 to 85"C, more preferably to 75 or 80"C. There is then added from a bin metering device the required quantities of compounds, mostly salts, for ensuring that the necessary amounts of macroelements are present. These compounds are generally added in the order of least soluble to most soluble and the preferred compounds are thus added in the following order: potassium nitrate, ammonium phosphate, carbamide and ammonium nitrate (potassium nitrate is least soluble and ammonium nitrate most soluble in the dispersion medium).

When complete dissolution of the salts providing macroelements has occurred, the compounds (usually salts) providing the necessary quantities of iron and microelements are added. Typically ferrous sulphate, boric acid, copper sulphate, zinc nitrate, ammonium molybdate, manganese nitrate and cobalt chloride are added. Preferably these iatter components are dissolved initially by heating in concentrated whey fermentate at temperatures preferably from 70 to 80"C, more preferably at about 75"C after addition to whey in order of increasing solubility. Thus the aforesaid compounds are added in the order boric acid, ammonium molybdate, cobalt chloride, copper sulphate and ferrous sulphate, and the whey solution is added to the aforementioned liquid medium now containing macroelements.Subsequently, a solution of starch prepared by previously dissolving starch in cold concentrated whey fermentate is added so that starch constitutes preferably 2.5 to 4%, more preferably 2.5 to 3%, by weight of the total mass.

The thus prepared mixture is homogenised for 30 to 40 minutes and then is fed to a cooling section such as a worm type crystalliser. It is cooled to ambient temperature, say 20 to 250C, preferably within 2 to 15 minutes, to obtain a fine small-grained suspension.

The following Example illustrates this invention: EXAMPLE 1 25 litres of whey fermentate concentrated previously three times in a vacuum evaporator and 5 litres of a concentrated protein hydrolysate solution obtained by enzyme hydrolysis and containing protein hydrolysis products sufficient to constitute 2-4% by weight of the final product were poured into a 300 litre reactor equipped with stirrer. The mixture was heated with continuous stirring up to 70"C and then there were added portions of potassium nitrate to a total amount of 48 kilograms. The potassium nitrate was added over the course of one hour.

Subsequently 21 kilogram of ammonium phosphate were added, likewise in portions, over 25 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile the temperature of the medium in the reactor was increased by heating to 75 to 80"C. Then 50 kilogram of carbamide were added over 25 to 30 minutes. This is an endothermic process as was to be the addition of ammonium nitrate and a temperature decrease took place. It must not be allowed to fall below 70"C. After addition of the final portion of carbamide, there was an interval of 10 to 15 minutes to allow the temperature of the reactor contents to rise to 75 to 80"C and then 32.5 kilogram of ammonium nitrate were added in portions over a period of 20 to 25 minutes.The blend containing all the required macroelements was then stirred for 15 to 20 minutes and 4 litres of concentrated whey in which had been previously dissolved compounds providing the required amounts of iron and microelements were added at a temperature of 70 to 75"C. The compounds providing microelements were added to the whey concentrate in the order boric acid, ammonium molybdate, cobalt chloride, copper sulphate and iron sulphate to provide 0.214 kg of boric acid, 0.108 Kg of ammonium molybdate, 0.003 Kg of cobalt chloride, 0.088 kg of copper sulphate and 0.3750 kg of ferrous sulphate. The entire mass was then stirred for 15 to 20 minutes in the absence of applied heating (the heating source had been switched off) and then was fed to a cooling system in which the temperature decreased to 20 to 25"C over a period of 10 to 15 minutes. The thus obtained suspension was then processed to provide the final product.

For testing purposes, testing was carried out on the wheat type "Sadovo 1" cultivated on leached alluvial meadow soil according to agrotechnic recommendations for such soil. The dimensions of each experimental area were 10 m2, three areas being employed for each specific test. The treatment of the plants was carried out in two phases of their development: the phase of stem ear formation and the earing phase. The quantity of treatment solution sprayed thereon varied from 400 to 800 ml/1000 m2.

In addition to the two experiments carried out with the inventive composition, control experiments were carried out in which there was only sprinkling with water, as well as experiments with Vuksal carried out at both the phases of stem and earing formation stages. The yields for the plots treated in this manner are set out in the following Table 1: Table 1 Experiment Average yield No. from 10 m2, in kg 1. Control-sprinkled with water 2.820 2. Vuksal-400 ml/1000 m2, phase stem forming 3.400 3. Vuksal-400+800 ml/1000 m2 phase stem forming + earing 3.450 4. Inventive composition 400 ml/100 m2, phase step forming 3.500 5.Inventive composition 400+800 ml/1000 m2 phase stem forming + earing 3.680 NOTE: These data are the average from these determinations The protein content of the wheat produced in each experiment was also determined as content of the wheat and as yield per hectare. The results obtained are shown in Table 2: Table 2 Experiment Protein content, in % kg protein/1000 m2 No.

1. Control 13.05 36.8 2. Vuksal 12.86 43.7 3. Vuksal 12.82 44.2 4. Inventive composition 13.50 47.2 5. Inventive composition 13.31 48.9 NOTE: These data are the average from three determinations Finally the absolute mass and weight per unit hectolitre of the seed specimens produced from the wheat in each of the above experiments were determined. The results are shown in Table 3.

Table 3 Experiment Absolute mass Hectolitre No. 9/1000 seeds weight g/dm3 1. Control 45.55 655 2. Vuksal 46.33 788 3. Vuksal 45.81 781 4. Inventive composition 46.73 780 5. Inventive composition 46.98 793 NOTE: These data are the average from three determinations

Claims (15)

1. A leaf feeding composition which comprises a concentrated whey fermentate containing from 2 to 4% by weight of protein hydrolysate, expressed as aminoacids, oligo- and polypeptides, macroelements and microelements.

2. A leaf feeding composition according to claim 1 wherein the macroelements are provided by potassium nitrate, ammonium phosphate, carbamide and ammonium nitrate.

3. A leaf feeding composition as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the microelements are provided by ferrous sulphate, boric acid, copper sulphate, zinc nitrate, ammonium molybdate, manganese nitrate and cobalt chloride.

4. A composition as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 which additionally contains starch.

5. A leaf feeding composition as claimed in claim 1, substantially as described in the foregoing Examples.

6. A method for the production of a leaf feeding composition which comprises raising a dispersion medium of concentrated whey fermentate containing protein hydrolysate to elevated temperature, adding to the medium compounds for providing macroelements, followed by a micro element concentrate and a starch suspension, feeding the liquid medium to a cooling installation and cooling it to ambient temperature, in which method the protein hydrolysate is employed in an amount sufficient to provide 2 to 4% by weight of aminoacids, oligo- and polypeptides in said composition.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the lactic acid fermentate has been concentrated to increase lactic acid content to about 10% by weight and the lactic protein content to from 1 to 2%.

8. A method as claimed in claim 6 or 7, wherein the medium to which the compounds providing the macroelements are added has a temperature from 60 to 85"C.

9. A method as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the compounds providing the macroelements are added in the sequence: potassium nitrate, ammonium phosphate, carbamide, ammonium nitrate.

10. A method as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the microelements are added to the dispersion medium containing the macroelements in the form of a solution in concentrated whey of a plurality of compounds added in the order: boric acid, ammonium molybdate, zinc nitrate, magnesium nitrate, cobalt chloride, copper sulphate, ferrous sulphate.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said compounds are dissolved in concentrated whey at temperatures of from 70 to 80"C.

12. A method as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 11, wherein the starch solution is produced by dissolving starch in a concentrated whey solution in an amount to provide from 2.5 to 4% by weight of starch in the leaf feeding composition.

13. A method as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 12, wherein cooling of the composition produced to a temperature of from 20 to 25"C takes place in from 2 to 15 minutes.

14. A method for the production of a leaf feeding composition as claimed in claim 6, substantially as described in the foregoing Example.

15. A leaf feeding composition whenever produced in the method claimed in any one of claims 6 to 14.