GB2332849A

GB2332849A - Treating soil

Info

Publication number: GB2332849A
Application number: GB9900093A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ian Robert Walters
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1998-01-05
Filing date: 1999-01-06
Publication date: 1999-07-07
Anticipated expiration: 2019-01-06
Also published as: GB9800003D0; GB2332849B; GB9900093D0

Abstract

Water is contained in an insulated tank (10) mounted on an agricultural tractor. Water from the tank (10) is heated in a heating device (12) driven by, for example, the tractor p.t.o. shaft and super-heated water and/or steam is sprayed on to weeds or into the soil through downwardly directed outlet nozzles (14).

Description

AGRICULTURAL METHODS Field of the Invention This invention relates to agricultural methods and is concemed with the provision of methods which contribute to an increase in crop production.

When a farmer ploughs a field, he normally carries out a number of treatment operations so as to prepare a good seed bed before planting the seed. The top layer of soil is broken up to produce a good tilth but, inevitably, will contain weed seeds which can germinate and compete with the crop which is being grown.

It is an object of the present invention to provide improved agricultural methods.

Summarv of the Invention According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of agriculture in which a high temperature water or steam generator is mounted on an agricultural tractor and, during preparation of the seed bed and prior to sowing of the seed, the top layer of soil is treated with hot water and/or steam.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of agriculture which includes treating the soil so as to provide a good tilth in which seed can be sown and, prior to sowing of the seed, treating the top layer of soil by spraying on to it (or injecting into it) hot water and/or steam.

According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of agriculture in which a high temperature water or steam generator is mounted on an agricultural tractor and in which super-heated water or steam from the generator is sprayed on to weeds so as to effect killing of the weeds.

The hot water or steam generator is preferably driven by the tractor and the agricultural tractor which is used is preferably as described in European Patent Specification No. 0 252 570 (to which reference should be made). The tractor is preferably provided with one or more water storage tanks from which the water to be heated is withdrawn and is heated by means driven by the p.t.o. shaft or other drive means driven by the engine of the tractor. The heating means may be as described in US Patent Specifications Nos.

5,188,090 and 5,385,298 (to which reference should again be made).

Preparation of the seed bed is preferably carried out in the autumn and the volume and temperature of the hot water and/or steam sprayed on to (or injected into) the soil is preferably such that at !east some of the weed seeds and/or other undesirable matter in the surface layer of the soil will be killed or otherwise rendered inoperative. The undesirable matter in the surface layer of the soil may be fungi which can attack plants and/or eggs and larvae of harmful insects. Such undesirable matter is currently treated by means of toxic chemicals.

One or more water storage tanks are preferably mounted on or towed by the agricultural tractor with a heating means for each of the tanks for supplying the high temperature water and/or steam to suitable spray devices, which may be based generally on or similar to those currently used for crop spraying. The spray devices are, however, preferably provided with downwardly directed discharge outlets through which the hot water and/or steam are discharged under pressure to obtain maximum penetration of the surface layer of the soil.

The hot water and/or steam treatment of the soil may be carried out immediately after or at the same time as a final rolling operation.

The amount of hot water and/or steam sprayed on to (or injected into) the soil may also be such as to cause premature germination of at least some of the weed seeds in the top layer of the soil. Such Dremature aermination of the weed seeds will ensue that. when the croo to be qrown has been sown (and before the required crop has sprouted), the land can be sprayed with superheated water or steam or controlied amounts of follar wee@@@@@ kill the weeds whose seeds have been prematurely germinated without damaging the crop or building up undesirable residues in the soil.

The method of the present invention is preferably carried out as part of a controlled cultivation programme in which the tractor or tractors which are driven across the field are kept to the same tracks so that excessive compaction of the majority of the field is avoided and enhanced crop yields are thereby obtained.

The present invention thus enables increases in crop yields to be obtained using a raw material, i.e. water, which is totally nonpolluting. The use of water means, of course, a drastic reduction in the purchase of chemicals and hence very significant cost savings.

This thus makes farming more cost-efficient while, at the same time, reducing the amount of toxic chemicals applied to the land and thereby providing ecological benefits.

Brief DescriPtion of the Drawing The single figure of the accompanying drawing is a diagrammatic view of equipment for mounting on an agricultural tractor.

Description of the Preferred Embodiment A water tank 10 is mounted on or behind an agricultural tractor (which may be constructed as described in European Patent Specification No. 0 252 570, referred to above). The water in the tank 10 is pre-heated, as described below, and the tank 10 is insulated in order to keep the temperature of the water in the tank as high as possible before the final heating process and application to the land.

A device (not shown) is fitted to the exhaust manifold of the agricultural tractor and acts as a small boiler to transfer heat via small-bore water pipes 11 into the water in the tank 10. Effective use is thus made of otherwise wasted energy.

Water from the tank 10 is supplied to a water heating device 12 operated by the p.t.o. shaft or other drive means from the engine of the agricultural tractor. The heating device may be constructed as described in US Patent Specifications Nos. 5,188,090 and 5,385,298 referred to above.

The engine-driven heating device 12 is such that it is capable of heating the water passing out of the tank 10 to temperatures exceeding boiling point, possibly to temperatures within the range of from 600 to 700C Centigrade. Valve means (not shown) are provided for regulating the rate of flow of water from the tank 10 to the heating device 12 and the actual temperature of the super heated water or steam issuing from the heating device 12 will be regulated according to the particular application requirements.

The super-heated water or steam delivered by the enginedriven heating device 12 then passes along an insulated pipe 13 to a standard spray device for discharge through downwardly directed outlet nozzles 14. It will be appreciated that, although only one such outlet nozzle is shown in the drawing, a number of side-by-side outlet nozzles will normally be provided.

Due to the need to conserve the temperature of the hot water or steam which is discharged and to obtain maximum effectiveness on the surface of the plant or leaves on to which the hot water or steam is being directed, the outlet nozzles 14 will be maintained as close to the ground as possible. A sensor device (not shown) may accordingly be coupled to the outlet nozzles 14 to ensure a constant height of the outlet nozzles above ground level to compensate for irregularities in the field surface. The sensor device will typically be arranged to control pivotal movement of an end section of the insulated pipe 13 or of a support arm on which the outlet nozzles 14 are mounted.

Such sensor device may be used in conjunction with a video recognition system which is programmed to identify weeds so that, high temperature water or steam is sprayed only on to the weeds and not on to areas in which there are no weeds. Spraying can thus be very selective and precise.

For the majority of applications, water alone will be used, providing obvious ecological advantages. In some instances, however, small amounts of chemical additives may be introduced into the water in the tank 10 to enhance the effectiveness of the sprayed liquid. For example, an additive may be included in the water to help it adhere to the leaves or other surfaces of the plants to which it is being applied.

The super-heated water or steam may be sprayed on to growing plants, so as to kill such plants, or it may be sprayed into the soil during preparation of the seed bed, and prior to sowing of the seed, so as to effect premature germination of any weed seeds and/or to kill any other undesirable matter present in the surface layer of the soil.

Spraying may thus, typically, be effected in the autumn during preparation of the seed bed and after carrying out the work necessary to obtain a good tilth so that at least some of the weed seeds and/or other undesirable matter in the surface layer of the soil will be killed or otherwise rendered inoperative. In addition, or alternatively, the amount of hot water and/or steam may be such as to cause premature germination of at least some of the weed seeds in the top layer of soil.

Such prematurely germinated weed seeds will thus produce plants which can be sprayed, as described above, with superheated water and/or steam so as to kill them before the desired crop seeds have sprouted.

Claims

Claims:

1. A method of agriculture in which a high temperature water or steam generator is mounted on an agricultural tractor and, during preparation of the seed bed and prior to sowing of the seed, the top layer of soil is treated with hot water and/or steam.

2. A method of agriculture which includes treating the soil so as to provide a good tilth in which seed can be sown and, prior to sowing of the seed, treating the top layer of soil by spraying on it (or injecting into it) hot water and/or steam.

3. A method of agriculture in which a high temperature water or steam generator is mounted on an agricultural tractor and in which super-heated water or steam from the generator is sprayed on to weeds so as to effect killing of the weeds.

4. A method as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 3, in which the generator is driven by the tractor.

5. A method as claimed in Claim 4, in which the tractor is provided with a storage tank from which the water to be heated is withdrawn and is heated by means driven by the p.t.o. shaft or other drive means driven by the engine of the tractor.

6. A method as claimed in Claim 4 or Claim 5, in which one or more water storage tanks are mounted on or towed by the agricultural tractor with a heating means for the or each tank for supplying the high temperature water and/or steam to spray devices having downwardly directed discharge outlets.

7. A method of agriculture substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

8. Apparatus for use in carrying out the method of claim 7 substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawing