NZ550789A - Silage inoculant comprising particulate semolina - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a low abrasive free flowing particulate silage inoculant composition which consists of or includes (i) particulate semolina and (ii) at least one silage inoculant active.

Description

New Zealand Paient Spedficaiion for Paient Number 550789 *10054179370* NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT, 1953 No: 550789 Date: 24 October 2006 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION SILAGE INOCULANT We, NUTRITECH INTERNATIONAL LIMITED, a company duly incorporated under the laws of New Zealand of 12 Fisher Crescent, Mt Wellington, Auckland, New Zealand, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: irueliectuc •ropeny Office of N.2. - 2 AOS 2007 The present invention relates to silage inoculation and more particularly, although not solely, to a free flowing particulate material for use in silage inoculation.

Silage inoculants have been useful as additives in improving silage quality. These additives have been successful in improving both the rate of fermentation and products of fermentation so that dry matter recovery and animal performance are improved.

Lactic acid bacteria ("LAB") have been used as an inoculant because, when they dominate the fermentation, their fast growth rate causes pH to decline sooner than would otherwise be the case. The most common lactic LAB species used as inoculants is Lactobacillus plantarum. However many inoculants contain more than one species or may contain several strains of the same species. Other common species are Enterococcus faecium, various Pediococcus species and other Lactobacillus species.

Proprionic acid bacteria ('TAB") have also been reported as being beneficial in mixed cultures with LAB.

The customary usage of such inoculants has been to mingle them with freshly cut silage materials. This can occur when cut grass is in windrows ready for bailing or upon collection into any suitable storage bin (such as those customarily moving synchronously with silage cutters that throw the biological materials into the bin as it travels with the cutter).

A feature of the apparatus by which such inoculants is added is the provision of metering wheels that rotate in a small hopper dedicated to that metering wheel (usually from a hopper generic to all of the smaller metering wheel containing hoppers). The rotation of the metering wheels is usually under the action of an electric motor.

Inoculant compositions to be metered by such wheels are at least substantially dry.

They are usually a blend of particulate carrier or particulate carrier materials with the inoculant active (hereafter "active(s)"). The blend may include some dust suppression content such as a mineral oil. A common carrier material for such actives has been a mix of particulate corn grits and particulate lime (calcium carbonate). The lime is generally there as a bulking agent to avoid compaction and facilitate dispersal throughout the silage.

We have determined that compositions with any substantial calcium carbonate particulate content in addition to corn grit content and the active(s) is abrasively detrimental to dispensing machinery. In particular metering wheels tend to be damaged as a result of the calcium carbonate content. Moreover, clumping that can on occasions occur, can lead to an over taxing of any drive motors.

Typical of such metering or dispensing apparatus is the GANDY™ PDA machine sourced from the US. This is a positive displacement agitator. Information on such machines can be found on their website at www.gandy.net.

Apart from US patent 7037708, where semolina is disclosed as a prospect as a matrix component added as a co-formulant of a liquid formation that contains inoculating micro organisms prior to its being dried, there is no disclosure of dry blending of semolina with active(s) or use of both dry semolina and dry corn grits for blending with dry active(s).

In this specification where reference has been made to patent specifications, other external documents, or other sources of information, this is generally for the purpose of providing a context for discussing the features of the invention. Unless specifically stated otherwise, reference to such external documents is not to be construed as an admission that such documents, or such sources of information, in any jurisdiction, are prior art, or form part of the common general knowledge in the art.

Irrespective of the brand or form of the applicator or dispensing apparatus, we believe there is a need for an inoculant composition of a free flow kind less detrimental abrasively to such machinery and/or the motors driving such machinery. That is an object of the present invention.

It is another or alternative object of the present invention to provide a low abrasiveness free flowing particulate inoculant suitable for silage inoculation which will at least provide the public with a useful choice.

We have found surprisingly that semolina as a blending component allows such objects to be met in dry compositions of particulate material(s).

In one aspect the invention consists in a low abrasive free flowing particulate silage inoculant which has blended at least particulate semolina with at least one silage inoculant active.

As used herein "semolina" includes true semolina or another grain derived variant or blend (e.g. barley derived equivalent). The term "semolina", whether derived from wheat alone or from other grain, is not a bran such as "wheat semolina bran".

Preferably the blending has been of particulate silage inoculant active(s) material.

Preferably the blending has been with both particulate semolina and particulate corn grits.

Preferably the inoculant is of or includes at least one or more LAB.

In a further aspect the invention consists in a low abrasiveness free flowing particulate silage inoculant composition comprising or including Silage inoculant active (s), particulate semolina, and corn grits.

In a further aspect the invention consists in a low abrasiveness free particulate silage inoculant composition comprising or including as a dry flowiiureiiectuai Property lend boS"*» 01 N-Z- 2 9 FEB 2008 RECEl VFn particulate semolina, and corn grits, and optionally a fine silica dioxide.

In another aspect the invention is a particulate silage inoculant composition which is a blend of particulate materials and includes particulate semolina or like materials).

Preferably corn grits are present.

Preferably silica dioxide is present as a free flow agent or moisture scavenger, or both. Preferably the composition is absent any lime or calcium carbonate.

Preferably the composition is absent any oil(s).

Preferably the semolina is of a particle size almost exclusively less than 1mm in dimension.

Preferably the corn grits is of a particle size of less than 1mm.

Preferably the semolina is slightly finer than the corn grits. However it can be the same size or slightly coarser.

Preferably both the corn grits and semolina will at least almost exclusively pass a sieve of size 1mm.

Preferably the wt/wt ratio of semolinaicorn grits is from 1:100 to 100:1 (more preferably from 1:4 to 4:1) (more preferably 1:2 to 2:1) (most preferably 2:3 to 3:2).

Preferably the composition is, on a weight/weight of composition basis is: silage inoculant material(s) 1 to 15% semolina 25 to 75% corn grits 25 to 80% silica dioxide 0 to 1 %.

More preferably the composition is silage inoculant material(s) 1 to 10% semolina 35 to 60% corn grits 35 to 65% silica dioxide 0 to 0.5%.

In still a further aspect the present invention consists in the use of a composition in accordance with the present invention for the purpose of silage inoculation.

In still a further aspect the present invention consists in the use of a composition in accordance with the present invention in dispensing apparatus (optionally of a kind typified by that of the GANDY™ PDA machinery).

As used herein "composition" includes a dry blend but is not restricted thereto. Preferably the resultant composition is at least substantially dry.

As used herein the term "and/or" means "and" or "or", or both.

As used herein the term "(s)" following a noun includes, as might be appropriate, the singular or plural forms of that noun.

To those skilled in the art to which the invention relates, many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. The disclosures and the descriptions herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.

In evolving the compositions of the present invention a great number of materials were trialled with a view to determining what could be used as a bulking agent and/or carrier and/or co-carrier (A) alone or in conjunction with corn grits and (B) without any or without any substantial calcium carbonate presence.

Semolina was most successful as such a bulking agent and at least as an additional carrier for at least LAB materials as active(s). This was particularly so when corn grits of a particulate nature was also part of the blend.

It was determined where there was a composition comprising reasonably fine semolina and reasonably fine corn grits, no dust suppressant use of a mineral oil was required.

It was determined that it was sufficient merely to blend, in any appropriate mixing machinery, the ingredients in a dry manner to substantial homogeneity. The resultant compositions of the present invention were found to be bulkier than those previously which used calcium carbonate and much less abrasive.

By way of an example: Example 1 active(s) materials (SIL-ALL™ conccntratc) semolina (ZEST™ coarse semolina) corn grits (CORSON™ grade 320) optional but preferred (silica dioxide) (e.g. Aerosol 200™) on a weight to weight of composition basis. 2.67% 43.94% 0.27% 53.12% Example 2 active(s) materials (SIL-ALL™ concentrate) semolina (ZEST™ coarse semolina) corn grits (CORSON™ grade 320) optional but preferred (silica dioxide) (e.g. Aerosol™ 200) 39.98% 53.07% 6.67% 0.28% The SIL-ALL™ concentrate contains Bacteria - Enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus plantarum, Pediococcus acidilactici.

Enzymes - Cellulase, hemicellulasse, pentosanase, amylase.

It may also contain other bacteria and enzymes eg; Lactobacillus salivarius.

In respect of the compositions of Examples 1 and 2, preferably the semolina was of a grade (e.g. ZEST™ coarse semolina from Champion Flourmills, New Zealand) where substantially none of the particulate semolina is retained by a 20W (ie; about a 1mm size) sieve mesh yet about 97% is retained by a 60W (ie; about a 350 um) mesh sieve.

Similarly preferably the corn grits (e.g. CORSON™ medium fine corn grits specified as spec 320 medium fine) is of a kind where none is retained by an 850 (xm mesh sieve yet about 90% is retained by a 350 um sieve.

The semolina may be slighdy finer or coarser than the corn grits. What is designed is sufficient parity in size (it can be the same) to ensure homogeneity.

Use Rates - Example 1 Grass Silage, Lucerne Silage 250g per tonne Maize Silage (standard conditions) 190g per tonne Maize Silage (difficult conditions) 250g per tonne Whole Crop Cereal Silage Og per tonne Use Rates - Example 2 Grass Silage, Lucerne Silage lOOg per tonne Maize Silage (standard conditions) 75g per tonne Maize Silage (difficult conditions) lOOg per tonne Whole Crop Cereal Silage lOOg per tonne

Claims (22)

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A low abrasive free flowing particulate silage inoculant composition which consists of or includes (i) particulate semolina and (ii) at least one silage inoculant active.

2. An inoculant composition of claim 1 wherein true semolina is present as (i).

3. An inoculant composition of claim 1 or 2 wherein the silage inoculant active(s) is(are) particulate.

4. An inoculant composition of claim 3 wherein the silage inoculant active(s) is (or includes) LAB (ie; lactic acid bacteria).

5. An inoculant composition as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the semolina is of a particle size almost exclusively less than 1mm in dimension.

6. An inoculant composition of any one of the preceding claims that also has present, as (iii), particulate corn grits.

7. An inoculant composition as claimed in claim 6 wherein the corn grits (iii) are of in a particle size almost exclusively less than 1mm.

8. An inoculant composition as claimed in claim 6 or 7 wherein the semolina is slightly finer than the corn grits.

9. An inoculant composition as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 8 wherein both the corn grits and semolina will at least almost exclusively pass a sieve of size 1mm.

10. An inoculant composition as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 9 wherein the wt/wt ratio of semolina:corn grits is from 1:100 to 100:1.

11. An inoculant composition of claim 10 wherein said ratio is from 1:4 to 4:1.

12. An inoculant composition of claim 11 wherein said ratio is from 1:2 to 2:1.

13. An inoculant composition of claim 12 wherein said ratio is from 2:3 to 3:2.

14. An inoculant comprising of any one of the preceding claims wherein fine silica dioxide is present.

15. An inoculant composition as claimed in any one of the preceding claims which is absent any added lime or calcium carbonate.

16. An inoculant composition as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein oil is absent.

17. An inoculant composition of any one of the preceding claims that has been prepared by dry blending. Intellectual Property j Office of t J 2 6 MAR 2008 j receives! -8-

18. An inoculant composition of any one of the preceding claims wherein the composition is, on a weight/weight of composition basis is: silage inoculant materials) 1 to 15% semolina 25 to 75% corn grits 25 to 80% silica dioxide 0 to 1%.

19. An inoculant composition of claim 18 wherein the composition (weight/weight) is silage inoculant material(s) 1 to 10% semolina 35 to 60% corn grits 35 to 65% silica dioxide 0 to 0.5%.

20. A particulate silage inoculant composition which is a blend of a silage inoculant and particulate materials that at least includes particulate semolina.

21. An inoculant composition of any one of the preceding claims when packed and labelled for the purpose of silage inoculation.

22. The use of a composition in accordance with any one of the preceding claims for silage inoculation. Intellectual Property Office of m Z 2 0 MAR 2008 R F f! F I V P n