Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
  • A01M—CATCHING, TRAPPING OR SCARING OF ANIMALS; APPARATUS FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF NOXIOUS ANIMALS OR NOXIOUS PLANTS
  • A01M21/00—Apparatus for the destruction of unwanted vegetation, e.g. weeds
  • A01M21/04—Apparatus for destruction by steam, chemicals, burning, or electricity
  • A01M21/043—Apparatus for destruction by steam, chemicals, burning, or electricity by chemicals
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
  • A01M—CATCHING, TRAPPING OR SCARING OF ANIMALS; APPARATUS FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF NOXIOUS ANIMALS OR NOXIOUS PLANTS
  • A01M17/00—Apparatus for the destruction of vermin in soil or in foodstuffs
  • A01M17/002—Injection of toxic gases or fluids into the soil

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for destroying pathogenic and infesting organisms of crops.
• a major aim of the present invention therefore is to provide for a more adequate elimination of the pathogenic organisms of the soil than the ones obtained thus far.
• a method is provided for destroying pathogenic organisms of the soil, wherein an exothermic reaction is made to take place between at least a first and a second agent, and wherein said exothermic reaction is made to develop in contact with the soil to obtain or contribute to the destruction of said pathogenic organisms.
• Making an exothermic reaction develop in the soil between at least a first and a second agent it is possible to have a sterilising action that allows to obtain a particularly high degree of sterilisation with the use of a minimal quantity of reactants.
• the exothermic reaction in the soil provides a combined sterilising effect, which comprises at least a first sterilising effect, constituted by the high temperature that is developed, and a second sterilising effect, constituted by a sort of caustic or burning effect which the exothermic reaction provides to the biological organisms present in the soil and thus also to those that are pathogenic or infesting for the crops.
• said first and second agent prefferably be positioned in mutual contact before being placed in contact with the soil to be treated.
• Such preventive contact allows to bring in mutual contact nearly the totality of the reactants, thereby obtaining a high reaction yield. No substantial quantities of reactants fail to participate in the reaction. A high yield of the reactants is obtained, with the possibility of increasing the working endurance of the equipment, or, vice versa, retaining the same endurance, of constructing machines with smaller reactant tanks, thereby reducing overall machine size.
• FIG. 3 and 4 show a perspective side view of the invention during its operation, according to the two embodiments of Figures 1 and 2;
• a first and a second agent able to react exothermically with each other are mixed together and subsequently brought in contact with the soil, by means of injection into the soil itself.
• the first agent can be constituted by water which can be treated in liquid condition at ambient temperature, or heated to facilitate the attainment of higher sterilisation temperatures. Said water can also be heated until it reaches the vapour state before being transferred.
• the second agent can advantageously be selected in the group comprising quicklime (CaO), caustic soda (NaOH), caustic potash (KOH), orthophosphoric acid (H 3 PO 4 ), zeolites.
• the product of the exothermic reaction obtained is an agent correcting the acidity of the soil.
• quicklime (CaO), caustic soda (NaOH), caustic potash (KOH) are employed for excessively acid soils
• orthophosphoric acid (H 3 PO 4 ) is employed for excessively alkaline soils.
• said substances able to react exothermically with water are advantageously treated in solid condition, in the form of powder, granules or chips, which are distributed on the soil before the mixture of said first and second substance is injected into the soil.
• the soil is suitably broken up in order to favour their dispersion therein.
• the product of the reaction can conceivably be an agent fertilising the soil.
• the product of the reaction can conceivably be an agent fertilising the soil.
• the apparatuses shown in said Figures 1 through 4 comprise a mobile wheeled support frame 1 ' , a first tank 7 for transporting a reactant, which in the present case is constituted by water, a second tank 6 for a second reactant that reacts exothermically with the first reactant.
• At least a conduit 4 is provided to feed said substance from said containment means 7 of the first substance to means for transferring it to the soil to be treated and at least a conduit 9 is provided for feeding said second substance from said second containment means to means for transferring the second substance to the soil to be treated.
• said conduits 4 and 9 for feeding the first and the second substance send said first and second substance towards common transferring means 3, which shall be better described farther on.
• a second conduit 8 can be provided to discharge, through its extreme portion 8' defining transfer means, said second substance, according to the direction of advance of the apparatus, upstream of the discharge area defined by said transfer means 3.
• the apparatus is further provided with a boiler 2, able to increase the temperature of the first reactant, or to vaporise it, since in many circumstances this is useful in order to produce a particularly effective reaction.
• this apparatus 13 it is preferably provided with autonomous propulsion means 1, as shown in Figure 4.
• the apparatus 13 in question comprises modular tools 5 situated transversally distanced from each other to work the soil only in the cultivated areas, i.e. the same ones into which the reactant or reactants is/are injected. They can be constituted by rotatory mechanical hoes, harrows, rippers (or repointers) as shown in Figures 6 through 8 relating to details of other preferred embodiments of the present apparatus.
• the same injectors 3 employed to distribute the reactant also perform the task of simultaneously releasing the compound that is to react exothermically: in this case, they are connected by means of at least a second feeding conduit 9 also to the second tank 6.
• the number of injectors 3 is obviously arbitrary and can be determined according to the type of soil to be sterilised, of the type of cultivation and of the distribution of the steam, or of another type of reactant, underneath the surface.
• the additional embodiments of the apparatus shown in Figures 5 through 7 provide for both said first and second agent to be injected into the soil, without means for their prior distribution thereon.
• the injectors 3 can be mounted separately therefrom (as in Figure 5), on the same support (as in Figure 6) or even be integrated to the tools 5 themselves (as in Figure 7).
• the means 5 able to break up and to move the soil are provided upstream of said means 3 for injecting said first and second substance into the soil.
• the apparatus 13 further comprises a device 11 to lay a sheet 12 on the treated soil, thereby accomplishing the so-called mulching process, which, in the case at hand, is mainly aimed at limiting heat dispersion, as well as its traditional goal of protecting the worked part of the soil at the sides and of insulating it completely.
• means 9' for feeding the first substance and means 4' for feeding the second substance can be provided, which send said first and second substance towards respective release means 5' and 3' .
• Such means 5' for injecting the first substance and means 3' for injecting the second substance extend into the soil at different depths.
• means for adjusting the injection depth can comprise for instance a thread 14 at the extremity of a rigid portion 4', fastened to the frame of the apparatus, of the conduit 4 for feeding the second substance whereon, by means of a respective screw 15, is screwed the outlet 3' for releasing the second substance to the soil.
• FIG. 9 shows an embodiment of the apparatus, realising the present method, wherein the soil is removed, by appropriate means shown schematically by block
• the means 21 for treating the soil preferably comprise mobile support means of the soil S which, for instance, are constituted by a continuous conveyor belt 22, superiorly whereto extend means 23 able to distribute on the underlying soil a first reactant and means 24 able to distribute on the soil a second agent that react exothermally with the first reactant.
• the latter embodiment could be implemented on a fixed structure whereto the soil to be treated is conveyed or, at least the sterilisation section, on said mobile transporting means.
• one of said substances that reacts exothermically already present in the soil for instance it could be a particularly damp soil, and having only the means for releasing a substance able to react exothermically with the one already present.
• steam is to be injected into the soil and made to react with a substance with which an exothermic reaction is produced.
• a substance with which an exothermic reaction is produced.
• each of said first and second reactant could also possibly be constituted by more than one substance able to produce an exothermic reaction with the substances of the other agent.

Landscapes

• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Zoology (AREA)
• Environmental Sciences (AREA)
• Soil Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Insects & Arthropods (AREA)
• Pest Control & Pesticides (AREA)
• Wood Science & Technology (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Toxicology (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Food Science & Technology (AREA)
• Catching Or Destruction (AREA)
• Agricultural Chemicals And Associated Chemicals (AREA)
• Soil Conditioners And Soil-Stabilizing Materials (AREA)
• Fertilizers (AREA)

Priority Applications (2)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=11407198

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (6)

Cited By (9)

Families Citing this family (1)

Citations (3)

• 1998
  • 1998-07-31 IT IT1998RN000027A patent/IT1305997B1/it active
• 1999
  • 1999-07-21 AU AU45294/99A patent/AU4529499A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1999-07-21 WO PCT/IB1999/001302 patent/WO2000005945A1/en active Application Filing
  • 1999-07-21 TR TR2001/00271T patent/TR200100271T2/xx unknown
  • 1999-07-21 JP JP2000561813A patent/JP4195196B2/ja not_active Expired - Lifetime
• 2001
  • 2001-01-10 ZA ZA200100281A patent/ZA200100281B/en unknown

Patent Citations (3)

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