Plant protecting and regulating compositions – Plant growth regulating compositions – Micro-organisms or from micro-organisms
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-06
2001-05-08
Dees, Jose G. (Department: 1616)
Plant protecting and regulating compositions
Plant growth regulating compositions
Micro-organisms or from micro-organisms
Reexamination Certificate
active
06228806
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to fertilizer compositions and methods for their use.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The continuous use of chemical pesticides on plants, bushes and trees and especially those producing crops, has created an imbalance of the microbial eco-system in the soil under them. This results in the need for larger quantities of the chemical pesticides to maintain the same level of crop production, as well as an increased need for fertilizers.
One method used to try to overcome this problem is to use organic fertilizers, such as activated sludge, municipal compost, animal manures such as cow manure, and the like that provide beneficial microbes to improve crop productivity. However, a major drawback of many if not all of these organic fertilizers is the presence in them of toxic chemicals and/or toxic metals, that then accumulate in the soil.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Other than in the operating examples, or where otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing quantities of ingredients or reaction conditions used herein are to be understood as modified in all instances by the term “about”.
It has now been discovered that a fertilizer composition that overcomes all of the above drawbacks to the use of pesticides and conventional inorganic and organic fertilizers is a fertilizer comprising:
A) an inorganic fertilizer and/or an organic fertilizer which is free or substantially free from toxic chemicals and toxic metals, and
B) an effective quantity of beneficial microorganisms that a) enhance plant growth and, where applicable, crop production, and/or b) control various types of pathogens in the soil, optionally in combination with nutrients selected to maintain the viability of the microorganisms and/or increase their population. Such nutrients are well known to those skilled in microbiology.
The term “substantially free” used above means that the level of toxic chemicals and/or toxic metals in the organic fertilizer is so low that they are not detrimental to the soil or to plants growing in the soil to which the organic fertilizer is applied.
It is to be understood that use of the term “plant” in the specification and in the claims is meant to include both crop producing and non-crop producing plants, bushes, and trees.
Component A) of the present compostion can be a conventional balanced inorganic fertilizer e.g. having an N:P:K ratio of 6:10:4; 7:5:5; 9:13:7; 18:6:12; 19:8:10; 20:3:3; 25:4:4; 28:4:4; 32:10:10, and the like. These numbers show the percentage of total nitrogen, available phosphorous pentoxide (P
2
O
5
), and soluble potash (K
2
O). This invention is of course not limited by the ratio of nitrogen to phosphorous to potassium in the inorganic fertilizer. The particular inorganic fertilizer selected will depend on the requirements of the soil to be fertilized.
Nitrogen can be present in the inorganic fertilizer in any convenient form, such anhydrous ammonia, aqueous ammonia, ammonium salts such as ammonium nitrate, calcium ammonium nitrate, ammonium phosphate, ammonium sulfate, and ammonium sulfate nitrate, sodium nitrate, potassium nitrate, urea, urea-formaldehyde reaction product, and the like.
Phosphorous can be present in any convenient water soluble form, such as CaHPO
4
, Ca(H
2
PO
4
)
2
, single superphosphate (made by reacting ground phosphate rock with 70% sulfuric acid), ammonium phosphate, nitrophosphates, monorthophosphates such as liquid ammonium polyphosphate, and the like.
Potassium can be present as commercial potash, potassium chloride, carnallite (KCl. MgCl
2.
6H
2
O), potassium sulfate, potassium nitrate, and the like.
Dry blended urea, diammonium phosphate, and potash is a common balanced inorganic fertilizer. While urea and possibly other nitrogen sources may be considered to be organic compounds, fertilizers containing them are predominantly inorganic and are commonly referred to as inorganic fertilizers.
The predominantly inorganic fertilizers used in the practice of the invention can optionally contain up to 50% by weight and preferably up to 35% by weight of organic nitrogen-containing compounds as all or part of the nitrogen source.
In addition to the primary nutrients, i.e. nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium, secondary nutrients can be present as needed, such as calcium, magnesium, and sulfur. Also, micronutrient elements can also be added if desired such as boron, manganese, zinc, copper, iron, and molybdenum.
While balanced inorganic fertilizers are most commonly used, inorganic fertilizers deficient in one or more of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium can be used in the practice of the invention , as soil conditions may dictate, e.g. having an N:P:K ratio of 6:2:0; 0:10:0 (bone meal); 16:20:0 (ammonium phosphate); and the like.
Organic fertilizers that are free or substantially free from toxic chemicals and/or metals that can be used as component A), either alone or in combination with an inorganic fertilizer, include processed animal body and vegetable products such as blood meal, cottonseed meal, ocean kelp meal, fish fertilizers such as fish emulsion, feather meal, and the like. Such organic fertilizers do not normally contain component B) micoroorganisms, at least not in any meaningful quantity.
Component B) can be any beneficial microbial organism or combination of organisms known to enhance the quality of soil for the growth of plants. Such micororganisms include those from the genera Bacillus, Clostridium, such as
Clostridium pasteurianum,
Rhodopseudomonas, such as
Rhodopseudomonas capsula,
and Rhizobium that fix atmospheric nitrogen; phosphorous stabilizing Bacillus organisms such as
Bacillus megaterium;
cytokinin producing microorganisms such as
Azotobacter vinelandii;
and microorganisms from the genera Pseudomonas, such as
Pseudomonas fluorescens,
Athrobacter, such as
Anthrobacter globii,
Flavobacterium such as Flavobacteriium sp., Saccharomyces, such as
Saccharomyces cerevisiae,
and the like.
Microorganisms useful in the practice of the invention can be selected from one or more of bacteria, fungi, and viruses that have utility in soil enhancement. Viruses such as the NPV viruses (nuclear polyhedrosis virus) such as the cabbage looper nuclear polyhedrosis virus are examples of useful viruses.
Microorganisms, (bacteria, fungi and viruses) that control various types of pathogens in the soil include microorganisms that control soil-born fungal pathogens, such as Trichoderma sp.,
Bacillus subtilis,
Penicillium sp,; microorganisms that control insects, such as Bacillus sp. e.g.
Bacillus popalliae;
microorganisms that act as herbicides, e.g. Alternaria sp., and the like.
All of the above microorganisms are well known and are readily available from public depositories including ATCC and NRRL.
Optional components that can also be present in the fertilizer compositions of the invention include natural enzymes, growth hormones such as the gibberellins (gibberellic acid and gibberellin plant growth hormones), and control agents including Pesticides such as acaracides and molluskicides, insecticides, fungicides, nematocides, and the like, depending of course on their compatibility with the component B) microorganisms. Compounds useful as control agents may have one activity only, but frequently are effective in more than one of the above categories. Examples of control agents that can be used in the compositions of the invention, depending on component B) compatibility, include inorganic compounds such as elementary sulfur and inorganic sulfur compounds, e.g. calcium polysulfide and sodium thiosulfate, which are effective fungicides, copper, zinc, and other metal in organics such as copper carbonate copper oxychloride, copper sulfate, and copper zinc sulfate. Organometallic compounds such as iron and tin compounds, e.g. triphenyl tin hydroxide exhibit both insecticidal and pesticidal activity. Saturated higher alkyl alcohols, either straight or branched chain, such as nonyl and decyl alcohol, can be present as insecticides. Aldehydes such as metaldehyde is an effective molluskicide,
Dees Jos,e G.
Millson, Jr. Henry E.
Organica Inc.
Pryor Alton
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