Chemistry: fertilizers – Processes and products – Organic material-containing
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-25
2002-11-05
Langel, Wayne A. (Department: 1754)
Chemistry: fertilizers
Processes and products
Organic material-containing
C071S027000, C071S064100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06475258
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The field of this invention is fertilizers.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Fertilizers are materials that are used to supply elements needed for plant nutrition. Fertilizer materials may be in the form of solids, semi-solids, slurry suspensions, pure liquids, aqueous solutions and gases. Fertilizing materials may be introduced into a plant's environment in a number of different ways, including through addition to the soil, through application directly to a plant's foliage, and the like. The use of fertilizers is critical to commercial agriculture as fertilizers are essential to correct natural deficiencies and/or replace components in soil.
In many instances, it is beneficial to apply a fertilizer directly to the foliage of a plant, i.e. to use a foliar fertilizer. Such instances include situations where a given soil has characteristics such that the transport properties of nutrients through the soil are poor. In such instances, the use of a foliar fertilizing composition overcomes the soil disadvantages.
As such, a number of different foliar fertilizer compositions have been developed and/or used with a variety of different types of crops.
Despite the number of different foliar fertilizers that have been developed, there is a continued need to develop new compositions. Of particular interest would be the development of fertilizer compositions that include a minimum of different components, preferably naturally occurring components, where such compositions nonetheless provide for significant enhancement in plant growth.
RELEVANT LITERATURE
U.S. Patents of interest include: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,473,648; 4,652,294; 4,952,229; 5,549,729; 5,582,627 and 5,696,094. Also of interest are JP 68-022206 and EP 161395.
References of interest include: Berrie, “The Effect of Sucrose Sprays on the Growth of Tomato: Physiologia Plantarum (1960) 13: 9-19; Brasher et al., “Foliar Nutrition Sprays on Vegetable Crops” Bulletin No. 295, (April 1953) (University of Delaware, Newark Del.); Klinker et al., “Effect of Foliar Applications of Urea, Sucrose, and Dextrose on Tomato Yield and Quality,” Bulletin 595 (April 1953) (Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station) (University of Kentucky); Mederski et al., “Foliar fertilization of Plant Crops,” Research Circulation (1956) Ohio Agricultural Experimentation Station; and Went et al., “Growth Response to Tomato Plants of Applied Sucrose,” American J. Botany (1948) 33: 95-106.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Foliar fertilizing compositions and methods for their use are provided. The subject compositions are aqueous solutions that include at least one coenzyme, where the coenzyme(s) is preferably a vitamin B, and more preferably at least one of, and in many embodiments both of, folic acid (vitamin Bc) and pyridoxine (vitamin B
6
). The subject fertilizing compositions may further include at least one of a carbohydrate source, a complexing agent and a preservative. The subject compositions find use in methods of enhancing plant growth through foliar application.
DESCRIPTION OF THE SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS
Methods and compositions for enhancing plant growth are provided. The subject compositions are aqueous solutions of at least one coenzyme, where the coenzyme(s) is preferably a vitamin B, and more preferably at least one of, and many cases both of, folic acid and pyridoxine. The subject compositions may also include one or more of the following agents: (a) a carbohydrate source; (b) a complexing agent; and (c) a preservative. The subject compositions find use in methods of enhancing plant growth where the compositions are applied to the foliage of plants, i.e. the subject compositions find use as foliar fertilizers. In further describing the subject invention, the compositions will be described first followed by a discussion of methods for their use.
Before the subject invention is further described, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular embodiments of the invention described below, as variations of the particular embodiments may be made and still fall within the scope of the appended claims. It is also to be understood that the terminology employed is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments, and is not intended to be limiting. Instead, the scope of the present invention will be established by the appended claims.
In this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood to one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs.
The compositions used as foliar fertilizers in the subject methods are aqueous compositions that include at least one coenzyme. Coenzymes of interest include: biotin, vitamin B compounds, inositol, etc. In preferred embodiments, the coenzyme is a vitamin B. By vitamin B is meant a water soluble vitamin which is generally a member of the vitamin B complex. Specific vitamin B compounds of interest include: vitamin B
1
(thiamine); vitamin B
1
disulfide (thiamine disulfide); vitamin B
1
propyl disulfide (thiamine propyl disulfide; prosultiamine); vitamin B
2
(riboflavin); vitamin B
2
phosphate (riboflavin monophosphate); vitamin B
3
(nicotinamide, niacin, nicotinic acid); vitamin B
4
(adenine); vitamin B
5
(pantothenic acid); vitamin B
6
hydrochloride (pyridoxine hydrochloride); vitamin B
12
(cyanobolamin); vitamin B
12r
(vitamin B
12
-Co(II)); vitamin B
12
coenzyme (cobamamide); vitamin B
12a
; vitamin B
12b
; B
12c
; vitamin B
12d
; vitamin B
12p
; vitamin B
12s
; vitamin B
13
(orotic acid); vitamin B
x
(p-aminobenzoic acid, PABA); and vitamin B
c
(folic acid).
While the foliar fertilizer composition may include one or more different vitamin B compounds, preferably the composition includes one or two different vitamin B compounds, where the vitamin B compounds are preferably folic acid and pyridoxine, where the foliar fertilizer composition may include just one of, or both of, folic acid and pyridoxine. The amount of each of these coenzymes will be effective to enhance the rate of growth of the plant to which the composition is applied.
In preferred embodiments in which folic acid and/or pyridoxine are the vitamin B compounds, the amount of folic acid that is applied to the plant during practice of the subject methods (i.e. N-[4[[(2-Amino-1,4-dihydro-4-oxo-6-pteridinyl)methyl]amino]benzoyl]-L-glutamic acid, PGA, liver
Lactobacillus casei
factor; vitamin Bc; vitamin M, folsäure, cytofol; folacin, foldine, foliamin, foliacet, folipac, folettes, folsan, folvite, inafolic and millafol) will range from about 0.50 to 20, usually from about 0.50 to 10 and more usually from about 1.0 to 5.0 ppm w/w, where in many embodiments the preferred range in the composition that is applied to foliage is from about 1.0 to 3.0 ppm w/w, and more preferably from about 1.0 to 2.0 ppm. Generally, the amount of pyridoxine or vitamin B
6
that is applied to the plant during practice of the subject methods (e.g. from pyridoxine hydrochloride, 5-hydroxy-6-methyl-3,4-pyridinedimethanol hydrochloride; pyridoxol hydrochloride, vitamin B
6
hydrochloride, pyridoxinium chloride, adermine, hydrochloride, bonasanit, hexabione hydrochloride, hexabetalin, hexavibex, pyridipea, pyridox, bécilan, benadon, hexermin, campovitron 6, hexabion ) will range from about 0.50 to 20, usually from about 0.50 to 10 and more usually from about 1.0 to 5.0 ppm w/w, where in many embodiments the preferred range in the composition that is applied to foliage is from about 1.0 to 3.0 ppm w/w, and more preferably from about 1.0 to 2.0 ppm. As mentioned above, in many embodiments of the invention the foliar fertilizer composition includes both of the above coenzymes, where the amounts of each enzyme are the same as those described above, such that the total coenzyme amount that is applied to the plant during practice of the subject methods (i.e. the amount of both
Bozicevic, Field & Francis
Field Bret E.
Langel Wayne A.
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