Plant protecting and regulating compositions – Plant growth regulating compositions
Patent
1996-03-26
1997-12-30
Clardy, S. Mark
Plant protecting and regulating compositions
Plant growth regulating compositions
47DIG9, A01N 5900, A01M 1300
Patent
active
057030090
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This application has been filed under 35 USC 371 as a national stage application of PCT/FR94/01153, filed Oct. 4, 1994.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a novel method and an installation for treating seeds and bulbs, for the purpose of improving the germination properties thereof and/or the growth thereof.
A particular application of the invention lies in agriculture and horticulture.
It is known that, when used in the natural state, seeds for agricultural production suffer from a certain number of deficiencies, giving rise in particular to a small germination percentage, to growth defects, and to pathology specific thereto.
Given that seed comes from the soil, various pathogenic organisms exist at the periphery thereof, and the activity of the organisms gives rise to a random germination percentage and to defects in the progress of the plant after germination.
Organizations that produce and sell such seeds are therefore confronted with solving the resulting problems.
It is also known in the prior art that ozone produced from vector gases, that may equally well be oxygen from the air or pure oxygen or a mixture of the two in varying proportions, presents bactericidal, virucidal, fungicidal, and sterilizing properties that have been widely used in treating water and also in industry.
Proposals have also been made in the state of the art to use ozone in the context of treating seeds or plants.
Thus, document JP-44818 suggests stimulating plant growth by increasing the concentration of oxygen at their roots by injecting an ionized gas such as ozone at root level after the plant has been sown.
In document JP-1199504, it is suggested that seeds should be treated by being immersed in water while simultaneously applying ozone and ultrasound to the water.
According to that prior document, the ultrasound generator serves to improve penetration of the water into the seeds, thereby accelerating the action of various varieties of enzymes on the seeds.
In document JP-5211808, proposals are made to immerse seeds in water and to inject ozone therein.
As with the treatment described in the preceding document, this can be done only immediately before the seeds are planted or else an additional drying treatment is required, assuming that it is desired to store the treated seeds for some length of time prior to planting them.
In order to improve the germination properties of seeds, document SU-1166693 proposes subjecting the seed to ozone ventilation in the presence of a powerful oxidizer for a relatively long period of time, in the range 25 hours to 45 hours.
In that prior document, it is mentioned that the cells destroyed by the ozone form components that constitute an excellent nutritional medium for the seeds and that as a result the germination thereof increases by about 9% to 15%.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It has been discovered, and this constitutes the basis of the present invention, that it is possible to improve the germination properties and/or the growth of seeds and bulbs by treatment with ozone, preferably produced from vector gases, without calling on an additional oxidizing agent, and with the treatment being relatively short in duration, and that the ability of the ozone to reach the ligno-cellulose structures of seeds depends on the moisture content of said structures and as a result it is possible to further improve the results obtained by adjusting the moisture content of the seeds or the bulbs prior to or simultaneously with ozone treatment.
It has also been observed, in a manner that is quite surprising and unexpected, that the effects of treatment in accordance with the present invention continue to be manifest over time and are practically non-reversible under normal conditions of storage prior to planting, and in the absence of contamination by parasites.
Consequently, the treatment method of the present invention does not require any additional drying step, assuming that the treatment is performed on seeds or bulbs for storage over some length of time prior to plant
Coste Christian
Yvin Jean-Claude
Clardy S. Mark
Degremont
Laboratories Goemar S.A.
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