Plant husbandry – Mulching
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-17
2004-01-06
Poon, Peter M. (Department: 3643)
Plant husbandry
Mulching
Reexamination Certificate
active
06672001
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of agriculture, and in particular to the mulching of agriculture soil beds using a thin protein film as a mulch layer. More particularly the invention relates to the mulching of agricultural crop growing plots by spreading a protein solution thereon and allowing the solution to dry to form a thin mulching film of protein lying over the plot.
2. Prior Activities and Problems in the Field
Mulch is defined as a protective covering used on the ground generally over a growing crop to reduce evaporation, prevent erosion, control weeds, and/or enrich the soil. There are many kinds of materials that may be used for mulching, for example, compost, sheet composting, humus, organic mulches, seed free mulches, green growing mulches, etc. Compost, humus and organic matter mulches are generally used in small gardens and fields having small cropping areas. Polyethylene mulch is a material most commonly used on farms at the present time to conserve soil moisture, prevent soil erosion, modify soil temperature, and control weeds, with resulting improvements in yield, quality, earliness of harvest, and efficiency of management.
An undesirable consequence of using a conventional polyethylene mulch, however, is that polyethylene does not readily decompose in nature. This creates additional operations for the producer to pick up the mulch and dispose of it. Unfortunately, it has been observed that non-biodegradable mulches, such as polyethylene film, are often disposed of by burning, by being pushed aside or by dumping in a landfill. These disposal methods either give off harmful fumes or create more waste in the environment.
During the last several decades, tremendous strides have been made to enhance the usefulness of artificial mulches. This is due to the development of new and improved materials and new and improved techniques and machinery with which to perform the necessary operations. Mulches consisting of styrene-butadiene polymer dispersions have been developed. Such mulches may be sprayed on soil and dried to a film. Moreover these mulches provide many of the desirable effects of a plastic mulch, and yet the material is biodegradable such that it can be plowed under following harvest. No mulch waste is produced that needs collecting and disposing of away from the field.
Development of biopolymer films and coatings from proteins, polysaccharides and lipid materials have received increased interest in recent years. In the midst of rising concerns over environmental protection, the renewable nature of biopolymer film ingredients renders such films particularly appealing for innovative uses in the field as mulch. Furthermore, since many of these film-forming biopolymers are edible, it is obvious that a biodegradable mulch may be readily prepared therefrom. Films prepared from proteins such as wheat gluten, corn zein, soy proteins, peanut proteins, milk proteins, collagen and gelatin have been developed and tested for selected physical and mechanical properties. Recent studies have concentrated on the development and property evaluation of films made from soy protein isolate and wheat gluten.
Ongoing research projects at the Industrial Agricultural Products Center (IAPC) of the University of Nebraska involve modification of biopolymers for incorporation into plastic films. Recent publications authored by researchers working at IAPC provide an up-to-date review of research on edible films and coatings produced from grain proteins. Both publications are extensive reviews and interested readers are referred to Gennadios, A, and C. L. Weller (1990) “Edible Films and Coatings From Wheat and Corn Proteins”,
Food Technology
44(10): 63-69; and Gennadios, A. and C. L. Weller (1991), “Edible Films and Coatings From Soybeans and Soy Protein”,
Cereal Foods World
36(12):1004-1009.
Comprehensive reviews on the film-forming properties of several protein, polysaccharide, and lipid substances have recently been published. (See Guilbert, S. (1986), “Technology and Application of Edible Protective Films”,
Food Packaging and Preservation: Theory and Practice
, ed. M. Mathlouthi, 371-394, Elsevier Applied Science Publishers, Ltd. (London); Guilbert, S. (1988), “Use of Superficial Edible Layer to Protect Intermediate Moisture Foods: Application to the Protection of Tropical Fruits Dehydrated by Osmosis,
Food Preservation by Moisture Control
, ed. C. C. Seow,
199--219
, Elsevier Applied Science Publishers, Ltd. (London); Kester, J. J. and O. R. Fennema (1986), “Edible Films and Coatings: A Review”,
Food Technology
40(12), 47-59; and Krochta, J. M. (1992), “Control of Mass Transfer in Foods with Edible Coatings and Films”,
Advances in Food Engineering
, ed. R. P. Singh and M. A. Wirakartakusumah, 517-538, CRC Press, Inc. (Boca Raton, Fla.)). Protein films in particular have also been discussed in detail by Gennadios and others (See A. Gennadios, T. H. McHugh, C. L. Weller and J. M. Krochta (1993), “Edible Coatings and Films Based on Proteins”,
Edible Coatings and Films to Improve Food Quality
, ed. J. M. Krochta, M. Nisperos-Carriedo and E. A. Baldwin (In press), Technomic Publishing Company, Inc. (Lancaster, Pa.); A. Gennadios, A. H. Brandenburg, C. L. Weller and R. F. Testin, (1993), “Effect of pH on Properties of Wheat Gluten and Soy Protein Isolate Films”,
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
41:1835 -1839; A. Gennadios, A. H. Brandenburg, A. H. Park, C. L. Weller and R. F. Testin (1993), “Water Vapor Permeability of Wheat Gluten and Soy Protein Isolate Films”,
Industrial Crops Products
(In press); A. Gennadios, H. J. Park and C. L. Weller (1993), “Relative Humidity and Temperature Effects on Tensile Strength of Edible Protein and Cellulose Ether Films”,
Transactions of the ASAE
(In press); A. Gennadios, C. L. Weller and R. F. Testin (1993), “Temperature Effect on Oxygen Permeability of Edible Protein-Based Films”,
Journal of Food Science
58:212-214, 219; A. Gennadios, C. L. Weller and R. F. Testin (1993), “Modification of Properties of Edible Wheat Gluten-Based Films”,
Transactions of the ASAE
36: 465-470; A. Gennadios, C. L. Weller and R. F. Testin (1993), “Modification of Physical and Barrier Properties of Edible Wheat Gluten-Based Films”,
Cereal Chemistry
70:426-429; A. Gennadios, C. L. Weller and C. H. Gooding (1993), “Measurement errors in Water Vapor Permeability of Highly Permeable, Hydrophilic Edible Films”,
Journal of Food Engineering
(In press); A. Gennadios, C. L. Weller, M. A. Hanna and G. W. Froning (1993), “Edible Films from Egg White Protein”, ASAE Paper No. 93-6037, ASAE (St. Joseph, Mich.)). Current Industrial applications of protein films include sausage casings from collagen (Hood, L. L. (1987), “Collagen in Sausage Casings”,
Advances in Meat Research
4:109-129); protective coatings of corn zein, usually mixed with acetylated monoglycerides, for use on nutmeats, medicinal tablets, and candy (Reiners, R. A., J. S. Wall and G. E. Inglett (1973), “Corn Proteins: Potential for their Industrial Use”,
Industrial Uses of Cereals
, ed. Y. Pomeranz, 285-302, American Association of Cereal Chemists (St. Paul, Minn.); Andres, C. (1984), “Natural Edible Coating Has Excellent Moisture and Grease Barrier Properties”,
Food Processing
45(13): 48-49); and gelatin pharmaceutical capsules (Rose, P. I. (1987), “Gelatin”,
Encyclopedia of polymer Science and Engineering
, ed. H. F. Mark, N. M. Bikales, C. G., Overberger and G. Menges, Vol. 7: 488-513, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.(New York)).
Considerable work is ongoing by various researchers related to edible films and coatings. Examples of some of these workers and their interests include: Krochta at UC-Davis-milk protein films (Ho, B. P., R. Avena-Bustillos and J. M. Krochta (1991), “Water Vapor Permeability of CaseIn-Based Edible Films”, Presented at AIChE Conference of Food Engineering (Chicago, Ill.); Fennema at Wisconsin—multi component films from cellulose and lipids (Greener, I. K. and O. Fennema (1989), “Barrier Properties and
Ali Yusuf
Ghorpade Viswas
Hanna Milford
Weber Robert
Board of Regents of University of Nebraska
Gellner Jeffrey L.
Poon Peter M.
Shook Hardy & Bacon LLP
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