Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02258495 l998- l2- 15
WO 97/49651 PCT/USg7/lllZ7
A METHQD OF ~AKING A LIOUID FERTILIZING SUBSTANCE
THIS INVENTION relates to fertilizing. It relates, in particular, to a
method of making a liquid fertilizing mz~tf~ri~l, to a method of making a liquid fertilizer
blend, to a liquid fertilizing m~t~.ri:~l, to a liquid fertilizer blend and to a method of
'~ 5 fertilizing a plant.
According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a method of
making a liquid fertilizing m5ltf~.ri~1, the method including the steps of
pd~ g an extract of a natural organic material; and
combining the extract with a fertilizing substance.
The natural organic material may be a natural organic fertilizing
ms~t~.ri5~1. The natural organic material may include animal droppings. It may, for
example, be manure or droppings such as sea-bird guano or chicken manure.
The extract may be an aqueous extract. Thus, ~lG~ g the extract of
the natural organic material may include the step of extracting the natural organic
fertilizing material with water in an aqueous mixture by p~(1mi~in~ it with water to
produce an aqueous mixture co~ an aqueous phase and insoluble mslt~ri~l
arld ~git~ting or stirring the mixture. Tn~tf-~rl, ple~illg the extract may include the
step of extracting the natural organic fertilizing material with an aqueous solution of a
base in an aqueous mixture. The base may be selected from sodium hydroxide and
potassium hydroxide. Typically the amount of base used is about 1,5-3,0% by massbased on the total volume (ie m/v). Thus for example, for an aqueous mixture of
20000Q co~ il.;llg 10 tons of the natural organic material and 10000e of water,
p~l~iSiUIll hydroxide in an amount of about 300-600g would typically be used. Thus
the base may comrri~e about 1,5-3,0% by mass based on the total volume of the
aqueous solution and the natural organic fertilizing material. The use of potassium
hydroxide results in a l~ "d~ule increase in the aqueous mixture to about 40~ if about
1,5% (mtv) of potassium hydroxide is used and to about 60~ if about 3,0% ~m/v) of
potassium hydroxide is used. Typically the extraction is conducted at a pH of about
5,0 - 6,5.
J 30 The p~las~iulll or sodium hydroxide present in the aqueous mixture also
serves to hydrolyse proteins present in the mixture to amino acids. Typically about
60% of the protein present is hydrolysed. The base also aids in the extraction of
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carbon cont~ining m~t~ri~l from the natural organic m~teri~l Typically about 80% of
the carbon co~ lg material present in the natural organic material is extracted. The
chelation effect, ~iccll~sel1 in further detail below, is also enhanced by the presence of
potassium or sodium hydroxide.
The extraction step may be carried out at an elevated te,l~ldLu~c. It Y
may, for example, be carried out at a ~lllp.,ldlulc; of about 60 - 90~C, preferably about
75 - 85~C. The extraction step may be carried out over a period of about 15 - 40minllt~S-
Preparing the extract may include, after the extraction step, the step of
10 removing the insoluble material from the aqueous mixture to produce an aqueous phase.
The insoluble material may be removed by passing the mixture through a cyclone in
order to separate the bulk of the insoluble material from the a~ueous phase and passing
the aqueous phase through a filter press to produce a filtered aqueous phase. Naturally
any other suitable method may be used to ~dLc the insoluble material from the
15 aqueous mixture.
Preparing the extract may include the further step of partially
~v~oldLil1g or conce,,LIdLing the aqueous phase to produce the extract. Typically, the
filtered aqueous phase will be concentrated until, or to produce, an extract with a
carbon:nitrogen ratio of 24:1. Thus, the method may include the step of concentrating
20 the aqueous phase until the extract has a carbon:nitrogen ratio of about 24:1. When
this ratio is achieved, çe~nti~lly all excess water will have evaporated and iust
sufficient water will remain to dissolve most of the soluble m~teri~l in the extract.
The extract will typically have a dissolved solids content of about 35%
(m/m).
The fertilizing snhst~n~e may be selected from water-soluble salts and
Lul-.s of water-soluble salts. The water soluble salts may be salts of metals
selected from the group which includes calcium, m~gns~sium, pot~ m, amrnonium
and the like and anions selected from the group c--n~i~ting of nitrate, acetate, chloride,
sulphate, phosphate and the like.
3û Combining the extract with the water soluble salt or mixture of water ~'
soluble salts may include the prior step of at least partially dissolving the water soluble
salt or lllia~LLIIc of water soluble salts in water to obtain an at least partial solution and
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combining the at least partial solution with the extract. The combining step mayinclude heating the resl-lting combination to bring about further dissolution of any
undissolved fertilizing substance. It may involve the further step of allowing the
combination to stand for a period of about 24 hours.
Prior to combining the solution of fertilizing substance(s) with the
extract to produce the liquid fertilizing material, the concentration of the at least partial
solution may be between about 35 g/e and 80 g/Q depending upon the solubility
of the fertilizing substance.
For example, in the case of calcium nitrate and calcium acetate, the
10 concentration may be between about 53 and 64 g/Q, preferably about 56 g/e. In the
case of m~n~eium nitrate the conc~lll.dlion may be between about 33 and 38 g/Q
preferably about 35 g/e. In the case of pO~d~ iiUlll nitrate, p~3L~iulll chloride
and potassium sulphate the collcenLIdlion may be between about 65 and 80 g/e
preferably about 75 g/e. In the case of ammonium nitrate, ~mmnniurn s ~lph~te and
lS urea ~mmnnium nitrate the concentration may be between about 85 and 95 g/Q
preferably about 90 g/Q. In the case of monc slmmonium phosphate, diammonium
phosphate, monopotassium phosphate and dipotassium pho~rh~te the concentration may
be l)~lwt;en about 30 and 40 g/e preferably about 35 g/e.
The volume ratio between the extract and the at least partial solution of
20 fertilizing substance may be about 1:4.
The method may include the further step of combining a micro-nutrient
blend with the extract and the fertilizing substance. The micro-nutrient blend may
include elements selected from the group which includes zinc, copper, mzlng~n~se, iron,
molybdenum, boron and llli~Lu~cs of any two or more thereof. The micro-nutrient
25 blend may be BMX supplied by Chemserve Colloids (Pty) T,imite~
The invention extends to a method of making a liquid fertilizer blend
which includes the step of combining or blending at least two liquid fertilizingmaterials each prepared according to the method as hereinbefore described.
The method may include combining or blending predetermined qll~ntities
30 of the liquid fertilizing m~t~ri~l~ to produce a blend cu~ g a plurality of fertilizing
~ub~l~lces each present in a predt:L~ .ed amount.
Ihus the method may be used to make mixtures or blends, each
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cont~inin~ predetermined amounts of different fertilizing substances, selected to suit,
for example, the requirements of a particular type of crop or plant or the requirements
of a particular kind of crop or plant at a particular stage of its growth.
Surprisingly, the Applicant has found that the method of the invention
allows a blend of liquid fertilizing materials to be prepared which blend contains J
fertilizing substances which, if they were merely dissolved in water, would normally
result in the formation of a precipitate. So, for example, a liquid fertilizing m~tf ri~l
cont~ining calcium, prepared in accordance with the method of the invention, can be
blended with another liquid fertilizing material cont~ining, for example, phosphate,
10 sulphate or carbonate without the expected precipitation of calcium slllphslte, calcium
phosphate or calcium carbonate.
The invention extends to a liquid fertilizing material made in accordance
with the method as hereinbefore described.
The invention ~xtencl~, further, to a liquid fertilizer blend made in
15 accordance with the method as hereinbefore described.
The invention extends, fur~her, to a method of fertilizing a plant, the
method including the step of applying to the plant an effective amount of a fertilizer
selecte-l from liquid fertilizing materials and liquid fertilizer blends as hereinbefore
described and mixtures of any two or more thereof.
In the case of fruit-bearing citrus trees, the method may include applying
the liquid fertilizing material or liquid fertilizer blend by means of a knapsack spray, by
flood irrigation, by overhead irrigation, by micro-irrigation or by the use of a drip
system.
The invention is now described, by way of example, with reference to
the accolllpal~yillg ~xamples.
EXAMPLE 1
In order to prepare the extract, chicken manure (lkg) was added to water
(1,5P) and the mixture was heated to 80~C, with stirring, for 30 minutes The resulting
mixture, comprising an aqueous phase and insoluble material, was passed through a
cyclone to separate insoluble material from the mixture. The aqueous phase was then
passed through a filter-press to remove remS-ining suspended solid material.
The extract was produced by concentrating the filtered aqueous phase to
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a volume of about lQ. The extract had a carbon:nitrogen ratio of 24:1 and contained
about 35%(m/m) dissolved solids.
In a ~ ~ate run, potassium hydroxide (SOg) was added to the mixture.
The addition of the potassium hydroxide resulted in an initial temperature increase to
5 40~C.
EXAMPLE 2
A liquid fertilizing m~teri~l cont~ining the fertilizing substance calcium
nitrate was made as follows. A solution of calcium nitrate was prepared by dissolving
calcium nitrate (53g) in water (100 me) to produce a solution having a concentration of
53 % (m/v). The solution (100 mQ) was then ~-lmixe~l with the extract of Example 1
(400 me) (the ratio between the extract and the calcium nitrate solution thus being 1:4).
The resulting mixture was heated to 60~C and left to stand for 24 hours to produce the
liquid fertilizing material co~ ;.lillg the fertilizing substance calcium nitrate.
The process of Example 2 was repeated using the fertilizing substance
calcium acetate (53 g) and the same quantities of water and extract to produce a liquid
fertilizing material co"~ ;llg the fertilizing substance calcium acetate.
The calcium-col~ p liquid fertilizing material(s) can be blended with
other liquid fertilizing materials (prepared as described below), or with other nlltrient~,
to form a fertilizer blend or fertilizer which is suited to the requirements of a particular
crop. The calcium-cont~ininp liquid fertilizing material can, instead, be used directly,
as a calcium source, through an irrigation system or as a foliar feed to overcome
specific calcium deficiencies (detçct~d for example by leaf analysis) that may occur
during the growing season of a plant.
EXAMPLE 3
A liquid fertilizing material co-lL~ g the fertilizing substance
m~_n~ium nitrate was prepared as follows. A solution of m~gne~ m nitrate was
prepared by dissolving m~gne~ium nitrate (35 g) in water (100 me) to produce a
solution having a concentration of 35% (m/v). The solution (100 me) was then
admixed with the extract of Example 1 (400 me) (the ratio between the extract and the
calcium nitrate solution thus being 1:4) and the rçs~ in~ mixture was left to stand for
48 hours to produce the liquid fertilizing m~tf~ri~l c. ..~ ,;..g the fertilizing substance
m~gnçcium nitrate.
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The m~gne~ium-co~ g liquid fertilizing mzlteri~l can be used in
blends, as described above, directly through irrigation systems or as a foliar feed in the
case of m~gnesium deficiencies in a plant (for exarnple as detected by tissue analysis).
EXAMPLE 4
A liquid fertilizing material cont~ininp: the fertilizing substance potassiurn
nitrate was prepared as follows. A solution of potassium nitrate was prepared bydissolving potassium nitrate lkg in water 600me at 70 - 90~C with mechanical stirring
for 5 - 10 mimlfes to produce a solution having a concentration of 62,5% (m/m). The
res~lltin~ solution (100 me) was ~-lmix~d with the extract of Example 1 (400 me) (the
10 ratio between the extract and the potassium nitrate solution thus being 1:4) to produce
the liquid fertilizing material co-ll~ g the fertilizing substance potassium nitrate.
The process of Example 4 was repeated twice more using, respectively,
the fertilizing substances p~iUlll chloride and p~ sulphate in the same
qll~ntiti~s to produce liquid fertilizing materials c~ the fertilizing substances
15 potassium chloride and p~ Siulll sulphate respectively.
The potassium-cont~ining liquid fertilizing m~t~ris~l(s) can be blended
with other liquid fertilizing materials or nutrients, as described above, or used on its
own and applied through irrigation systems or as a foliar feed.
~ EXAMPLE 5
A liquid fertilizing material cont~ining the fertilizing substance
ammonium nitrate was prepared as follows. A 21% (m/m) solution of amrnonium
nitrate (100 me) was admixed with the extract of Example 1 (400 me) (the ratio
between the extract and the ammonium nitrate solution thus being 1:4) and the res~lltinE
mixture was left to stand for 24 hours to produce the liquid fertilizing material
25 co~ g the fertilizing substance arnmonium nitrate.
The process of Example 5 was repeated twice more using, respectively,
the fertilizing substances ammonium sulphate as an 80% {mlm) solution and urea
arnmonium nitrate as an 80% (m/m) solution in the same quantities to produce liquid
fertilizing materials co..~ the fertilizing substances ammonium sulphate and urea
30 ammonium nitrate respectively.
The arnrnonium-co~ ;"g liquid fertilizing material(s) can be blended
with other liquid fertilizing materials or nutrients, as described above, or used on its
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own through an irrigation system or as a foliar feed in prescribed quantities.
E~AMPLE 6
A liquid fertilizing material cont~ining the fertilizing substance
m- n~-~mmonium phosphate was prepared as follows. A 30% (m/m) solution of
5 monoammonium phosphate (100 me) was admixed with the extract of Example 1
~400 me) (the ratio between the extract and the monoammonium phosphate solution
thus being 1:4) and the resulting mixture was mech~nic~lly stirred for 5 mimlte~ and
left to stand for 48 hours to produce the liquid fertilizing material cont~ining the
fertilizing substance mono~mm~ nium phosphate.
The process of Example 6 was repeated three times using, respectively,
the fertilizing substances ~ mml~nium phosphate, monopotassium phosphate and
dipotassium phosphate, each as a 30% (m/m) solution, in the same quantities to
produce liquid fertilizing m~t~ri~l~ CO..I~i..il.~ the fertilizing substances diammonium
phosphate, monop~ phosphate and potassiurn phosphate.
15 The phosphate-co.. ~ g liquid fertilizing material(s) can be blended
with other liquid fertilizing materials or nutrients as described above to suit the
e.luilclllents of a specific crop or area or used on its own through irrigation systems or
as a foliar feed to overcome phosphate deficiencies (for example as detected by tissue
analysis).
EXAMPLE 7
A liquid fertilizer blend was prepared by ~flmixing the
potassium-cont~ininp liquid fertilizing material of Example 4 (20kg) with the
ammonium-co~ g liquid fertilizing material of Fx~mple 5 (40kg), the
phosphate-co..~ ;..F liquid fertilizing material of Example 6 (33kg) and BMX
25 micro-nutrient blend (0,2kg), supplied by Ch~m~rve Colloids (Pty) T imi1e-1, to produce
the liquid fertilizer blend.
EXAMPLE 8
A liquid fertilizer blend was p~ ed by admixing the
potassium-cont~ining liquid fertilizing material of Example 4 (20kg), the
30 ammonium-co~ liquid fertilizing material of Example 5 (61kg), the
calcium-co.,~ g liquid fertilizing material of Example 2 (7,3kg), the
m~n~iurn-co."~;,.i..g Iiquid fertilizing material of Example 3 (2,5kg) and B~
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micro-nutrient blend (0,2kg), to produce the liquid fertilizer blend.
Liquid fertilizers, ie fertilizers co~ .;rlg dissolved fertilizing
components in an aqueous me~illm, generally cannot be produced by combining
calcium-cont~inin~; fertilizing materials with many other fertilizing materials because of
S the tendency of calcium salts to precipitate from the aqueous medium. For example, ''
calcium salts cannot be combined, in liquid fertilizers, with phosphates, s-llph~tec
(such as ammonium sulphate or m~gne~ium s--lph~t~) or carbonates because of
p~ lion of calcium phosphate (for example as tricalcium phosphate) c~lcillm
sulphate or calcium carbonate. Even when a soluble calcium salt is applied to the soil,
10 for example as a component of a top-dressing, the soluble calcium salt can beconverted, in the soil, into insoluble calciurn carbonate or calcium hydroxide. This
limits the availability of the calcium of the soluble calcium salt to plants growing
in the soil. Magnesium-c~ . salts can similarly be converted, in the soil, to
partly-soluble m~gn~ium carbonate or mz~gn~ m hydroxide so that the availability of
15 the m~gn.?~ium of the soluble m~gnç~ium salt to plants growing in the soil is also
limited.
It is an advantage of the invention described that it provides a liquid
fertilizing material which contains fertilizing substances which normally would produce
precipitates if merely dissolved in water. Without being bound by theory, the
20 Applicant believes that a chelation process takes place in which at least the cations of
the fertilizing substances are collated by sllhst~nces extracted from the natural organic
m~ ri~l This chelation process is believed to be responsible for preventing
precipitation from taking place. The Applicant further believes that the chelation
process also prevents the fertilizing substances ~rom being leached from the soil.
It is a further advantage of the invention described that predeter~nined
amounts of different liquid fertilizing materials may be blended to provide a blend
having predetermined amounts of different fertilizing materials present. This permits
the preparation of liquid fertilizer blends which are suited to the requirements of
different plants or to the requirements of a specific plant during different periods of its
growth cycle. ~or example, some plants require certain nutrients during their growth
stage and other nutrients during their reproduction stage. The invention thus provides
blends which can be applied to the ground in the vicinity of the plant during these
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stages. Furtherrnore, prior art organic fertilizers of which the Applicant is aware do not
contain large amounts of micro-nutrients. It has thus generally been necessary to use
relatively large amounts of such prior art organic fertilizers in order to provide
sufficient micro-nutrients to meet the requirements of a particular type of plant. It is
'' 5 an advantage of the invention described that it provides a liquid fertilizing material
which includes relatively large amounts of micro-nlltrient~ so that it is not necessary to
use large q~lzmtitie~ of the liquid fertilizing material in order to provide adequate micro-
nntrient~ to a plant.
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