Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
BIO-STIMULANT AND METHOD OF PRODUCING SAME
Field:
The present disclosure relates to a bio-stimulant product for inoculating soil
or other
environment and methods for producing same; in particular, the present
disclosure relates to bio-
stimulant products for introducing a diverse plurality of groups of beneficial
microorganisms to a soil or
other environment.
Background:
In cultivating plants or trees, it is known that soil additives, commonly
referred to as soil
inoculants or bio-stimulants may be used to introduce beneficial
microorganisms to the soil or growing
medium of the plants, thereby promoting the growth and health of the plants
being cultivated in that
soil or growing medium. Plant health and growth is dependent on healthy soil
biology. Beneficial
microorganisms live in a symbiotic relationship with plants, supplying
moisture and nutrients from the
soil, and forming a natural defence system around the roots of plants, in
exchange for glucose. For
example, a class of fungi known as mycorrhizal fungi, effectively extend the
surface area of the plant's
root systems, thereby increasing the absorption of water and nutrients from
the soil. A further example
of a beneficial microorganism that exists in symbiosis with plants is a root
colonizing species of bacteria
known as rhizobacteria. Rhizobacteria inhabit the roots of plants, blocking
disease causing bacteria from
infecting the plant.
Although beneficial microorganisms may naturally be present in soil, the use
of synthetic
fertilizers has led to few beneficial microorganisms and nutritional minerals
remaining in soil. Thus, it
may be desirable to amend soil so as to introduce beneficial microorganisms,
for example by using a bio-
stimulant containing a diverse plurality of groups of beneficial
microorganisms, comprising of bacteria,
yeast and fungi. Various different types of soil inoculants and bio-stimulants
are available in the market,
produced by various processes, some of which include first cultivating
microorganisms on a host plant,
and then harvesting the microorganisms from the host plant and processing it
to thereby incorporate it
into a soil inoculant product. For example, in patent application number
PCT/ZA2008/000060 by
inventor Venter (the' 060 patent application), a method of producing
endomycorrhiza inoculum involves
cultivating endomycorrhiza spores on roots of a host plant in a growing medium
and sequences of steps
to separate the spores and producing a spore concentrate on a carrier.
Specifically, the process
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embodiments described in the '060 patent application include removing a host
plant from a growth
medium and processing the growth medium containing spores and hyphae by
washing it thoroughly
with water or aqueous liquid, separating any root matter and coarse debris
from the spore-containing
liquid, separating the spores from the liquid, and mixing the spores with a
fine absorbent carrier powder
to obtain an nearly dry powder mixture. The carrier powder may include a fine
zeolite powder and/or
one or more clay minerals.
In patent application number PCT/ZA02/00046 by inventors Hilditch et al (the
'046 patent
application), a method of preparing a growth substrate for use in plant
inoculation includes the steps of
obtaining a viable source of microorganism, growing the microorganism in
proximity to one or more
propagative host plant root systems so as to encourage development of a
symbiotic association
between the microorganism and the propagative host plant root systems,
supporting the microorganism
and the propagative host plant root systems in a support medium being a
suitable zeolite such as
capezeo, allowing the microorganism to sporulate, terminating the growth of
the propagative host plant
root systems, allowing the microorganism tempter state of dormancy in response
to the termination of
growth of the propagative host plant root systems, and separating the
microorganism, associated
propagative host plant root systems and supports medium from the remainder of
the propagative host
plant.
In US patent number 8,728,460 by inventor Spittle (the '460 patent), a soil
treatment
composition is described which includes combining beneficial soil fungi and
bacteria in a growth
promoting nutrient medium and embedding it in an organic porous ceramic
particle for direct delivery
during soil aerification. The process of manufacturing the soil treatment
composition, as described in
the '460 patent, includes spraying the porous carrier particles with a
biological soil treatment
composition. Carbohydrates and other food sources for the dormant bacteria and
fungi are included to
increase the colony forming of the organisms.
In European patent application number 93913523.2 by inventor Sakai et al (the
'523 patent
application), a process for producing a substance inoculated with a vesicular
arbuscular mycorrhizae
(VAM) fungus is disclosed, which comprises cultivating a plant infected with a
VAM fungus belonging to
the genus Gigaspora by using a base material comprising calcined amber loam,
or a mixture of calcined
amber loam and calcined attapulgite, to thereby proliferate the VAM fungus.
The process prepares a
substance inoculated with a VAM fungus. Examples of carriers may include, for
example, zeolite, foam
clay, talc, pearlite, vermiculite, calcined amber loam, pumice, limestone,
soil, sand, coke and peat moss.
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So as to prevent contamination of the carrier with indigenous microbes, the
carrier is subjected to
sterilization (including calcination) prior to its use. A sterilized soil or a
calcined amber loam is
preferably used. After the spore density has come to be sufficiently high, the
use calcined amber loam
or other carrier is recovered to isolate the formed VAM inoculant, which is
optionally dried if desired to
obtain the final inoculant product. In the examples given in the '523 patent
application, the host plants
are grown for a period of 16 weeks after transplantation before the soil
inoculants were produced from
the used calcined amber loam or other carriers.
Summary:
In accordance with the present disclosure, in one embodiment, a method for
producing a bio-
stimulant product containing a diverse plurality of groups of microorganisms
as well as other
micronutrients includes using a starting material, for example humus having
sufficient amounts of
beneficial microorganisms and, optionally, a desired mixture of
micronutrients. The starting material is
mixed together with water and an appropriate starchy carbohydrate so as to
facilitate the growth of the
microorganisms. The aqueous starting material/carbohydrate mixture is left
in the dark for
approximately one week. Sugar or molasses are then added to the mixture and
the mixture is again
placed in the dark for another two to four weeks allowing it to ferment, which
turns the mixture into a
water soluble, viscous mixture. A carrier, such as zeolite, biochar, or
diatomaceous earth is then added,
causing the a diverse plurality of a group of microorganisms, as well as any
available micronutrients, to
become absorbed and/or adsorbed into the pores of the carrier and then the
carrier is then separated
from the aqueous mixture water and dried, preferably in the dark, to produce
the bio-stimulant product.
Water may also be used as a carrier, eliminating the steps of separating the
carrier from the aqueous
mixture and drying the carrier.
Generally speaking, bio-stimulant products may be used to add beneficial
microorganisms, such
as bacteria, yeast, and fungal spores or fungi, and/or micronutrients, to a
soil or growth medium (the
terms growth medium and soil are used interchangeably herein).
In another aspect of the present disclosure, customized bio-stimulant products
may be
produced for particular applications. For example, certain species of
beneficial bacteria and fungus may
be particularly beneficial to certain types of plants, and so a bio-stimulant
product may be customized
so as to provide those particular bacterial and fungal species, in some
embodiments also producing a
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particular ratio of those species, as well as customizing the particular types
of micronutrients in
accordance with the particular plant to be grown in the inoculated growth
medium or soil. The bio-
stimulant product may further be customized to have either an acidic, basic,
or neutral pH by varying
the carrier used, achieving the optimal pH environment for the plant to be
grown using the bio-
stimulant. For example, zeolite is neutral, water is acidic, and biochar is
alkaline. If an alkaline pH
environment is optimal for the plant's health and growth, biochar would be the
most suitable carrier.
In further aspects of the present disclosure, the bio-stimulant product may be
used to boost the
immune system of animals, by increasing the number of beneficial
microorganisms inhabiting the
animal's skin, fur, feathers, or intestine.
The bio-stimulant product itself has beneficial advantages, and is itself
inventive, the advantages
including, use a fungicide, to treat for example, mildew infected plants.
In other aspects of the present disclosure, the bio-stimulant product may be
used for the
treatment of manure, transforming the waste into a useable fertilizer and
agriculture product. The
method of using the bio-stimulant product for the treatment of waste is
provided, the method
comprising: applying a bio-stimulant product to manure for a first time
interval; running the bio-
stimulant and manure mixture through an apparatus adapted to apply centrifugal
force; wherein the
bio-stimulant, manure mixture is separated into a solid and a liquid
component. The solid component,
containing potassium, phosphate, and nitrogen may be used as a fertilizer,
while the liquid component,
containing high concentrations of potassium may have many uses in agriculture.
In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a method of producing a bio-
stimulant product
is provided, the method comprising: preparing an aqueous mixture comprising a
starting material
including one or more microorganisms, at least one starch and water; placing
the mixture in a
microorganism growth environment for a first time interval; adding at least
one sugar to the mixture;
placing the mixture in a fermentation environment for a second time interval;
and adding a carrier to
the aqueous mixture for a third time interval.
Detailed Description
The methods and processes disclosed herein provide for the preparation and
customization of
bio-stimulants containing a diverse plurality of a group of microorganisms for
various different
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applications. Beneficial microorganisms promote the growing process and in
addition play a role in
disease suppression. In one aspect of the present disclosure, a bio-stimulant
may be prepared
containing one or more groups of microorganisms, for example, which promote
the growth of plants
and trees by forming a symbiotic relationship between the microorganisms and
the plants or trees
underneath the soil. The diverse group of microorganisms found in the bio-
stimulant, such as
photosynthesizing bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, and fermenting fungi, allows
the microorganisms to
survive in the soil environment and work synergistically to suppress harmful
microorganisms.
As is known, beneficial microorganisms promote the healthy growth and
development of plants
and trees in soil, or other growth media, and is naturally present in soils
with high organic material
content. (The terms soil and growth medium are used interchangeably in the
present disclosure).
However, in agricultural and other environments the soil may be depleted of
naturally occurring
beneficial microorganisms over time, for example, through the use of synthetic
fertilizers, thereby
requiring reintroduction of the beneficial microorganisms to the soil so as to
promote healthy plant
growth. The diverse combination of microorganisms in the bio-stimulant product
helps restore a
.. healthy balance of microorganisms in the soil. Furthermore, micronutrients
are also essential to the
healthy growth and development of various plants and trees. Similarly, while
such micronutrients are
often found in the natural environment, they may be depleted in certain areas
over time where the soil
has been used many times for growing plants or trees, for example on
agricultural plots or in residential
areas, and also thereby may require the addition or re-introduction of such
micronutrients into the soil
being used for growing plants.
In other prior art processes for producing bio-stimulants containing
beneficial microorganisms,
of which the applicant is aware, such processes usually involve cultivating
the microorganisms on a host
plant, typically for a period of several weeks, and then harvesting the
microorganisms from the host
plant to produce the bio-stimulant. In the processes and methods disclosed
herein, by identifying a
starting material which contains the beneficial microorganisms and which is
preferably void of
contaminants, such as harmful bacteria, in the starting material, the
applicant has discovered that there
are processes by which the beneficial microorganisms may be cultivated
directly from the starting
material, without having to use host plants to cultivate the microorganisms
over a period of weeks, and
without the use of bioreactors and the like. Advantageously, the processes
disclosed herein may
therefore cost less and take less time to produce the bio-stimulant with
desired concentrations of
beneficial microorganisms for use in soil microorganism reintroduction.
Furthermore, the applicant has
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found that the processes disclosed herein require fewer steps, in comparison
to other processes,
because it is not necessary to first separate microorganisms from the host
plants in order to produce the
bio-stimulant. Advantageously, in some embodiments of the present disclosure,
it may be the case that
the beneficial microorganism concentration of the bio-stimulants produced in
the present processes
disclosed herein may exceed the concentrations produced using other methods.
Furthermore, the
beneficial microorganisms included in the process may be customizable for the
plant to be grown, by
choosing an appropriate starting material, as described in further detail
below.
In other aspects of the present disclosure, where it is desired to add
micronutrients to the bio-
stimulant, the careful selection of an appropriate starting material which
contain those micronutrients
may result in bio-stimulants including concentrations of those desired
micronutrients. Therefore, in
some embodiments of the present disclosure, it is not necessary to provide an
additional source of
micronutrients in the manufacture of the bio-stimulant because an
appropriately selected starting
material may already include those desired micronutrients. In other
embodiments of the present
disclosure, where the starting material does not contain the desired
micronutrients that need to be
added to the bio-stimulant, or does not include the desired micronutrients in
the required quantities,
such micronutrients may simply be introduced into the mixture during the
manufacture process of the
bio-stimulants, or may also be included in the selected carrier to be added
during the process. The
addition of micronutrients may occur at any step in the process of producing
the bio-stimulant.
In other aspects of the present disclosure, in addition to creating bio-
stimulants for introducing
beneficial microorganisms and optionally, micronutrients to the soil, other
applications of the bio-
stimulant product are available.
Without intending to be limiting, the bio-stimulant may be applied to manure
or digestate to
convert the manure into fertilizer. For example, manure or digestate may be
soaked in the bio-stimulant
product, wherein the carrier is liquid, for up to 2 weeks in large holding
tanks. Then, the bio-stimulant
and manure mixture may be pumped through a centrifuge, separating the mixture
into a liquid and solid
component. The solid component, made up of 2 parts potassium, 2 parts
phosphate and 2 parts
nitrogen, may be used as a fertilizer. The liquid component, containing high
concentration of potassium,
may have many uses in agriculture, as potassium plays a crucial role in a
number of physiological
processes vital to growth, health and yield of crops. Furthermore, application
of the bio-stimulant
product to the manure helps reduce odor.
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The bio-stimulant product may be used as a fungicide as well. Mildew is a
fungal disease
affecting plants, characterized by a white coating on the surface of the
affected parts of the plant.
Mildew results in poor plant growth and lower yields. The applicant has found
spraying affected plants
with the bio-stimulant product wherein the carrier is liquid, and the product
includes a plurality of
microorganisms chosen from the group comprising, torulaspora delbruekii,
acetobacter indonesiensis,
acetobacter orientalis, acetobacter melorum, and sporolactobacillus nakayamea,
results in eradication
of mildew. The bio-stimulant product containing this group of microorganisms
may replicated in a
bioreactor for use as a fungicide.
The bio-stimulant product may also be used as a tool to promote animal health
and growth by
boosting the animal's immune system. Beneficial microorganisms found in the
bio-stimulant product can
help reduce or even eliminate disease-causing bacteria which may be found on
an animal's skin, fur or
feathers, or intestine, for example. The applicant has found that spraying
chicks with the bio-stimulant
product, wherein the carrier is liquid, results in weight gain without
increasing the chicks' diets.
Furthermore, the applicant has found the use of the bio-stimulant product
reduced the mortality rate of
.. the sick chicks, and overall resulted in healthier and stronger chicks.
Other possible applications for the processes described herein include loading
a carrier, such as
zeolite or biochar, with other types of bacteria for remediating contaminated
water, or for removing
sour gas from sour gas wells or other types of wellheads. For example, without
intending to be limiting,
remediation products which contain oleispira antarctica bacteria may be used
for consuming oil spills in
.. cold water, alcaninvorax borkumensis bacteria for consuming oil spills in
warm water, or nitrate-
reducing bacteria which may consume hydrogen sulphide in sour gas wellheads or
other types of
wellheads. Without intending to be limiting, appropriate starting materials
for producing a remediation
product containing nitrate-reducing bacteria may include, for example, chicken
manure. It will be
appreciated by a person skilled in the art that various types of organic
materials containing specific types
.. of bacteria may be used as starting materials to produce bio-stimulant
products or remediation
products.
As mentioned, the processes disclosed herein for producing bio-stimulants
include identifying
appropriate starting materials. Without intending to be limiting, in some
embodiments of the present
disclosure it is desirable to select starting materials which do not contain
undesirable contaminants, for
example harmful bacteria which may enter plants being grown for food and
thereby enter the human
food supply chain. Different plants are adapted to grow in different soil
compositions, and growing them
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in the wrong type of soil can be harmful to their health and growth. Healthy
soil is the basis for a healthy
and strong plant. Thus, the starting material may be chosen based on the plant
intended to be grown.
For example, and without intending to be limiting, if the targeted plant is a
blueberry bush, the starting
material may be taken from the soil of a blueberry bush that is a healthy,
high yielding plant. The soil
from a healthy blueberry bush will contain the microorganisms and nutrients
necessary for the
successful growth of subsequent blueberry plants.
A further example of an appropriate starting material, for bio-stimulants
designed to
reintroduce beneficial microorganisms into the soil for promoting plant
growth, may include a compost
or humus which contains the desired level of living biological activity.
Compost or humus may contain
microorganisms such as, rhizobacteria, phosphate solubilizing bacteria, and
fermenting fungi.
Additionally, such starting materials may also include certain micronutrients.
Compost or humus may
often contain different mixtures of micronutrients which are desirable for
promoting healthy plant
growth for particular types of plants.
For example, without intending to be limiting, the applicant has sourced
forest humus which
contains a desirable mixture of different types of microorganisms, and also
includes various different
micronutrients including in particular calcium, magnesium, copper, zinc,
manganese and iron in
quantities which are optimal for promoting healthy plant growth. In addition,
the forest humus starting
material identified by the applicant further includes smaller quantities of
available nitrogen,
phosphorus, potassium, and boron which again support the healthy growth of
plants. Importantly, the
forest humus source identified by the applicant for producing the bio-
stimulant product does not
contain harmful bacteria or plant disease pathogens, according to analyses
conducted on the starting
material.
While the above description of the specific starting material, comprising
forest humus identified
by the applicant, is an example of an appropriate starting material for the
bio-stimulant production
disclosed herein, it will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that
other appropriate starting
materials may not contain these exact components, may include other
components, and are intended to
be included in the scope of the present disclosure. For example, other
appropriate starting materials
may contain different mixtures of micronutrients, or may not have any
micronutrients or negligible
amounts of micronutrients. Other examples of compounds or substances in a
starting material that may
be useful include humic acid, which may increase the absorption of the
microorganisms by the zeolite or
biochar, in the processes described below.
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Once an appropriate starting material has been identified, the process for
producing a bio-
stimulant, in one aspect of the present disclosure, includes preparing an
aqueous mixture comprising
the identified starting material, at least one starch, and water. The aqueous
mixture is then placed into
a microorganism growth environment for a given time interval so as to
facilitate the growth and
multiplication of the microorganisms which exist in the starting material. For
example, for producing a
bio-stimulant which includes rhizobacteria and mycorrhizal fungi spores, the
aqueous mixture would
include a starting material which has rhizobacteria and mycorrhizal fungi. The
volume of starting
material is then mixed with water and a starch so as to create an aqueous
mixture that will promote the
growth of the beneficial microorganisms. Without intending to be limiting, an
example for the ratio of
components in the aqueous mixture would be approximately 80% starting
material, 10% water and 10%
starchy carbohydrates by volume.
The starch provides a food source for the beneficial microorganisms to grow.
Appropriate
starches may include, for example, oats, rice, but may include any other type
of starch, including barley,
grains, potato meal, cornstarch, coconut husks, peat, wood chips, corn or any
other appropriate starch
for promoting the growth of the targeted microorganisms, such as bacteria and
fungus. Another starch
source may include brewery waste, otherwise referred to as spent grain or
leftover beer mash.
Optionally, the starch may be ground up so as to increase the surface area of
the starch in the aqueous
mixture for the beneficial microorganisms to feed upon. In other embodiments
in which a remediation
product is produced, the food source for a remediation product containing
nitrate-reducing bacteria
may include chicken manure or other appropriate materials containing nitrate
for the nitrate-reducing
bacteria to feed upon.
Once the aqueous mixture has been prepared, it is placed in a microorganism
growth
environment which promotes the growth of the beneficial microorganisms that
are desired to be
produced. For example, the applicant has found that placing the aqueous
mixture into a dark
environment in which there is little or no light or air, combined with
maintaining a temperature in that
environment of approximately 30 C for a first time interval of approximately
one week effectively
enables the beneficial microorganisms to multiply to the required
concentrations for producing the bio-
stimulant. However, it will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that
other microorganism
growth environments may also be appropriate for promoting the growth of
beneficial microorganisms.
For example, the temperature may vary, in some embodiments for promoting
growth of beneficial
microorganisms, between 5 C and 40 C, depending on the particular types of
microorganisms being
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grown. In other embodiments, for example for producing remedial products
containing bacteria, the
temperature range may be between 15 C and 40 C, depending on the type of
bacteria being grown.
As another example, the time interval for the microorganism's growth need not
be limited to
seven days, and for example may be approximately in the range of four to
fourteen days. The specific
growing conditions for promoting microorganism growth may vary depending on
the type of
microorganisms which are being cultivated for the bio-stimulant or remediation
product. However, in
the applicant's experience, in the embodiments for producing a bio-stimulant
containing a diverse group
of microorganisms, for example, comprising torulaspora delbruekii, acetobacter
indonesiensis,
acetobacter orientalis, acetobacter melorum, and sporolactobacillus nakayamea,
leaving the aqueous
mixture in a dark environment at a temperature of approximately 30 C for
approximately two to four
weeks has produced sufficient microorganism growth for further processing to
produce a bio-stimulant
containing a diverse group of microorganisms.
Once the aqueous solution contains sufficient amounts of targeted beneficial
microorganisms,
at least one sugar is added to the aqueous mixture, and then the aqueous
mixture is placed into an
environment adjusted for fermentation purposes for a second time interval. For
example, without
intending to be limiting, sugar may be introduced to the aqueous mixture at a
ratio of one part sugar to
two parts aqueous solution, by volume. The addition of sugar to the aqueous
mixture enables
fermentation of the mixture. The applicant has found that this process
produces a substantially
homogenous, viscous mixture, without chunks of humus or other starting
material. Any type of sugar
may be used for the fermentation process and is intended to be included in the
scope of the present
disclosure. Without intending to be limiting, different types of sugars which
may be added include cane
sugar, beet sugar, molasses, or other appropriate types of sugar for
encouraging fermentation. The
fermentation promoting environment may include, for an example, placing the
aqueous mixture with
the sugar added into a dark environment in which there is little or no light
or air, and maintaining the
temperature of the environment in the range of 5 C to 40 C, and preferably, in
the range of
approximately 30 C, for embodiments to produce bio-stimulants containing a
diverse group of
microorganisms comprising torulaspora delbruekii, acetobacter indonesiensis,
acetobacter orientalis,
acetobacter melorum, and sporolactobacillus nakayamea. The second time
interval, for example
without intending to be limiting, may be approximately one to two weeks. In
other embodiments for
producing remedial products containing bacteria, the environment may be
maintained at a temperature
in the range of 15 C to 40 C. The fermentation process also results in the
production of volatile fatty
CA 2996590 2018-02-27
acids, which play a role in disease suppression and are used by microorganisms
to assist with
reproduction and growth. In addition to facilitating fermentation, the
applicant suspects the addition of
sugar at this stage in the process may play a further role in extending the
shelf life of the final bio-
stimulant product, by providing a food source for the beneficial
microorganisms. For example, without
intending to be limiting, the shelf life of the final bio-stimulant product
may be in the approximate range
of one to two years.
It will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that various types of
material can be used as
a carrier for the bio-stimulant product. Incorporation of the beneficial
microorganism in a carrier
enables easy handling and long term storage. Furthermore, the carrier can
alter the pH of the soil. Soil
pH can impact plant growth in several ways. Different microorganisms function
best at different pH
ranges. Soil pH may also impact the availability of micronutrients and
minerals. By utilizing the
appropriate carrier, the bio-stimulant can be customized to achieve an optimal
pH growth environment
for the targeted plant.
Once the fermentation stage has completed, a carrier, such as water, zeolite,
biochar, or
diatomaceous earth is added to the aqueous mixture. Oxygen may also be added
at this stage to create
an aerobic environment, but is not required. Zeolite has an acidic pH and thus
may be the carrier of
choice when acidic conditions are optimal for plant health and growth. Water,
on the other hand, has a
neutral pH. Biochar is alkaline and can be used to buffer acidity in soil,
when an alkaline environment is
optimal for the targeted plant. When zeolite or biochar are chosen as the
carrier, a further step of
separating the carrier from the aqueous mixture, and then drying the carrier
is required.
The applicant has found, in some aspects of the present disclosure, that the
selection of an
appropriate zeolite and biochar will affect the final characteristics of the
bio-stimulant product. Zeolites
are alumina silica structures which provide a rigid crystalline network,
whereby zeolite particles include
pores and therefore have a large surface area compared to other types of
crystalline structures. Biochar
is a charcoal like product which is extremely porous in nature.
Advantageously, both zeolites and
biochar, having a large surface area are able to absorb and/or adsorb
microorganisms, including fungal
spores, as well as micronutrients, from the aqueous mixture. An additional
benefit of zeolites and
biochar is that they also absorb and/or adsorb water molecules into their
pores and release the water
molecules over time, which improves the water retention properties of the soil
being treated with the
bio-stimulant.
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There are many different types of zeolites having different crystalline
structures and varying
pore sizes, which may make certain zeolites more useful for this application
than others zeolites given
their particular affinities for certain ionic micronutrients. Furthermore,
certain zeolites may further
advantageously have certain micronutrients, such as iron, already absorbed
into the zeolite structure
prior to processing in the methods described herein. Without intending to be
limiting, two examples of
zeolites that may be appropriate for creating bio-stimulants include
chabazite, which contains available
iron, and clinoptilolite. Advantageously, both chabazite and clinoptilolite
are capable of absorbing or
adsorbing microorganisms, micronutrients and/or water molecules. However, it
will be appreciated by
person skilled in the art that other types of zeolites may also work,
depending on the desired
characteristics of the final end product of the bio-stimulant or remediation
product, and that such types
of zeolites are intended to be included in the scope of the present
disclosure.
Depending on the particular environment to be remediated, such as a body of
water, carriers
other than zeolite and biochar, or in addition to zeolite or biochar, may be
used in the production of a
rennediation product. For example, for remediating a body of water, a carrier
which floats or which may
.. be suspended in water may be selected. Examples of carriers other than
zeolite may include different
types of clays, talc powders, charcoals or a combination of any of these
carriers.
During this stage of the process, the carrier is combined with the aqueous
mixture at a ratio, for
example, of approximately one part aqueous mixture, ten parts carrier and ten
parts water by volume.
Once the zeolite or biochar has absorbed and/or adsorbed a sufficient amount
of beneficial
.. microorganisms and micronutrients, the zeolite or biochar may be separated
from the aqueous mixture,
for example by filtering zeolite or biochar mixture through a sieve or screen.
The recovered zeolite or
biochar is then dried so as to remove excess water and obtain the final soil
inoculant product. The
drying process may occur, for example, in the dark (or in the absence of light
in the UV spectrum), with
dehumidifiers, for a period of time, which may take up to three days for
example. Preferably, the drying
process occurs in a temperature controlled environment, for example in the
range of 15 C. It will be
appreciated by a person skilled in the art that other drying procedures may be
used and are intended to
be included in the present scope of this disclosure. The aqueous mixture that
is separated from the
zeolite or biochar may optionally be used as a liquid bio-stimulant product,
as a certain amount of
micronutrients and/or beneficial microorganisms may remain within the aqueous
solution.
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A consumer may multiply the bio-stimulant product by placing one part bio-
stimulant, one part
complex carbohydrate, for example, molasses, and 100 parts water into a sealed
container for one
week, storing the container at substantially 30 C.
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20
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