Interpolymers useful for mixing with a fertilizer for the purpose of enhancing the efficacy of fertilizer nutrients in agricultural applications; and methods of inhibiting the precipitation of, and/or dispersing, inorganic elements in the fertilizer.

A renewable energy microgeneration apparatus is disclosed that includes a mixing tank that mixes waste with a liquid, a buffer tank that receives and pre-warms the mixed waste, a pasteurization tank that pasteurizes on the pre-warmed mixed waste, a digestion tank that performs anaerobic digestion on the pasteurized waste, a de-watering device that separates liquid digestate and removes salt from the liquid, sensors that measure salinity and biogas quality, and a controller. The controller causes the transfer of digestate from the digestion tank to the pasteurization tank to the dewatering device, causes the de-watering device to separate the liquid and remove the salt from the liquid, monitors the salinity of the liquid and the quality of biogas using the sensors, and causes the mixing of the liquid with the waste and adjusts the feed rate of the waste to reduce the salinity of the waste and increase methane production.

A new slow-release fertilisers is described that is formed by applying graphene oxide (GO) as a carrier for micronutrients such as copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), in which the micronutrients are efficiently bonded with the functional groups at the surface and sides of the GO sheets due to their affinity to the unpaired oxygen atoms in the GO. The prepared Cu-graphene oxide (Cu-GO) and Zn-graphene oxide (Zn-GO) fertilizers showed a biphasic dissolution behaviour compared to commercial zinc sulphate (ZnSO.sub.4) and copper sulphate (CuSO.sub.4) fertilizer granules, displaying both fast- and slow-release micronutrient release.

The present disclosure relates to an article for enriching soil fertility, a method of manufacturing the same and a method of enriching soil fertility. The article comprising a container comprising a fluid-permeable membrane, a fertilizer disposed in the container and a moisture regulator disposed in the container. The moisture regulator is configured to repeatedly absorb moisture from outside the container and release the absorbed moisture into a space within the container based on a moisture gradient existing between the space within the container and outside the container, to control a release of the fertilizer from the container through the membrane. The moisture regulator is further configured to form a base in the space within the container to harbor moisture-sensitive microbes, the microbes being transferable through the membrane based on the moisture gradient.

Compositions of clay materials intercalated with urea and/or another material or combination of materials are discussed. For example, the composition may comprise from about 20% to about 65% by weight intercalated urea, with respect to the total weight of the composition. Intercalation may be achieved, for example, by grinding the clay particles with one or more other materials, such that the other material(s) are intercalated into the clay particles. The composition may be formed into pills formulated for controlled release of urea, e.g., for fertilizing soil.

Methods and system for increasing the water solubility and availability of zinc in granular fertilizers using acid treatments. The treatment of granular fertilizers with an acidic solution increases an amount of water-soluble zinc, which in turn, increases the efficiency of zinc uptake and reduces the costs and equipment otherwise needed to mitigate zinc deficiencies.

Method of forming an encapsulated fertilizer that includes the step of providing a core particle. The core particle includes a fertilizer and has an outer surface. The method further includes the step of applying an isocyanate component directly to the outer surface of the core particle. The isocyanate component has isocyanate functional groups. The method further includes the step of reacting the isocyanate component with ambient moisture to form a layer disposed about the core particle to form the encapsulated fertilizer. The layer includes polyurea linkages and may further include polyurethane linkages.

An agricultural spray may be produced by admixing citric acid and glutamic acid with a metal salt and a pesticide or other agricultural chemical containing components capable of precipitating with the metal salt in the admixture. The citric acid and the glutamic acid chelate with the metal salt to provide a stability and compatibility-enhancing composition, thereby preventing the metal salt from forming an insoluble solid within the admixture. Such a composition may be produced by admixing citric acid and glutamic acid at a molar ratio of about 6.8:0.5 to about 1:0.29. The composition may include a metal sat, citric acid and glutamic acid in a molar ratio of about 1:6.8:0.5 to about 1:1:0.29 and a pesticide.

A homogeneous fertilizer granule comprises slow-release (e.g. struvite) and fast release sources of phosphorus (P). The homogeneous fertilizer granule may further contain other essential nutrients and micronutrients required by plants. A number of methods may be used to make such granules. One method includes introducing a struvite slurry or fines and a liquid supply of water soluble P into a granulator. Alternatively, dry raw materials can be mixed with water/steam and/or another binder prior to being fed into a granulator. In another embodiment, pre-mixed dry raw materials are mechanically compacted and crushed to yield homogeneous fertilizer particles.

Acidic fertilizer granules, methods for producing the same, and methods for their use in fertigation, are disclosed. The acidic fertilizer granule can contain 1 wt. % to 45 wt. % of nitrogen; 1 wt. % to 45 wt. % of phosphorus; 1 wt. % to 45 wt. % of potassium; 0.1 wt. % to 20 wt. % of sulfur; and 1 wt. % to 45 wt. % of chlorine, wherein the granule contains an effective amount of an inorganic acid sufficient to form a solution having a pH of less than 4 when 10 grams of the fertilizer granule(s) is dissolved in 100 ml of water having a pH of 7 before the fertilizer granule(s) is dissolved in the water.