Stable Humus-Water Storage Hybrid

Abstract

The present invention relates to a stable humus-water storage hybrid comprising an organic fertilizer consisting of lignite treated in an oxidizing and ammoniating manner and at least one water-storing component selected from materials of mineral or organic origin, the proportion of the organic fertilizer amounting to 0.5-99.9 vol. %, preferably 1.0-90.0 vol. %, and the proportion of the at least one water-storing component amounting to 0.1-99.5 vol. %, preferably 10.0-99.0 vol. %. The invention also relates to a method for producing the stable humus-water storage hybrid and to the use thereof as a plant substrate, an additive for planting soil and an additive for soil.

Claims

1. A stable humus-water storage hybrid product comprising an organic fertilizer consisting of lignite subjected to an oxidizing and ammoniating treatment and at least one water-storing component selected from materials of a mineral or organic origin, the proportion of the organic fertilizer is 0.5-99.9 vol. %, and the proportion of the at least one water-storing component is 0.1-99.5 vol. %, each based on the total volume of the stable humus-water storage hybrid product, wherein the organic fertilizer has a C/N ratio of 7 to 15 and wherein 20-45% of the total nitrogen are present as ammonium nitrogen, 55-80% of the total nitrogen are organically bound, up to 20% of the total nitrogen are organically bound as amide and up to 60% of the total nitrogen are organically bound as not being hydrolysable as amide, wherein the materials of mineral origin are selected from clay minerals, clay minerals-containing substances, perlites, sheet silicates, clay, bentonite, hectorite, montmorillonite, vermiculite, zeolites, sepiolite, attapulgite, calcined clay, expanded clay, expanded shale, volcanic ash, pumice, silica gel, and smectites and the materials of organic origin are selected from composts, rotten manures, coal-like products, lignocellulose material, wood fibers, wood wool, coconut fibers, hemp fibers, and linen fibers.

2. The stable humus-water storage hybrid product according to claim 1, wherein the proportion of the organic fertilizer is 0.5-20.0 vol. %, and the proportion of the at least one water-storing component is 80-99.5 vol. %.

3. The stable humus-water storage hybrid product according to claim 1, wherein the proportion of the organic fertilizer is 20.0-99.0 vol. %, and the proportion of the at least one water-storing component is 1.0-80.0 vol. %.

4. The stable humus-water storage hybrid product according to claim 1, wherein the proportion of the organic fertilizer is 0.5-99.5 vol. %, and the proportion of the at least one water-storing component is 0.5-99.5 vol. %.

5. The stable humus-water storage hybrid product according to claim 1, wherein the organic fertilizer is obtained by a method comprising the following process steps: a) converting lignite and an aqueous ammonia solution having a pH value of greater than 9 to 12 into a suspension and alkaline activating the suspension at first without supplying an oxygen-containing oxidant; b) feeding an oxygen-containing oxidant into the suspension of lignite and aqueous ammonia solution to oxidize the suspension and form a product suspension, wherein the oxidation runs at a reaction temperature<100 C. and a pressure of 0.1-1 MPa; and c) concentrating the product suspension obtained in step b) to obtain a dispersion in an aqueous medium or drying the product suspension obtained in step b) to obtain a dried product without supplying the oxygen-containing oxidant, and finally cooling, whereby an organic fertilizer is recovered.

6. A method for increasing crop production comprising using the stable humus-water storage hybrid product according to claim 1 as an additive for planting soil or as a substrate additive for soil-conditioning for substrates and soils that are poor in carbon, need stable humus or can be conditioned with stable humus and are permeable and in need of conditioning with respect to water.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the hybrid product is used as an additive for planting soil, and wherein the hybrid product amounts to 0.1-90.0 vol. % of the planting soil.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the hybrid product is used as a substrate additive for soil-conditioning for substrates and soils, and wherein the hybrid product amounts to 0.1-90.0% by weight of the uppermost 20 cm thick soil layer.

9. A method of increasing crop production comprising using the stable humus-water storage hybrid product according to claim 1 as a plant substrate, wherein the at least one water-storing component comprises at least one material of an organic origin.

10. A method for producing a stable humus-water storage hybrid product comprising the following process steps: a) converting lignite and an aqueous ammonia solution having a pH value of greater than 9 to 12 into a suspension and alkaline activating the suspension at first without supplying an oxygen-containing oxidant; b) feeding an oxygen-containing oxidant into the suspension of lignite and aqueous ammonia solution to oxidize the suspension and form a product suspension, wherein the oxidation runs at a reaction temperature<100 C. and a pressure of 0.1-1 MPa; c) concentrating the product suspension obtained in step b) to obtain a dispersion in an aqueous medium or drying the product suspension obtained in step b) to obtain a dried product without supplying the oxygen-containing oxidant, and finally cooling, whereby an organic fertilizer is recovered; and d) combining or mixing at least one water-storing component selected from materials of mineral or organic origin with the product suspension or the organic fertilizer of step c) whereby the stable humus-water storage hybrid product is obtained; wherein in the thus produced stable humus-water storage hybrid product, the proportion of the organic fertilizer is 0.5-99.9 vol. %, and the proportion of the at least one water-storing component is 0.1-99.5 vol. %, each based on the total volume of the stable humus-water storage hybrid product, wherein the organic fertilizer has a C/N ratio of 7 to 15 and wherein 20-45% of the total nitrogen are present as ammonium nitrogen, 55-80% of the total nitrogen are organically bound, up to 20% of the total nitrogen are organically bound as amide and up to 60% of the total nitrogen are organically bound as not being hydrolysable as amide, wherein the materials of mineral origin are selected from clay minerals, clay minerals-containing substances, perlites, sheet silicates, clay, bentonite, hectorite, montmorillonite, vermiculite, zeolites, sepiolite, attapulgite, calcined clay, expanded clay, expanded shale, volcanic ash, pumice, silica gel, and smectites and the materials of organic origin are selected from composts, rotten manures, coal-like products, lignocellulose material, wood fibers, wood wool, coconut fibers, hemp fibers, and linen fibers.

11. A stable humus-water storage hybrid product obtained by the method according to claim 10.

12. The stable humus-water storage hybrid product according to claim 1, wherein the proportion of the organic fertilizer is 1.0-90.0 vol. %, and the proportion of the at least one water-storing component is 10.0-99.0 vol. %.

13. The stable humus-water storage hybrid product according to claim 2, wherein the proportion of the organic fertilizer is 1.0-10.0 vol. %, and the proportion of the at least one water-storing component is 90.0-99.0 vol. %.

14. The stable humus-water storage hybrid product according to claim 13, wherein the proportion of the organic fertilizer is 1.0-5.0 vol. %, and the proportion of the at least one water-storing component is 95.0-99.0 vol. %.

15. The stable humus-water storage hybrid product according to claim 3, wherein the proportion of the organic fertilizer is 50.0-95.0 vol. %, and the proportion of the at least one water-storing component is 5.0-50.0 vol. %.

16. The stable humus-water storage hybrid product according to claim 15, wherein the proportion of the organic fertilizer is 70.0-90.0 vol. %, and the proportion of the at least one water-storing component is 10.0-30.0 vol. %.

17. The stable humus-water storage hybrid product according to claim 4, wherein the proportion of the organic fertilizer is 5.0-95.0 vol. %, and the proportion of the at least one water-storing component is 5.0-95.0 vol. %.

18. The method according to claim 7, wherein the hybrid product amounts to 0.5-20.0 vol. % of the planting soil.

19. The method according to claim 8, wherein the hybrid product amounts to 0.1-30.0% by weight of the uppermost 20 cm thick soil layer.

20. The method according to claim 10, wherein the proportion of the organic fertilizer is 1.0-90.0 vol. %, and the proportion of the at least one water-storing component is 10.0-99.0 vol. %.

Description

EXAMPLES

Example 1

[0103] Various stable humus-water storage hybrids according to the invention have been produced. For that, water-storing, porous, swellable materialscomposts, plant chips, coconut, rocks, minerals, mineral products, and Novihum (Novihum is the trade name of an organic fertilizer consisting of lignite treated in an oxidizing and ammoniating manner; the production may take place as described in EP 1 144 342 (i.e. WO 00/37394))be it as a mixture or in combinationhave been added to agricultural or horticultural planting substrates and mixed. Alternatively, stable humus-water storage hybrids according to the invention have been produced from composts, plant chips, coconut, rocks, minerals, mineral products, and Novihum directly as independent agricultural or horticultural planting substrates for crop growing, wherein said hybrids for use as plant substrates comprised at least one water-storing component consisting of materials of organic origin, such as composts, plant chips, or coconut. Water-storing, swellable rocks and minerals or mineral products are clay minerals, clay minerals-containing substances (e.g. bentonite), processed minerals and rocks such as expanded clay or expanded shale. The proportion of Novihum was between 1 vol. % and 99 vol. %. As a plant substrate additive for the uppermost 20 cm thick soil layer the application rate of the mixture or the combination amounts to between 0.1% by weight and 10% by weight. As an additive for planting soil or as an independent plant substrate the application rate of the mixture or the combination amounts to between 0.1 vol. % and 100 vol. %.

[0104] The novihum product had the composition given in WO 00/37394, Example 1, i.e. according to the elemental analysis: [0105] C=53.50% [0106] H=5.32% [0107] N=5.97% [0108] S=0.45%.

[0109] Thus, the C/N rate was 8.96. The binding forms of the nitrogen (in % of the total nitrogen content) were: [0110] ammonium nitrogen=32.8% [0111] organically bound nitrogen=67.2% [0112] amide nitrogen=11.1% [0113] stably organically bound nitrogen=56.1%.

[0114] Accordingly, the products of the further examples of WO 00/37394 can also be used, and their use results in comparable or better results.

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Examples of Use Proportion of the Novihum water combination in use storage combination Proportion of Proportion of Water topsoil layer plant storage, (% by substrate/ Proportion Novihum Example of weight/ mould No. (vol. %) (vol. %) Application 20 cm) (vol. %) A 99% 1% planting 100% .sup.(1) substrate for crop growing B 80% 20% addition to 10% permeable soil poor in carbon C 20% 80% addition to 2% permeable soil poor in carbon D 10% 90% additive 4%.sup. for planting soil .sup.(1) When using the stable humus-water storage hybrid as a plant substrate at least one water-storing component of organic origin is employed.

Example 2

[0115] Example of Use for Hybrid Consisting of an Organic Fertilizer and an Organic Water Storage

[0116] For comparison, four test variants with snake cucumbers were compared in a sandy soil in the protected cultivation (evaporation-cooled green house). As the organic fertilizer consisting of lignite treated in an oxidizing and ammoniating manner Novihum was used and as the water-storing component of organic origin bovine dung compost was used:

[0117] Variant 1:

[0118] 0.5 kg/m.sup.2 of Novihum as well as 1.0 kg/m.sup.2 of bovine dung compost were worked in 15 cm deep into the soil surface.

[0119] Variant 2:

[0120] 1.0 kg/m.sup.2 of bovine dung compost were worked in 15 cm deep into the soil surface.

[0121] Variant 3:

[0122] 0.5 kg/m.sup.2 of Novihum were worked in 15 cm deep into the soil surface.

[0123] Variant 4:

[0124] Neither Novihum nor bovine dung compost were worked in. There was only supplied water and nutrients in analogy to variants 1 to 3.

[0125] All of the variants received the same amounts of nutrient and water. The duration of the cultivation was 3 months.

TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Novihum Compost Hybrid Variant 1 Variant 2 Variant 3 Variant 4 Novihum (0.5 kg/m.sup.2) + + Compost (1 kg/m.sup.2) + + fertilization (NPK liquid) + + + + crop production (kg/m.sup.2) 1.08 0.93 0.76 0.61 crop production 77% 52% 25% 0% difference to V4 +: constituent added; : constituent not added; NPK liquid: nitrogen phosphate potassium liquid fertilizer

[0126] Surprisingly, variant 1 showed that the combination of Novihum and a water storage of organic origin had an additive crop production-increasing effect that was greater than the effect of the individual components. In all of the four test variants additionally ordinary liquid fertilizer (NPK liquid fertilizer) was used. Thus, the crop production-increasing effect is additionally to the increase in crop production that is achieved by ordinary liquid fertilizer. The comparison of variant 1 and variant 2 also showed that the combination of an organic fertilizer and a water storage of organic origin yielded a 16% or 42% higher crop production than the water storage of organic origin or the organic fertilizer alone.

Example 3

[0127] Example of Use for Hybrid Consisting of Organic Fertilizer and Mineral Water Storage

[0128] For comparison, four test variants were compared on a sandy, very water-permeable soil. As the test culture garden lawn was used. As the organic fertilizer consisting of lignite treated in an oxidizing and ammoniating manner Novihum was used and as the water-storing component of mineral origin bentonite was used. The supply of nutrients and water was the same for all variants: [0129] Variant 1: 0.5 kg/m.sup.2 of Novihum and 0.5 kg/m.sup.2 of bentonite [0130] Variant 2: 1.0 kg/m.sup.2 of Novihum [0131] Variant 3: 1.0 kg/m.sup.2 of bentonite [0132] Variant 4: untreated

[0133] As results from the represented experimental set-up, the same total amounts each of Novihum, the water storage, and Novihum+water storage were used. Six weeks after the lawn seeding the four variants were checked for the coverage (proportion of the surface covered by vegetation), sprouting result (proportion of the germinated seed in the total seed amount) and overall impression (color, density, leave shape).

[0134] Six weeks after the lawn seeding there were shown the following findings: [0135] A) The coverage decreased in the order of variants 1,3,2,4. [0136] B) The sprouting result decreased in the order of variants 1,3,2=4. [0137] C) The overall impression decreased in the order of variants 1,3,2,4.

[0138] As shown by result B) sprouting result the stable humus-water storage hybrid consisting of organic fertilizer and water storage of mineral origin has a synergistic effect compared to the stable humus and the water storage alone. Analogue results are shown for hybrids consisting of Novihum and clay granules, charcoal, or expanded shale. For other substances that are equal with respect to porosity and water storage capacity comparable results are to be expected.