ENCAPSULATED SEED

Abstract

Encapsulated seeds, processes for making encapsulated seeds and processes for establishing and improving seed beds and seed bed germination. The encapsulated seeds improve soil productivity through enhancements in soil fertility, soil condition/tilth, and control of soil moisture.

Claims

1. An encapsulated seed product comprising: turf grass seeds, encapsulation material and binder; said encapsulation material being agglomerated about each turf grass seed; each seed being a nucleating agent for said encapsulation material to be agglomerated about said seed; said encapsulation material comprises two or more materials selected from the group consisting of: gypsum, biochar, peat moss or bentonite clay; said encapsulation material is present by weight in encapsulated seed product in a ratio equal to, or greater than, two parts said encapsulation material to one part said seed; said encapsulated seed product essentially sinks in water within approximately 10 seconds; and said encapsulated seed product remains essentially about said seed to form a microenvironment about said seed when said seed is sown and exposed to water.

2. The encapsulated seed product of claim 1 further comprising fertilizer.

3. The encapsulated seed product of claim 1 further comprising a water-soluble soil stabilizer.

4. The encapsulated seed product of claim 1 wherein said binder comprises lignin sulfonate.

5. An encapsulated seed product comprising: turf grass seeds, encapsulation material and binder; said encapsulation material being agglomerated about said seeds using an agitation agglomeration process; each seed acting as a nucleating agent for said encapsulation material to be agglomerated about said seed; said encapsulation material comprises gypsum, biochar, peat moss, and bentonite clay; said encapsulation material is present by weight in said encapsulated seed product in a ratio equal to, or greater than, 2 parts said encapsulation material to 1 part said seed; said encapsulation material absorbs 5 times its weight in water compared to a seed of equal weight not having the encapsulation material; said encapsulated seed product essentially sinks in water within 10 seconds; said encapsulation material about said seed deters birds from eating said seed when sown on soil surface; said encapsulated seed product remains essentially about said seed to form a microenvironment about said seed when sown and exposed to water.

6. The encapsulated seed product of claim 5 wherein said binder comprises lignin sulfonate.

7. An encapsulation composition for a grass seed comprising: biochar, gypsum, bentonite clay, peat moss, guar gum and a water soluble soil stabilizer.

8. The encapsulation composition of claim 7 wherein said encapsulation composition is applied to said seed by an agglomeration process.

9. The encapsulation composition of claim 8 wherein said agglomeration process is agitation agglomeration.

10. The encapsulation composition of claim 8 wherein said agglomeration process is a lift and tumble agglomeration.

11. The encapsulation composition of claim 8 wherein said agglomeration process binds said encapsulation material onto and surrounding said seed.

12. The encapsulation composition of claim 8 wherein said seed is a nucleating agent for said agglomeration process.

13. The encapsulation composition of claim 7 wherein said biochar, peat moss, gypsum, and clay are blended together in an admixture.

14. The encapsulation composition of claim 13 wherein a coating drum is used and inlet of said coating drum is where said seed is fed in.

15. The encapsulation composition of claim 14 wherein said guar gum is sprayed into said coating drum to act as a binder on said seed, said seeds coated with said binder are then tumbled into a continuous flow of said admixture.

16. The encapsulation composition of claim 15 wherein said encapsulated seed is then hit with water and admixture three further times to finally encapsulate said seed.

17. The encapsulation composition of claim 15 wherein said guar gum is added to said seed prior to entering said drum and then pre-treated seed is added to said drum and continues process of encapsulating said seed.

18. The encapsulation composition of claim 17 wherein pre-coating of said seed leads to more uniform application of said encapsulating composition on said seed.

19. The encapsulation composition of claim 16 wherein said encapsulated seed is dried to remove moisture, but not to damage said seed.

20. The encapsulation composition of claim 16 wherein said water soluble soil stabilizer is added either during said encapsulation process or after said encapsulation process.

21. The encapsulation composition of claim 20 wherein said water soluble soil stabilizer is surface coated to said encapsulated seed.

22. The encapsulation composition of claim 20 wherein said water soluble soil stabilizer when water is added to said encapsulated seed when said seed is planted said water soluble soil stabilizer creates a fish eye and assists in holding said encapsulation composition about said seed.

23. The encapsulation composition of claim 20 wherein said water soluble soil stabilizer assist said encapsulated seed with germination.

24. The encapsulation composition of claim 7 wherein said encapsulation composition deters animals including birds, absorbs and releases water, adds organic matter to the soil, adjusts soil pH, ionicaily bonding said seed to said soil so it stays in place where it is planted, retaining nutrients right where said plant needs them, or any combination.

25. The encapsulation composition of claim 7 wherein said seed is pretreated with bacteria and nitrogen.

26. The encapsulation composition of claim 7 wherein said encapsulation composition provides approximately 10 times more moisture acquisition then raw seed.

27. The encapsulation composition of claim 7 further comprising lime, calcium carbonate, or any combination thereof.

28. The encapsulation composition of claim 7 further comprising a fertilizer, a fungicide, an herbicide, or any combination thereof.

29. The encapsulation composition of claim 7 further comprising a fertilizer, wherein said fertilizer comprises nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, sulfur, manganese, copper, boron, iron, zinc, magnesium, chromium, monoammonium phosphate, diammonium phosphate, superphosphate, triple superphosphate, dicalcium phosphate, organic fertilizer, or any combination thereof.

30. An encapsulated seed comprising: approximately 14-17% seed; approximately 9-12% Biochar; approximately 16-20% Gypsum; approximately 38-46% Clay; approximately 3-16% Peat Moss; and approximately 2-5% Guar Gum.

31. The encapsulated seed of claim 30 further comprising: approximately 0.5% water soluble soil stabilizer.

32. An encapsulated seed comprising: seed; gypsum; clay; peat moss; Biochar; and guar gum.

33. The encapsulated seed of claim 32 further comprising: water soluble soil stabilizer.

34. The encapsulated seed of claim 1 further comprising: lime, iron, sulfur, mycorrhiza, or any combination.

35. The encapsulated seed of claim 1 further comprising PPFM.

36. The encapsulated seed of claim 5 further comprising: lime, iron, sulfur, mycorrhiza, or any combination.

37. The encapsulated seed of claim 5 further comprising PPFM.

38. The encapsulation composition of claim 7 further comprising: lime, iron, sulfur, mycorrhiza or any combination.

39. The encapsulation composition of claim 7 further comprising PPFM.

40. The encapsulation composition of claim 7 further comprising seaweed powder or seaweed extract.

41. The encapsulation composition of claim 7 further comprising gibberellic acid.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Example 1

[0101] A coating drum is used to place a coating as described above on grass seed. Raw material grass seed about 4-6 millimeters long and about 0.5-1.0 millimeter thick, is continuously fed into the drum, where the seed has binder added and then has the encapsulating material added, to form partially-developed seed capsules. The partially-developed seed capsules are continuously fed to inlet end of the drum to form a bed of the partially-developed seed capsules. The drum rotates continuously. The rolling of the drum, and the associated mixing effect of the flights, provide a constantly changing top surface of the bed. The encapsulating materials are added to the surface of the bed.

[0102] In an example the encapsulated seed comprises approximately by weight: seed 16.9%, Biochar 11.8%, Gypsum 19.6%, Sodium Bentonite Clay 45.9%, Peat Moss 3.0%, Guar Gum 2.9%. A water soluble soil stabilizer can also be added.

[0103] In a second example the encapsulated seed comprises approximately by weight: 0.5% water soluble soil stabilizer, 10.2% Biochar, 17.1% Gypsum, 39.8% clay, 15.3% peat moss, 14.6% seed and 2.5% Guar gum.

[0104] In a third example the encapsulated seed comprises approximately by weight: 10.3% Biochar, 17.1% gypsum, 40.0% clay, 15.4% peat moss, 14.7% seed, and 2.5% guar gum.

[0105] In a fourth example the encapsulated seed comprises approximately by weight: 0.5% water soluble soil stabilizer, 10.0% biochar, 16.7% gypsum, 39.0% clay, 15.0% peat, 14.3% seed and 4.5% guar. This example was used to make a dry mix of 907 grams.

[0106] In a fifth example the encapsulated seed comprises approximately by weight: 0.5% water soluble soil stabilizer, 9.5% biochar, 17.0% gypsum, 38.8% clay, 15.0% peat, 14.2% seed and 5.0% guar. This was used to make up 7,042 lbs of encapsulated seed.

[0107] Biochar can be made of many different types of organic matter. One example is biochar made from pine trees killed by pine beetles. In one example the peat moss is made from sphagnum peat moss. In one example the bentonite clay is a naturally occurring sodium or swelling bentonite clay.

[0108] In the examples the seed was a perennial ryegrass seed or Lolium perenne.