Convection interactions to allow fast higher efficacity irradiation processes for reducing viability of weed seeds
AssigneeGlobal Neighbor, Inc.
InventorsJonathan A Jackson, Patrick A Jackson, Mark J Elting
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Convection interactions like exposure of seeds to hot ozonated air, hot humidified air, hot ozonated humidified air and optional ultrasound—obtain higher net reduction of germination viability (0-1 percent germination versus 70 percent obtained for a control) of seeds than that obtained via a seed illumination process alone that uses Medium Wavelength Infrared and an Indigo Region Illumination Distribution.
Claims25
An enhanced method to induce a change of state of a seeds (S) to having reduced germination viability in a time under one minute, said method comprising:
- [1] a convection interaction step effectuated upon said seeds, said convection interaction comprising directing to said seeds in a processing theater an interactant that is any of hot ozonated air, hot humid air, and hot humidified ozonated air;
- said hot ozonated air and said hot humidified ozonated air having an average ozone concentration floor of 7 ppm (parts per million) inside at least part of said processing theater;
- [2] illuminating said seeds in said processing theater to achieve a minimum of 2 J/cm2 cumulative illumination energy, and 0.2 W/cm2 irradiance, but no more than 7 W/cm2 average irradiance, of a light wavelength distribution comprising at least one of an Indigo Region Illumination Distribution (IRID) and infrared radiation that is substantially Medium Wavelength Infrared (MWIR)) radiation;
- thereby boosting net efficacity of the enhanced method so as to reduce germination viability further than that obtained via only illuminating said seeds using step [2] alone.
An illuminated harvester combine enhanced process comprising any of reaping (REAPER), threshing (THRESHER), and separating (SEPARATOR) a harvest to form a tailings flow (TAILINGS) that comprises seeds (S);
- said enhanced process further comprising
- [1] a convection interaction step effectuated upon said seeds in said tailings flow, said convection interaction comprising directing to said seeds in a processing theater an interactant that is any of hot ozonated air, hot humid air, and hot humidified ozonated air;
- said hot ozonated air and said hot humidified ozonated air having an average ozone concentration floor of 7 ppm (parts per million) for at least a part of said processing theater;
- [2] illuminating in said processing theater said seeds in said tailings flow (ILLUMINATOR) to achieve a minimum of 2 J/cm2 cumulative illumination energy, and 0.2 W/cm2 irradiance, but no more than 7 W/cm2 average irradiance, of a light wavelength distribution comprising at least one of an Indigo Region Illumination Distribution (IRID) and infrared radiation that is substantially Medium Wavelength Infrared (MWIR)) radiation;
- thereby boosting net efficacity of the enhanced method so as to reduce germination viability of said seeds further than that obtained via only illuminating said seeds using step [2] alone.
An illuminated harvester combine comprising any of a reaper (REAPER), a thresher (THRESHER), and a separator stage (SEPARATOR), so formed to produce a tailings flow (TAILINGS) comprising seeds (S) passing through a processing theater;
- and comprising further a convection interaction unit and an illumination unit acting together in said processing theater to perform an enhanced method to induce a change of state of a seeds (S) to having reduced germination viability in a time under one minute, said convection interaction unit and said illumination unit so constructed, supplied, energized, sized, positioned and operated in said processing theater to allow
- [1] a convection interaction step effectuated upon said seeds, said convection interaction comprising directing to said seeds in a processing theater an interactant that is any of hot ozonated air, hot humid air, and hot humidified ozonated air;
- said hot ozonated air and said hot humidified ozonated air having an average ozone concentration floor of 7 ppm (parts per million) for at least a part of said processing theater;
- [2] illuminating said seeds in said processing theater to achieve a minimum of 2 J/cm2 cumulative illumination energy, and 0.2 W/cm2 irradiance, but no more than 7 W/cm2 average irradiance, of a light wavelength distribution comprising at least one of an Indigo Region Illumination Distribution (IRID) and infrared radiation that is substantially Medium Wavelength Infrared (MWIR)) radiation;
- thereby boosting net efficacity of the enhanced method so as to reduce germination viability further than that obtained via only illuminating said seeds using step [2] alone.
A harvest (Q) comprising seeds (S) having been subjected to an enhanced method to induce a change of state of the seeds to having reduced germination viability in a time under one minute, said enhanced method comprising:
- [1] a convection interaction step effectuated upon said seeds, said convection interaction comprising directing to said seeds in a processing theater an interactant that is any of hot ozonated air, hot humid air, and hot humidified ozonated air;
- said hot ozonated air and said hot humidified ozonated air having an average ozone concentration floor of 7 ppm (parts per million) for at least a part of said processing theater;
- [2] illuminating said seeds in said processing theater to achieve a minimum of 2 J/cm2 cumulative illumination energy, and 0.2 W/cm2 irradiance, but no more than 7 W/cm2 average irradiance, of a light wavelength distribution comprising at least one of an Indigo Region Illumination Distribution (IRID) and infrared radiation that is substantially Medium Wavelength Infrared (MWIR)) radiation;
- thereby boosting net efficacity of the enhanced method so as to reduce germination viability further than that obtained via only illuminating said seed using step [2] alone.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.