Liquid crop stimulant
AssigneeAmerican Colloid Company
InventorWilliam Alexander
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of improving agricultural and horticultural crop yields utilizing a mixture comprising a water-soluble alkali metal salt of humic acid and a plant nutrient component including plant nutrients such as nitrogen and/or phosphorous and/or potassium. The addition of a liquid mixture comprising the plant nutrient component and a water-soluble alkali metal salt of humic acid to the growth medium or seed germination medium of agricultural or horticultural crops has demonstrated improved crop yields both in the size of the individual fruit and in the number of the fruit per plant.
Claims22
A method of improving the crop yield of agriculture and horticultural crops by adding to the seed germination or growth medium of the crop a liquid plant stimulant composition consisting essentially of a water soluble alkali metal salt of humic acid obtained from the alkali metal hydroxide treatment of an oxidized humic acid containing ore;
- an effective amount of a plant nutrient selected from the group consisting of ammonium nitrate;
- potassium chloride;
- ammonium phosphates;
- potassium phosphates;
- water-soluble polyphosphates;
- potassium hydroxide;
- potassium nitrate;
- potassium sulfate;
- sodium nitrate;
- potassium carbonate;
- ammonium sulfate;
- calcium nitrate;
- ammonium chloride;
- water-soluble salts or iron;
- water-soluble salts of boron;
- water-soluble salts of magnesium;
- water-soluble salts of copper;
- water-soluble salts of zinc;
- water-soluble salts of molybdenum;
- and mixtures thereof;
- and a suitable liquid carrier.
A liquid crop stimulant consisting essentially of from about 10% by weight to about 15% by weight of an alkali metal salt of humic acid;
- from about 1% by weight to about 50% by weight of a plant nutrient selected from the group consisting of ammonium nitrate;
- potassium chloride;
- ammonium phosphates;
- potassium phosphates;
- water-soluble polyphosphates;
- potassium hydroxide;
- potassium nitrate;
- potassium sulfate;
- sodium nitrate;
- potassium carbonate;
- ammonium sulfate;
- calcium nitrate;
- ammonium chloride;
- water-soluble salts of iron;
- water-soluble salts of boron;
- water-soluble salts of mangnesium;
- water-soluble salts of copper;
- water-soluble salts of zinc;
- water-soluble salts of molybdenum;
- and mixtures thereof;
- and water, wherein the method of making the alkali metal salt of humic acid consists essentially of adding a crushed humic acid-containing ore to a mixture comprising an alkali metal hydroxide, an oxidizing agent and water;
- heating the aqueous mixture to a temperature of about 160.degree. F. to about 200.degree. F.;
- agitating the mixture for a time sufficient to obtain a solution of a water-soluble salt of humic acid;
- adding a sufficient amount of an alkali metal hydroxide to maintain the mixture of a pH from about 10 to about 12;
- separating insoluble materials from the alkali metal salt of humic acid;
- and adding water to adjust the amount of alkali metal salt of humic acid in the solution to about 10% by weight to about 15% by weight.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.