Agricultural mulch with extended longevity
AssigneeAppleton Papers Inc.
InventorsDean Dalebroux, Kenneth Glanz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A novel agricultural mulch and improved method of arranging the mulch on a growing field with furrows is disclosed wherein the mulch is made of an extensible paper substrate having a top surface and a bottom surface with side sections near the edges of the substrate capable of being turned up and bent back over the top surface of the paper substrate as the mulch is laid down over the growing field; the bottom surface of the paper substrate will be exposed for receiving soil from the field to anchor the mulch and protect it against the weathering of rain, sun and wind.
Claims22
An agricultural mulch strip for covering a growing section of an agricultural field with furrows, comprising an extensible paper substrate having a top surface, a bottom surface, and two side sections having edges for contacting soil on either side of the growing section along the furrows, wherein the side sections are turned upward and bent back over the top surface of the paper substrate for receiving a deposit of soil to anchor the mulch as the mulch strip is laid down on the furrows on either side of the growing section.
A method of protecting a strip of agricultural mulch from being removed prematurely from a growing field in which said agricultural mulch has been deposited, the method comprises the steps of:
- positioning the mulch between furrows in the field, said mulch comprising:
- a) an extensible paper substrate having a top surface and a bottom surface;
- b) a first coating on the top surface, said first coating comprising a film-forming latex resistant to water permeability, a pigment, and water repellant;
- c) a second coating on the bottom surface, said second coating comprising a film forming latex, a pigment and a biologically active material;
- and d) two side sections having edges over which soil from the furrow can be deposited as the mulch is laid onto the field between the furrows;
- turning up and bending back over the top surface at least one section of the strip adjacent to said side edges as the mulch is laid down on the furrow;
- and
- covering the bottom surface of said side section with soil to anchor the strip to the furrow and prevent degradation of the mulch by weathering and premature removal from the growing field.
In a method of laying a strip of agricultural mulch onto a growing field with furrows wherein said agricultural mulch comprises:
- a) an extensible paper substrate having a top surface and a bottom surface;
- and b) two side sections having edges over which soil from the furrow is deposited as the mulch is laid onto the growing field with furrows, the improvement comprises turning up and bending back over the top surface of said paper substrate at least one section of the strip adjacent to said side edges as the mulch is laid down on the field with furrows, and covering the bottom surface of said side section with soil to anchor the strip of agricultural mulch to the furrow.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.