Fruit tree budding control method and apparatus
AssigneeMay Business Trust
InventorMonte Dale May
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed herein is a system and method for saving crops by preventing premature bud formation on various agriculturally-valuable flora. The method consists in maintaining the temperature of an effective amount of the roots of a plant below that temperature at which bud formation normally ensues. The system and method is especially well suited for unusual warm spells which occur during seasonal changes and for staggering crop portions in order to effectively manage the harvest.
Claims17
A method for inhibiting bud formation on agriculturally-valuable flora which comprises the step of:
- pumping a coolant through at least one distribution line of a system which comprises:
- a) a coolant-bearing subterranean closed-loop conduit having a high-pressure region containing said coolant in the liquid state and a low-pressure region containing said coolant in the gaseous state;
- b) a compressor having an inlet and an outlet wherein said inlet is in contact with said low-pressure region and said outlet is in contact with said high-pressure region;
- c) a tank for storage of said liquid coolant;
- d) at least one distribution line located between said outlet and said inlet of said compressor;
- and
- e) at least one throttle having a diameter between about 1/128.sup.th and 1/32.sup.nd of an inch located within said distribution line through which said coolant expands as it passes from said high-pressure region to said low-pressure region
- prior to formation of buds on said flora.
A system for controlling the temperature of the roots of agriculturally valuable flora which comprises:
- a) a coolant-bearing subterranean closed-loop conduit having a high-pressure region containing said coolant in the liquid state and a low-pressure region containing said coolant in the gaseous state;
- b) a compressor having an inlet and an outlet, wherein said inlet is in contact with said low-pressure region and said outlet is in contact with said high-pressure region;
- c) a tank for storage of said liquid coolant;
- d) at least one distribution line located between said outlet and said inlet of said compressor;
- e) at least one throttle having a diameter between about 1/128.sup.th and 1/32.sup.nd of an inch located within said distribution line through which said coolant expands as it passes from said high-pressure region to said low-pressure region;
- f) a means for sensing the flow of sap in the trunk of an agriculturally-valuable flora;
- g) a microprocessor connected to said sensing means;
- and
- h) a solenoid connected to said microprocessor and said compressor.
A system for controlling the temperature of the roots of agriculturally valuable flora which comprises:
- a) a coolant-bearing subterranean closed-loop conduit having a high-pressure region containing said coolant in the liquid state and a low-pressure region containing said coolant in the gaseous state,
- b) a compressor having an inlet and an outlet, wherein said inlet is in contact with said low-pressure region and said outlet is in contact with said high-pressure region;
- c) a tank for storage of said liquid coolant;
- d) at least one distribution line located between said outlet and said inlet of said compressor,
- e) at least one throttle having a diameter between about 1/128.sup.th and 1/32.sup.nd of an inch located within said distribution line through which said coolant expands as it passes from said high-pressure region to said low-pressure region;
- and
- f) roots of an agriculturally valuable flora in contact with said distribution line.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.