Composition, method, and apparatus for protecting plants from injury caused by frost or freezing temperatures
OwnerDonald V. Lightcap, Jr., Mark F. Smithinventors
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Abstract
The present invention is directed to a composition, method, and apparatus for protecting plants from injury caused by frost or freezing temperatures by applying an insulating foam to the surface of plants. Plants are sprayed with a foam formed from a pre-emulsion concentrate comprising a vegetable oil, an emulsifier, and a forming agent. The pre-emulsion concentrate is mixed with water and aerated to form a foam. The foam is then directed onto the surfaces of the plant to be covered.
Claims32
An agricultural composition for producing a foam for use in protecting plants against frost or freezing temperatures consisting essentially of:
- about 40% to about 90% by weight of vegetable oil;
- an emulsifier;
- and
- a foaming agent;
- wherein said vegetable oil is selected from the group consisting of coconut oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, palm oil, rapeseed oil, soya oil, and sunflower oil.
A composition for producing a foam for use in protecting plants against frost or freezing temperatures consisting essentially of:
- a pre-emulsion concentrate made up of about 40% to about 90% vegetable oil, an emulsifier, and a foaming agent;
- water;
- and
- one or more components selected from the group consisting of a foam stabilizer, a foam thickener, sodium lauryl sulfate and triethanolamine;
- wherein said vegetable oil is selected from the group consisting of soya oil, coconut oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, palm oil, rapeseed oil, and sunflower oil;
- wherein said emulsifier is selected from the group consisting of alkyl, aryl, or glycol ethoxylate, propoxylate, butoxylate or sulfonate based emulsifiers;
- and
- wherein said foaming agent is selected from the group consisting of quaternary ammonium compounds, amine oxides, neutralized alkyl sulfates, neutralized alkyl and aryl sulfonates, hydrolyzed protein, and oxyalkylates.
A method of protecting plants from frost or freezing temperatures comprising the steps of:
- producing a pre-emulsion concentrate comprising a vegetable oil, an emulsifier and a foaming agent;
- mixing the pre-emulsion concentrate with water to form an oil and water emulsion;
- aerating the oil and water emulsion to form a foam;
- and
- applying the foam to the plants.
A method of spraying plants comprising the steps of:
- producing a pre-emulsion concentrate consisting essentially of about 40% to about 90% by weight of vegetable oil and an emulsifier selected from the group consisting of alkyl, aryl, or glycol ethoxylate, propoxylate, butoxylate, and sulfonate based emulsifiers;
- mixing the pre-emulsion concentrate with water to form an oil and water emulsion;
- and
- applying the oil and water emulsion onto the surfaces of the plants.
A method of treating plants comprising the steps of:
- producing a pesticide consisting essentially of about 40% to about 90% by weight of vegetable oil and an emulsifier;
- and
- placing the pesticide into water and applying the water and the pesticide to the surface of the plants;
- wherein said vegetable oil is selected from the group consisting of coconut oil, cottonseed oil, palm oil, rapeseed oil, soya oil, and sunflower oil.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.