Abstract: In one aspect, the invention includes a method of purifying phosphoric acid comprising filtering a feed solution of phosphoric acid through a membrane, wherein the feed solution is maintained at a temperature of from about 30.degree. F. to about 90.degree. F. during the filtering. In another aspect, the invention includes a method of purifying phosphoric acid comprising: a) providing a feed solution of phosphoric acid, said feed solution comprising greater than 17,000 ppm on a 100% P.sub.2 O.sub.5 basis of each of Al, Fe and Mg; and b) filtering the feed solution through a polyamide filter configured for nanofiltration, the filtering comprising a temperature of from about 30.degree. F. to 90.degree. F., and a pressure of from about 600 psig to about 1000 psig to form a purified phosphoric acid solution, the purified phosphoric acid solution comprising less than 1700 ppm on a 100% P.sub.2 O.sub.5 basis of each of Al, Fe and Mg.

Abstract: The invention provides tissue specific promoters from potato UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (UGPase) genes. The promoters are useful in production of transgenic plants.

Abstract: An automatic irrigation system includes a movable irrigation device having a fluid delivery nozzle and a fluid manifold positioned along the mobile irrigation device and adapted to receive irrigation fluid from a supply source. The system includes a detector of moisture present within an agricultural field including an output on which signals representing the detected moisture level are placed. The system also includes an electronic storage device having an addressing and reproduction unit that can selectively address and reproduce a plurality of stored command signals. The system also includes first electronic circuitry coupled to the storage device and including an input for command control signals reproduced from the storage device. The electronic circuitry applies the reproduced command control signal to cause the detector to detect moisture from a plurality of different locations within an agricultural field.

Abstract: An improved knife fixture is provided of the type having a plurality of knife blades for cutting food products, such as cutting potatoes into elongated French fry strips, wherein the knife fixture includes a detector system and method for promptly indicating breakage of a knife blade. The knife fixture generally comprises a fixture frame adapted to support the plurality of knife blades under tension during normal cutting operation, in accordance with the knife fixture disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,343,623. The detector system and method comprises, in one preferred form, mounting the knife blades for passage of an electrical current and monitoring the current level for abrupt changes indicative of a broken blade. In another preferred form, a strain gauge is provided on the fixture frame to measure the tension force applied to the knife blades, and to permit monitoring of abrupt changes in tension indicative of a broken blade.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for detecting agronomic information on a field to be cultivated. The apparatus has at least one sensor configured to detect agronomic information from an area of interest from within a field. The agronomic information detected over space and time being desirable to facilitate the optimized growing of a crop. A mobile carrier is configured to carry the sensor in close proximity to the area of interest. The sensor is constructed and arranged to detect the agronomic information from the area of interest as it passes near the field. The computer has a central processing unit, a memory coupled to the central processing unit, and an electronic interface coupled between the memory and the sensor for transferring sensed information into the memory. The computer is configured to collect detected agronomic information from the areas of interest within the field. An apparatus is also provided for facilitating cultivation of an agriculture field via an interface device.

Abstract: A reclaimer system is provided for collecting and recycling a viscous coating batter in a foods processing line, particularly such as in a production line for making batter coated French fry potato strips. The reclaimer system comprises an elongated collection trough mounted at the downstream end of a product conveyor used to transport batter coated food products to a fryer, wherein the conveyor is positioned to collect excess batter dripping from the conveyor and the food products and further wherein this excess batter would otherwise undesirably fall into the fryer. A paddle is reciprocated back and forth within the trough to sweep collected batter therein from opposite open ends of the trough into appropriate collection vessels or funnels for recycling. The trough is water cooled to prevent significant cooking of the batter therein, and the paddle includes a central overflow port to permit large quantities of batter to spill therethrough without being swept over the longitudinal edges of the trough.

Abstract: In one aspect, a soil slurry mixing apparatus comprises: a) a support structure configured to extend at least partially across a bioreactor vessel; b) at least one fluid inlet conduit supported by the support structure and configured to extend within the bioreactor vessel, the inlet conduit comprising an inlet port; c) a plurality of outlet nozzles supported by the support structure and configured to extend within the bioreactor vessel, the outlet nozzles being in fluid communication with the fluid inlet conduit and comprising outlet nozzle ports configured to be submerged beneath the surface of the slurry within the bioreactor vessel; and d) a pump in fluid communication with the fluid inlet conduit and outlet nozzles and being configured to draw soil slurry from the bioreactor vessel through the inlet conduit port and to discharge said slurry from the outlet nozzle ports to within the bioreactor vessel to mix the soil slurry within the bioreactor vessel.

Abstract: In one aspect, am anti-corrosion treatment method of reducing internal corrosion of a liquid nitrogen fertilizer holding vessel comprising providing at least one quaternary-amine-comprising compound within the vessel. In another aspect, an anti-corrosion treatment method of reducing corrosion of a liquid nitrogen fertilizer holding vessel comprising: a) providing a substantially insoluble liquid film of a quaternary-amine-comprising compound over a volume of liquid nitrogen fertilizer within a steel vessel; and b) coating internal sidewalls of the steel vessel with the quaternary-amine-comprising compound as the volume of liquid fertilizer increases and decreases within the vessel. In another aspect, an anti-corrosion mixture comprising: a) a liquid nitrogen fertilizer solution; and b) a quaternary-amine-comprising compound within the liquid nitrogen fertilizer solution.

Abstract: Beneficial endophytes which live within certain plants are known to provide desirable, cost-effective biological insect control. Many naturally occurring grasses host symbiotic endophytic fungi. However, beneficial endophytes have never been found in several species of turf grass, including species of bentgrasses and Kentucky bluegrasses, two commercially important turf grasses which are used extensively on golf courses and for lawn turfs. The invention of this application relates to new methods of inoculating plant tissues which allow the development of endophyte-enhanced varieties of turfgrasses, and to the turf grass varieties produced using the methods.

Abstract: A process for in situ immobilization of metals in waste stack affected zones including a waste stack and any adjacent boundary zone.

Abstract: The invention encompasses methods of preventing corrosion of vessel sidewalls. In one aspect, the invention includes an anti-corrosion treatment method of reducing internal corrosion of an ammonium phosphate holding vessel comprising providing at least one quaternary-amine-comprising compound within the vessel. In another aspect, the invention includes a treatment method of reducing corrosion of a vessel sidewall surface comprising utilization of a quaternary amine to form a protective layer on the vessel sidewall surface. In another aspect, the invention includes an anti-corrosion treatment method of reducing corrosion of a vessel comprising: a) flowing a liquid into the vessel; b) adding at least one compound to the liquid, the compound being added to a concentration which exceeds the solubility of the compound in the liquid; and c) coating the compound onto an internal surface of the vessel to form a protective layer over the internal surface.

Abstract: A surface-modified solid fertilizer product is produced by preparing a mixture of a modifier, a water-soluble calcium salt, and water. The modifier is desirably a nitrification inhibitor such as dicyanodiamide and the calcium salt is desirably calcium chloride. A solid fertilizer is prepared, preferably in granular form. The fertilizer has a component reactive with calcium to produce a water-insoluble precipitate. The mixture is coated onto the solid fertilizer, and the solid fertilizer having the mixture coated thereon is dried. The calcium salt reacts with the reactive component of the fertilizer to produce an insoluble binding agent that binds the modifier to the surface of the fertilizer particles.

Abstract: The present invention provides novel transgenic plants with altered sugar levels and methods for producing them. The methods comprise introducing into the plant an expression cassette comprising a promoter sequence operably linked to a polynucleotide sequence substantially identical to a sequence from a gene encoding a protein associated with sucrose biosynthesis.

Abstract: A process for in situ immobilization of metals in waste stack affected zones including a waste stack and any adjacent boundary zone.

Abstract: An improved packaging machine is provided for vacuum packing elongated products such as french fries into a succession of sealed bags. The packaging machine includes a weigh station for dropping pre-weighed product charges through a vertical column for product free-fall into a bag at a fill station, with the bag being formed from a sheet of film material drawn downwardly about the column. A divider vane subdivides the vertical column and the fill station into a pair of passages of elongated cross section, whereby the products falling through the column passages are substantially aligned as they fall into the bag. The bag is transferred from the fill station to a settling station, preferably by displacement of the divider vane and fill station. The settling station includes vibratory members to achieve substantial product settling. The bag film material may also be retracted a short stroke through a seal jaw assembly, resulting in stripping and squaring of an open end of the bag.

Abstract: A foam control system is provided for eliminating foam in a process fluid system, such as foam generated in the course of blanching steps and the like involving processing of potatoes or other food products. The foam control system includes one or more capacitive type proximity probes for detecting the presence of foam in a corresponding number of process fluid systems or tanks, and for automatically supplying a spray of a selected defoamer agent to the tank. The defoamer agent spray is supplied to the tank for a selected time interval, with a portion of the spray being directed at the associated detector probe to insure clearing of foam from the probe.

Abstract: An apparatus for dispensing a hydratable material includes a source of the hydratable material to be dispensed, including a container and a metering unit. A continuous-flow first mixer has a truncated conical mixing chamber with an open upper end and an open lower end of smaller diameter than the upper end. The upper end is disposed to receive the flow from the metering unit and the lower end delivers a flow of a mixture of the hydratable material and water. A plurality of water inlet openings at an upper end of an inner surface of the conical mixing chamber introduce water tangentially along the inner circumference of the cone to create a vortex effect within the cone. A continuous-flow second mixer is positioned directly adjacent to and below the first mixer and receives the flow of mixture from the first mixer.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for cutting oversized vegetable products or the like, such as potatoes in the course of producing french fry strips, to obtain a controlled product length distribution. The system includes a conveyor for transporting the products in single file to a length sensor station for detecting the length of each product, and then to a cutting station for cutting each overlong product at one of a plurality of different positions as a function of the detected product length. Such length-responsive cutting provides significant control over the distribution of product lengths, while minimizing or eliminating the presence of products which are too long or short.

Abstract: Fluorine in the form of fluoride is removed from phosphoric acid having an initial phosphate concentration of less than about 50 percent by determining the concentration of fluoride to be removed from the acid and the concentration of silicon in the acid. Silica is added to the acid in an amount sufficient that the molar ratio of fluoride to be removed from the acid to silicon in the acid is about 6. The acid is concentrated to a final phosphate concentration of greater than about 50 percent, whereupon fluoride is reacted to fluosilicic acid. By maintaining the indicated concentration ratio of fluoride to be removed and silicon, fouling of condenser and scrubber components with deposited silica is avoided.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing vanadium from phosphoric acid includes a precipitator that receives vanadium-containing process-feed phosphoric acid and adds an oxidant to the process-feed phosphoric acid, whereupon precipitates containing phosphorus and vanadium are formed in a phosphoric acid filter feed slurry. The solid precipitate is removed by a filter. The filtrate, after optional further oxidation, is contacted to an ion exchange resin to remove additional vanadium from the filtrate to produce a phosphoric acid product of reduced vanadium content. A first portion of the phosphoric acid product is removed from the apparatus for further use. A reducing agent is added to a second portion of the phosphoric acid product, and the reduced acid is used to strip vanadium from the loaded ion exchange resin. The vanadium-loaded second portion of the phosphoric acid is mixed with fresh phosphoric acid and fed to the precipitator.