Abstract: A seed composition comprising a seed and a first component comprising an agriculturally acceptable complex mixture of dissolved organic material characterized by natural organic matter that is partially humified and methods of seed treating. A method comprising contacting a seed with a first component comprising an agriculturally acceptable complex mixture of dissolved organic material characterized by natural organic matter that is partially humified, where the first component enhances at least one of germination, emergence, root development, seedling vigor, seedling growth, mortality resistance, chlorophyll production, cold resistance, water log resistance, and nutrient uptake compared to similar seed not contacted with the first component.

Abstract: The present invention relates to novel mixtures based on sulfur-crosslinked triglyceride, a process for their preparation, and their use as fertilizers, in particular for promoting the growth of plants which require sulfur.

Abstract: A method for producing phosphates and/or compounds containing phosphates is provided, in particular alkaline-earth phosphates, alkaline-earth silicophosphates, and alkaline-earth oxides, comprising the following steps: (a) heating bones and/or fish bones or a composition of said components in a pyrolysis process in the absence of oxygen and under reductive conditions at temperatures between 500 and 1100° C., wherein among other things high-energy gases, vapors, and carbon are produced, (b) subsequently combusting the carbon produced in step (a) under oxidative conditions in an oxidation step, wherein an inorganic radical of alkaline-earth carbonates, alkaline-earth oxides, and alkaline-earth phosphates is produced.

Abstract: Compositions comprising a protein and an isolated or purified amino acid product, and uses thereof are disclosed.

Abstract: A water-dispersible particle for delivery of fertilizer to a plant is disclosed. After delivery wetting of the particles causes particle dispersion so as to prevent secondary pick up to the particles. Methods for making and using the water-dispersible particle are described.

Abstract: A water-dispersible particle is provided that includes struvite in an amount ranging from 5% to 99.9% by weight of the total dry weight of the particle. A binder component is present in an amount from 1% to 95% by weight. The struvite and the binder component on that contact with water causes particle dispersion into more than 100 pieces. A process for making a water-dispersible particle includes mechanical aggregation of a struvite into a pellet. A binder component is present in the particle in an amount ranging from 1% to 95% by weight. The struvite and the binder component are present in a form such that contact with water causes particle dispersion into more than 100 pieces. The particle is then dried and ready to be applied.

Abstract: A water-dispersible particle for delivery of fertilizer to a plant is disclosed. After delivery wetting of the particles causes particle dispersion so as to prevent secondary pick up to the particles. Methods for making and using the water-dispersible particle are described.

Abstract: A method for making highly efficient, low pollution, slowly nitrogen releasing organic mineral granular fertilizers comprising the step of mixing, in a liquid phase, a natural organic nitrogen containing fertilizer, a synthetic nitrogen containing fertilizer, and tannin and non-tannin organic extracts, and the step of drying the thus made mixture.

Abstract: An extended release fertilizer that includes an absorbent material containing capillaries/voids between 10-200 microns in cross-sectional diameter which is impregnated in an amount of 40-95% of the capillaries/voids volume with an agriculturally beneficial material, or alternatively includes a holding agent retaining an agriculturally beneficial material, wherein the beneficial material at least includes calcium sulfate, and the beneficial material is selected from the group consisting of fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides and fungicides, with the resulting material being agglomerated into granules.

Abstract: A process for treating organic material, separating calcium and recovering phosphorus and to utilization of the obtained products and their use as a soil conditioner and a fertilizer as well as for providing carbon dioxide traps in gas cleaning. In the process, organic ingredients are separated from calcium-phosphate-containing ingredients, the calcium-phosphate-containing ingredients are dissolved in an acid-containing solution and/or the calcium is precipitated as a salt corresponding to the acid, and optionally phosphoric acid formed from a phosphate ion is separated. The invention also relates to a calcium-carbonate-containing product and a phosphoric-acid containing product, which are prepared by the process of the invention.

Abstract: Mechanically strong, water-disintegrable agglomerates made from a particulate calcium source, a water-soluble binder and optionally containing a primary plant nutrient source and/or micronutrient source and a process for forming such agglomerates are disclosed. The agglomerates may be used as a soil liming agent and for introducing nutrient values into cultivated soil. Also disclosed is a method for introducing nutrient values into cultivated soil so as to inhibit leaching of the nutrient values from the soil and improve utilization of the nutrient values by plants grown in the soil.

Abstract: A method of disinfecting and stabilizing organic wastes where organic waste is intimately mixed with one or more mineral by-products to produce a mixture having a pH of less than about 9. The mixture is heated and dried to produce a stable, granular bio-mineral product that may be used for example, as a fertilizer, soil amendment or as a soil substitute. Also provided are stable, granular bio-mineral products formed by the methods of the present invention and fertilizers, soil amendments, and soil substitutes that include these stable, granular bio-mineral products. Further provided are systems for disinfecting and stabilizing organic waste, and systems for making a stable, granular bio-mineral product.

Abstract: A process to recover energy, reduce pollution potential, and add value to organic waste such as animal manure is described. The process involves the anaerobic digestion of feedstocks, such as animal manure, at low to high temperatures in batch, semi-continuous or continuous reactors. The process makes use of existing handling and storage equipment at the farm and requires minimal supervision and skill by the operator. The system is not affected by high concentrations of volatile acids and ammonia or nitrogen. The productivity of the anaerobic digester system, in terms of methane gas production and quality, is exceptionally high. The anaerobic digester employs plural pressurizable anaerobic digesters connected in parallel. Consequently, the process is scaleable, low cost and does not interfere with regular farm operations.

Abstract: A material composed primarily of coffee grounds, along with other commercial and industrial waste materials, in which the materials are uniformly pulverized, skillfully measured and combined to form a homogeneous particulate waste mixture. The composition is alternately turned and rested in a windrow or like apparatus for several months until natural aerobic thermophilic fermentation causes the material composition to have an overall pH level of 5.0 to 7.0 (with an optimum of 6.0), for the purpose of making the minerals latent in the material composition soluble, conducive to healthy plant life, and therefore useable as a plant growth medium.

Abstract: A plant-cultivating artificial material includes: a porous sintered body containing at least one of silica and alumina; and a substance being mainly composed of a bone material component or calcium phosphate. A process for producing the plant-cultivating artificial material includes the steps of: preparing a base material containing at least one of silica and alumina, and a miring substance mainly composed of at least one of bone material and an additive; forming a green body; and heating the green body to obtain a porous sintered body so as to hold a bone material component or calcium phosphate in the porous sintered body. The porous sintered body may include a nitric acid component. The process may include the step of bringing the porous sintered body into contact with a liquid containing a nitric acid component.

Abstract: A method of determining an effective method for control of soil pathogens in a soil which includes the step of measuring the pH of the soil, measuring the organic carbon content of the soil, measuring the buffering capacity of the soil, adding a nitrogen containing material and a pH reducing agent to reduce the soil pH below 5.5 when the buffering capacity of the soil is below a predetermined amount, and adding a nitrogen containing material and a pH raising agent to raise the pH above 8.5 when the organic carbon content is less than 1.7% by weight.

Abstract: Mechanically strong, water-disintegrable agglomerates made from a particulate calcium source, a water-soluble binder and optionally containing a primary plant nutrient source and/or micronutrient source and a process for forming such agglomerates are disclosed. The agglomerates may be used as a soil liming agent and for introducing nutrient values into cultivated soil. Also disclosed is a method for introducing nutrient values into cultivated soil so as to inhibit leaching of the nutrient values from the soil and improve utilization of the nutrient values by plants grown in the soil.

Abstract: Mechanically strong, water-disintegrable agglomerates for use as a soil conditioner produced from cement kiln dust and other particulate calcium sources containing CaO or Ca(OH)2 and other calcium-containing compounds having the potential to be hydrated and a process for forming such agglomerates are disclosed. The process comprises combining the particulate calcium source and a water-soluble binder to produce agglomerates which are then subjected to controlled drying such that the dried agglomerates having a size ranging from −7 to +8 Tyler Standard Sieve Series exhibit an average green crush strength of at least about 2 pounds (about 0.9 kg).

Abstract: A process to recover energy, reduce pollution potential, and add value to organic waste such as animal manure is described. The process involves the anaerobic digestion of feedstocks, such as animal manure, at low to high temperatures in batch, semi-continuous or continuous reactors. The process makes use of existing handling and storage equipment at the farm and requires minimal supervision and skill by the operator. The system is not affected by high concentrations of volatile acids and ammonia or nitrogen. The productivity of the anaerobic digester system, in terms of methane a gas production and quality, is exceptionally high. The anaerobic digester requires only a singe reaction vessel. Consequently, the process is low cost and does not interfere with regular farm operations.

Abstract: A soil improver composition produced by digesting a mixture comprising leguminous plant material, igneous rock powder of particle size less than 350 microns, a biodegradable surfactant and water with composting microbes to produce said soil improver composition.

Abstract: A method for treating infectious organic waste material such as dewatered sewage sludge, mixed organic wastes and animal waste. The method includes mixing the infectious organic waste material with a comminuted organic fibrous material to provide a reaction mixture. An oxidizing agent is an optional additive. The reaction mixture is heated in a hyperbaric reactor vessel at an elevated pressure and temperature for a time sufficient to create saturated steam and to produce a substantially denatured product containing inactivated pathogenic agents. The denatured product is dehydrated to produce a free-flowing solid product that may be used in various agricultural, industrial or commercial applications. Odor is controlled so that malodorous compounds are not released to the atmosphere.

Abstract: A soil conditioning composition is provided which is suitable as a direct substitute for sphagnum peat moss. The composition is composed primarily of waste paper products which have been processed to form small clumped particles. As such, the composition sufficiently exhibits the textural and physical properties of sphagnum peat moss, such that it can be readily mixed into soil in order to promote moisture retention in the soil, as well as enhance aeration of the soil. Furthermore, the composition includes bone meal as a primary constituent. The clumped particles and bone meal are processed such that the bone meal forms a cohesive layer over each of the individual clumped particles, so as to further promote the moisture-retention capability of the particles. Furthermore, the bone meal advantageously contributes fertilizer grade phosphorus the composition.

Abstract: Trees are fertilized with natural ingredients commonly used in the feed industry to prevent, combat and reverse die-back damage in trees. The fertilizer composition employed preferably uses feather meal or blood meal, and bone meal, along with sulfate of potash or sulfate of potash magnesia to provide a ratio of N:P:K of about 4:4:8 wt. %.

Abstract: A continuous process for the non-destructive recovery of natural nitrogenous materials as highly available particulate agricultural nutrients, employing natural materials such as poultry waste, waste water treatment sludge, alfalfa meal, hatchery waste, feathermeal, corn gluten meal and bloodmeal in a fluid bed reactor-granulator where basic natural materials are acidified to pHs of 3.0 to 6.5 and formed into hardened particulates during a retention time between 4 and 20 minutes at a temperature between 70.degree. and 120.degree. C. and discharged free of caramelization before nitrogen losses from decomposition amounts to 0.5 percent of the natural nitrogenous materials. The continuous process provides a new natural nitrogenous particulate agricultural nutrient composition free of caramelization.

Abstract: A method of preparing high integrity natural nitrogenous granules for agriculture by heating natural nitrogenous materials under alkaline conditions until the materials develop adhesive properties, forming the materials into granules by mechanical means, and heating the natural nitrogenous granules until they harden; and the compositions formed by this method. The granules for agriculture include natural fertilizers, secondary nutrients, micronutrients, and natural animal feed protein supplements. The method also provides natural based plant food and animal feed supplement granules containing natural or synthetic additive substances which are useful in agriculture. The natural materials used in the method include poultry waste, poultry feather meal, hair meal, seafood meal, blood meal, bone meal, soybean meal, food waste, and grain by-products.

Abstract: The instant invention is directed to a process for the production of denatured polyaddition products of biomasses and isocyanates, comprising reacting(A) from 5 to 98%, by weight, based on (A)+(B), of a biomass based on microorganisms or derivative and decomposition products thereof with(B) from 95 to 2%, by weight, based on (A)+(B), of a compound containing isocyanate groups, at temperatures of at least 50.degree. C. with complete denaturing of component (A).

Abstract: The invention provides a sprayable plant care composition which, in its preferred aspects, comprises a continuous aqueous phase comprising gelatin hydrolysate, urea, dissolved phosphorus and potassium salts, and an amount of preservative effective to prevent microbial growth in the composition; a dispersed phase comprising orange peel wax and glycerol as a diluent for the wax; and an emulsifier comprising polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monostearate in an amount effective to provide a stable emulsion and provide a cleansing action when the composition is applied to the foliage of a plant. When applied as a spray to plant leaf surfaces, the composition produces an attractive shine and an appealing aroma, provides plant nutrients absorbable by the leaf, and serves as an effective rinse to cleanse the leaf.

Abstract: A process for the production of dehydrated foodstuffs, feedstuffs or plant fertilizers includes the following steps: (a) preparing protein-containing animal matter to a particulate size acceptable to homogenizing equipment; (b) subjecting the comminuted matter to ultra homogenization; (c) heating the resultant homogenate to a temperature of between about 50.degree. C. and 85.degree. C. to agglomerate the protein; (d) granulating the agglomerate; (e) drying the granules at a temperature not greater than 95.degree. C. until their moisture content is within the range of about 20% to about 50% by weight; (f) passing the partially dried granules through a mincer to form kibbles; (g) drying the kibbled material to achieve a moisture content not more than 8% by weight.