Abstract: Sewage sludge is subjected to a treatment with an acid in order to form stable ammonium compounds before thermal drying of the sludge which would otherwise volatilize ammonia and diminish the nitrogen content of the sludge.

Abstract: Zeolite-activated guano phosphate fertilizers are produced by a method comprising grinding guano phosphates to 10 mesh granules by roughing and middling mills, heating in a rotary kiln, cooling, finely grinding to obtain 100 mesh guano phosphate powder, analyzing the content of the phosphoric anhydride in the powder, and mixing with natural zeolites to obtain zeolite-activated guano phosphates, wherein the proportion of the phosphoric anhydride is controlled at 18% by weight.

Abstract: An agricultural fertilizer material is provided which is resistant to agglomeration, powdering and burning of plant life and which is made up of lightweight blast furnace slag having a water content in the range of about 3% to 5% and mixed with about 10% to 35% by weight of a mixture of nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash as conventional nutrient salts, said salts and nitrogen being present in amounts sufficient to provide at least 1% by weight of nitrogen on the total mix and said slag having a CaO equivalent of about 20% to 25%.

Abstract: A method for enhancing the water retention capacity of soils and providing plant nutrients thereto over an extended period of time uses chryso-zeolites type A and/or X admixed with a soil at 2 to 30% by weight of the soil. The chryso-zeolites comprise a magnesium-leached asbestos matrix with a zeolite crystalline structure thereon. The composition of the chryso-zeolites includes silica--35 to 60% by weight, MgO--0.1 to 10% by weight, Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 --10 to 45% by weight and from 10 to 25% by weight of CaO, the CaO being optionally substituted by one or more of plant nutrient components such as potassium or ammonium. The content of sodium oxide is reduced to less that 3% by weight. The chryso-zeolites of the invention exhibit a very low phytotoxicity, good water retention and easy substitution of calcium by other nutritive components.

Abstract: A vitreous product which can be used in agriculture is disclosed. With the exception of nitrogen, this vitreous product contains all the major and minor mineral elements which are essential for the nutrition of plants.The vitreous products can contain the following constituents, taken in the following proportions by weight:______________________________________ SiO.sub.2 25 to 65% Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3 1 to 15% P.sub.2 O.sub.5 1 to 15% B.sub.2 O.sub.3 0.01 to 2% K.sub.2 O 5 to 35% MnO 0.01 to 3% CaO 11 to 35% ZnO 0.01 to 3% MgO 1 to 10% CuO 0.01 to 2% SO.sub.3 0.01 to 1% MoO.sub.3 0.01 to 3% Na.sub.2 O 0 to 2% Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 0 to 25%.

Abstract: A vitreous product which can be used in agriculture is disclosed. With the exception of nitrogen, this vetreous product contains all the major and minor mineral elements which are essential for the nutrition of plants.The vitreous products can contain the following constituents, taken in the following proportions by weight:______________________________________ SiO.sub.2 25 to 65% Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3 1 to 15% P.sub.2 O.sub.5 1 to 15% B.sub.2 O.sub.3 0.01 to 2% K.sub.2 O 5 to 35% MnO 0.01 to 3% CaO 11 to 35% ZnO 0.01 to 3% MgO 1 to 10% CuO 0.01 to 2% SO.sub.3 0.01 to 1% MoO.sub.3 0.01 to 3% Na.sub.2 O 0 to 2% A1.sub.2 O.sub.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for enhancing the water-retention capacity of soils and providing plant nutrients to same over an extended period of time. This method comprises the admixing of soils with from 2 to 30% by weight of a chryso-zeolite of type A/and or X which comprises a magnesium leached asbestos matrix having an SiO.sub.2 content of 37 to 60% wt %, an MgO content of 0.1 to 15% by weight, an Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3 content of 0.1 to 2.5% by weight and containing from 10 to 25% by weight of Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 and from 25 to 35% by weight of Na.sub.2 O, and/or K.sub.2 O, and/or CaO, and/or (NH.sub.4).sub.2 O.

Abstract: The growth medium consists of a homogeneous mixture of short rockwool fibres, and short vegetable fibres, preferably peat fibres. Humus material may be added, preferably composted sludge. To the mixture may also be added fertilizer, and seeds, e.g. grass seeds being bound to said fibres by a rapidly disintegrating binder.The method for producing said growth medium comprises intimately mixing long rockwool fibres, and vegetable fibres, preferably peat fibres, and possible additional materials in a dry state in a mixer until homogenous spheres or balls are formed which contain the components in a substantially uniform mixture, and cutting said spheres into short fibres by the aid of beating knives, a hammer mill or the like, and then conveying said medium to the growing site or to a packaging by the aid of an air jet.

Abstract: The present invention relates to NPK-fertilizer manufactured during application of KCl and/or K.sub.2 SO.sub.4 as potassium source and which also contains magnesium in an amount of 0.2-3.0% calculated as MgO and added in the product as MgO, and method for manufacture of this product. The special features of the method is that to an evaporated nitrogen, phosphorous solution 0.2-3.0% reactive MgO and potassium salts are added before prilling or before/during granulation. MgO is preferably added as lightly calcined MgO having an average particle size of 0.2-3.0 mm, and is added in the mixer just before the prilling means. The new product has reduced tendency to swelling and caking.

Abstract: A depot fertilizer composition comprising an inorganic matrix and another inorganic and/or organic component of the formulaX Me(II)O.[(1-x)/2]Me(III).sub.2 O.sub.3.YA.zI.aqin whichMe (II) is at least one divalent metal,Me(III) is at least one trivalent metal,A is at least one inorganic acid or anhydride of an inorganic acid,I is at least one organic compound,aq is 0-9,X is from 0 to 1,Y is from 0.5 to 0.7, andZ is from 0 to 20,at least one of the components containing a plant nutrient element. The compositions are suited for fertilizing the leaves or full systems of plants growing in soil or in water.

Abstract: A process for prilling a mixture of sulphur and bentonite to produce a water-degradable prill includes adding dry bentonite in powdered form to molten sulphur at a temperature to provide a molten sulphur-bentonite mixture, forming droplets of the mixture, providing a quenching solution of either sodium chloride, sodium sulphate, potassium chloride or potassium sulphate at a temperature low enough to solidify the sulphur-bentonite mixture, feeding the droplets into the quenching solution, passing the droplets through the quenching solution for a time and at a temperature of the quenching solution sufficient to anneal the droplets into prills, and removing the annealed prills from the quenching solution and drying the prills to a specified temperature and moisture content. This invention relates to new and useful improvements in the process and resultant product of forming prills from sulphur for fertilizing purposes, and to reducing the dust normally present with prills made entirely from sulphur.

Abstract: Sandy soils, e.g., loess-containing desert soils, are treated with an aqueous dispersion of pyrogenically produced silicon dioxide and/or corresponding mixed oxides of silicon to achieve consolidation of the sand.

Abstract: A fertilizer product in granular form with sustained action is provided by spraying a silicate-based solution on the surface of the fertilizer granules in a conventional coating machine which is maintained at temperatures ranging from 20.degree. to 100.degree. C. The coating solution comprises 1 to 50% by weight of a silicate and/or silicic acid ester based on the weight of the fertilizer material to be treated, 0.001 to 1.0 part by weight of a metal and/or non-aqueous metallic compound (first additives), 0.001 to 1.0 part by weight of an aqueous metallic compound (second additives), 0.001 to 1.0 part by weight of an inorganic mineral (third additives), and optionally high molecular weight organic compound, wherein all parts described above are based on the weight of the silicate and/or silicic acid ester used. The coated fertilizer granules are subject to heat-treatment for 10 seconds to 10 days under conditions that the relative humidity and the temperature be maintained at 5 to 95% and 10.degree. to 250.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a compound solid fertilizer is disclosed in which, inexpensive chlorides such as potassium chloride, ammonium chloride and so forth are used as supplementary fertilizer components to be admixed with a phosphate or silicophosphate gel-sol mixture prepared by mixing phosphoric acid with the aforementioned inorganic compound minerals consisting principally of iron, aluminum, magnesium and others. During granulation and hardening, resultant combined chlorine is separated and recovered in the form of hydrochloric acid to minimize the chlorine radical content, thereby permitting not only the manufacture of a fertilizer with practically no bad effect on soil but also the fabrication of hydrochloric acid. Concentrated phosphoric acid, such as super phosphoric acid or concentrated phosphate can be used as the phosphoric acid. A slow-working fertilizer raw material can be further mixed with the gel-sol mixture.

Abstract: Substantially spherical, water-degradable, sulphur clay particles or prills are provided; the particles are formed by passing a mixture of molten sulphur and a particulate swelling clay through a plurality of orifices and into an aqueous solution of a water soluble electrolyte salt, maintained at a temperature effective to cool the mixture below its solidification temperature. An improved apparatus is also provided in which a high constant static head of molten material is let down to a low static head whereby molten material at low velocity falls under gravity into the aqueous electrolyte salt solution.

Abstract: A process for producing a citric acid soluble potassium silicate fertilizer comprises a step for kneading a mixture consisting essentially of potassium carbonate, fly ash, pulverized coal, other necessary starting materials and a caustic potash solution as a binder and then granulating the kneaded mixture, a step for drying the granulated product to a nearly absolutely dry state, and a step for calcining the dried granular product, whereby a chemical reaction takes place between the potassium and the silicon present in fly ash to convert them into a citric acid soluble potassium silicate.

Abstract: A process for producing a citric acid soluble potassium silicate fertilizer comprises a step for kneading a mixture consisting essentially of potassium carbonate, fly ash, pulverized coal, other necessary starting materials and a caustic potash solution as a binder and then granulating the kneaded mixture, a step for drying the granulated product to a nearly absolutely dry state, and a step for calcining the dried granular product, whereby a chemical reaction takes place between the potassium and the silicon present in fly ash to convert them into a citric acid soluble potassium silicate.

Abstract: Method for the production of a liquid fertilizer and respectively fertilizer concentrate, starting from an aqueous suspension and solution, respectively, of Haselgebirge and respectively or Werklaist, by addition of calcium carbide with stirring.

Abstract: Plant nutrient compositions comprising various plant nutrients attached to calcined clay are provided as well as methods for their preparation and processes for their use.

Abstract: A process for pelletizing a mixture of elemental sulphur and bentonite clay to produce a water degradable prill includes adding dry clay dust to molten sulphur at an elevated temperature to provide a molten sulphur-clay mixture, forming droplets of the mixture, providing a liquid fertilizer coolant at a temperature lower than the freezing temperature of the sulphur-bentonite mixture, feeding the droplets into the coolant, passing the droplets through the coolant for a time sufficient to anneal the droplets into pellets, and removing the annealed pellets from the coolant.

Abstract: A fertilizer from which potassium is released slowly comprises a frit produced from a potassium/silicon composition in the range K.sub.2 O.2SiO.sub.2 to K.sub.2 O.4SiO.sub.2 and containing from 5.5% to less than 10% by weight of calcium oxide.

Abstract: The invention relates to a porous carrier rock-based sorptional carrier containing at least one porous carrier rock in an amount not exceeding 95 % by weight, and 5 to 30 % by weight of montmorillonite and optionally illite and/or kaolinite and/or a co-mineral of the latter, with the proviso that a montmorillonite content of at least 5 % by weight is provided for. These carriers have a multiple sorptional pore space, possess a sorption capacity of at least 50 %, and are quasi-spherical in shape.