TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to agriculture and, more specifically, to the production
and use of the environmentally friendly organic biofertilizer, namely, to the liquid
organic biofertilizer for soils and/or plants colonized by natural soil microorganisms.
The invention can be most widely used in restoring the fertility of soils depleted
of nutrients and natural microorganisms as a result of the intensive use of chemical
fertilizers and pesticides, underflooding, etc, as well as in improving seed germinating
capacity and increasing plant yield, especially in case of drought and late frosts.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] Presently it has been proved (at postulates level) that plants cannot exist without
symbiosis and association with microorganisms.
[0003] Plant roots and microorganisms create a peculiar "cover" - the rhizosphere which
provides necessary conditions for plants proper nutrition and their protection against
pathogens. Therefore it is just the complexes of beneficial microorganisms within
the soil - plant - microorganism system that help to optimally realize soil and plant
potential capabilities and get quality yields.
[0004] It is this reason that stimulated microbiological approaches to increasing soil fertility
and ensuring higher productivity of the agrarian sector in different countries of
the world.
[0005] The basis of these approaches is the selection of soil microorganism beneficial strains
and the creation of optimal conditions for their reproduction on artificial nutrient
media to obtain high concentrations of 10
9-10
10 microorganisms per 1 g of medium. The microorganisms which are considered "beneficial"
are firstly nitrogen-fixing microorganisms, such as
Rhizobium, Bradirhizobium, Azotobacter, phosphorous-mobilizing mostly from the
Bacillus Subtilis species, lactobacillus, etc. At the same time, scientists - practitioners agree that
the effectiveness of artificially created biological products does not exceed 65-70%,
especially in extreme natural conditions, such as drought, high and low temperatures,
soil underflooding. Bacteria which have been artificially created on culture media
rich in organic matter cannot quickly be adapted to depleted soils and contaminated
by chemicals and soon die reducing its initial concentration thousands of times .
For example, bacteria grown artificially on BEA (beef-extract agar) with a level of
ammonium nitrogen equals 120-130 mg / 100 g, are decreased in number from the initial
titer of 5 · 10
9 to 2 · 10
6pera gram within only 1-2 days after getting into peat mixture with natural nitrogen
level of 30-40 mg.
[0006] A known method for obtaining highly concentrated nitrogen-fixing bacterial preparations
includes mixing a conventionally grown bacterial suspension with peat and adding into
this mixture an aqueous extraction of biohumus as a source of biologically active
compounds for limiting the development of fungal microflora (UA, 47304 A). In the
preferred best embodiment of this method non-sterile peat is used and dextrin (about
2%) is added to the mixture to increase the growing capacity.
[0007] The time of preparing the final product is more than 20 days not considering the
time of preparing a bacterial culture in liquid nutrient medium. Dependence on the
poorly controlled quality of the biohumus does not guarantee the stability of the
final product in addition the long preparation time is a disadvantage of this known
method.
It is known also the alternative methods of obtaining biological compounds for increasing
yields and controlling plant pathogens, which are more environmentally friendly and
harmless to animals and humans and which contain useful natural microorganisms .A
typical example of such methods is the method of producing biocompositions based on
Bacillus, Brevibacillus and / or
Paenibacillusstrains (
WO2008 / 025108 A1). Microorganism compositions, as described in this document , are made up of "wild
type" bacteria, which requires an uneasy way of isolating these bacteria strains from
the natural medium.
[0008] An example of another natural bacterium use (
Pseudomonas fluorescens plant pathogen destroyer) for combatting with plant diseases and increasing yields
is disclosed by
US, 6495362.
[0009] Although these methods seem to be more biological due to using natural (wild) soil
bacteria, it should be noted that the technology of isolating necessary strains from
the natural environment is rather complicated, besides, these bacteria are quite selective
for destructing only certain species of natural plant pathogens.
[0010] Growing these bacteria concentrates on an artificial nutrient media which are different
from natural soils complicates the process and prolongs the time of adapting "foreigners"
to a new place and creating the necessary "soil-plant-microorganism" biological complexes.
[0011] Manufacturers of such concentrates do not take into account the fact that artificial
bacteria cannot quickly adapt to the new living conditions thereby increasing significantly
the so-called lag phase and reducing the essential efficiency of these biological
preparations.
[0012] In addition, by isolating one or another strain of a beneficial microorganism, researchers
disregard the symbiotic, metabolic and antagonistic interactions between microorganisms
living in natural conditions. Thus, the development of anaerobes in well-aerated soils
is impossible without aerobes that absorb free oxygen.
[0013] For this reason it is advisable not to destroy the microbiota living in sufficient
quantity and natural symbiosis in fertile soils, peat bogs, sapropel deposits and
the similar natural environment, it is better to create the necessary conditions for
its preservation and reproduction. That is why in order to increase yields, especially
those of legume crops, at the beginning of the last century agrarians sowed seeds
together with particles of soil and roots taken from the fields where legumes had
grown in the previous year. The introduction of fertile soil particles with beneficial
microflora into new plots is used even now but mainly on household plots. It is clear
that such technology is ineffective, since the average microbiota amount on fertile
soils rarely exceeds 10
4-10
5 microorganisms / gram and, moreover, the removal of the upper soil layer upsets the
current balance in the environment.
[0014] There are various methods of reproducing microbiota of the starting material. For
example, it is known the method of obtaining a fertilizer from sapropel according
to which silt is heated with superheated steam to destroy pathogenic microorganisms,
the steam temperature is 200-600°C to activate soluble carbon and to reproduce the
biological decomposition of the silt by using non-pathogenic microorganisms that remain
in the silt after heating. The disadvantage of this method is significant environment
pollution by steam emissions into the atmosphere, uneven heating of large silt amounts
on open grounds and, accordingly, ineffective destruction of the pathogenic microflora
to obtain quality fertilizers.
[0015] A more environmentally friendly method is the method of processing of waste waters
and organic materials of these waters by cavitation using a rotor-stator mixer or
a mill and converting the processed material into the "Bio-solids" mulch (
US, 20050108930 A1). Unfortunately, these fertilizers cannot be used as organic due to the large number
of chemical impurities that are hazardous to the main agricultural plants, therefore
they are considered rather as a nutrient medium for decorative city plantations and
lawns. In addition, their natural microbiota is far from symbiotically adapted microorganisms
of fertile soil.
[0016] Also it is known the biological fertilizer which contains nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium,
calcium, magnesium, iron, manganese, copper, water-soluble humates and agronomical
useful biological flora of the biohumus (
RU, 2181710).
[0017] The disadvantage of this product is its low level of content of the agronomical useful
biological bioflora, which leads to a significant decrease in a fertilizer efficiency.
The reason for the low content of bioflora is that during mixing the biohumus and
peat mixture in the reactor, a significant number of microorganisms just die when
potassium alkali chemical solution is added and during filtering a large number of
viable microflora stays in the sediment.
[0018] The particles of the active substance solids (biohumus and peat) contained in the
final product cause the clogging of the sprayer apertures due to their excessive size.
In addition, they can settle on the bottom of the container in which fertilizer is
stored. Thus, the physical state of this known fertilizer can be characterized as
a suspension of an inorganic origin with low dispersion and stability, its use for
spraying plants being problematic.
[0019] In these prior art methods rather "tough" means of treating one or another biologically
active medium were used to increase the availability of its beneficial components
and at the same time to reduce the amount of plant pathogenic microorganisms and fungi.
[0020] Such "selectivity" of approaches, that is, the desire to remove "everything harmful"
and save and reproduce "everything beneficial" is quite complicated and probably practically
impossible task.
[0021] This opinion is confirmed by numerous studies of exactly the opposite direction,
in particular pasteurization of food liquids by means of cavitation effects [
CA, 2 511 744]. Thin coats of bacteria do not bear the cavitation pressure pulsations and are effectively
destroyed.
[0022] There are a lot of convincing evidences on the bacterial microflora destruction by
"tough" cavitation effects on the processed fluid. Reference can be made to the following
documents of the prior art:
- ultrasonic cavitation [RU, 2109688 C1, US, 20080257830 A1, US, 9174189 B2, WO2009 / 118002A2];
- acoustic cavitation [EP, 1800744 A1, RU, 2396216 C1];
- cavitation effects by rotary-pulsating disperser, including those operating in the
resonant acoustic oscillations mode [RU, 2396216 C1, RU, 2305073 C2, RU, 2420500 C1, RU, 2304561 C2];
- flow-type hydrodynamic cavitators such as Pito tube with obstacles having sharp edges
and cracks, etc. [RU, 2585635 C1, RU, 2603391 C1, WO2012/005631 A2].
[0023] The authors of these publications specify different process parameters as a criterion
that causes cavitation bulbs collapse and subsequent bacterial microflora destruction,
in particular, the great amount of the specific energy per area unit or volume unit
in the active zone of acoustic effect.
[0024] In practice, this means that the higher the energy intensity of the process, the
more intense destruction of bacteria, especially relatively large ones, is caused
by the cavitation process.
[0025] UA, 87342 C1 discloses the method of producing a liquid biological fertilizer and the fertilizer
itself which are the most relevant to the claimed group of inventions. This known
fertilizer contains partly preserved agronomical beneficial biological bioflora but
for obtaining this fertilizer biohumus is subjected to dispersion by means of a hydrodynamic
cavitation disperser to obtain a finely dispersed water suspension with the biohumus
particles of 3-10 microns. Accordingly, after such processing which leads to fine
and aggressive crushing of solids of the nutrient medium a significant part of the
unique bacterial microflora in the processed humus medium, particularly large-sized
bacteria, will be destroyed.
[0026] It is disclosed that "smaller particle size leads to increasing surface area on which
microorganisms can be immobilized".
[0027] The characteristic sizes of beneficial soil bacteria are known to differ considerably.
Thus, the characteristic sizes of nitrogen-fixing bacteria of the
Rhizobium and
Bradirhizobium type are bigger than the typical sizes of phosphorous-mobilizing bacteria of the
Bacillustype and are about 3-5 microns.
[0028] This means that preservation and selection of the beneficial microbiota of the starting
species composition, in particular, of beneficial natural (wild) soil bacteria living
in natural humus soils, peatlands, sapropel deposits, etc., is impossible by using
this method, since the known technology provides "tough" and aggressive cavitation
effect on the processed medium, which changes substantially the starting species composition
of the natural soil microorganisms.
WO 2009/009805 A1 discloses a method of producing a suspension containing endomycorrhiza, water soluble
nitrogen and carbon.
[0029] US 2015/299055 A1 discloses a method of producing a fertilizer by sieving a finely crushed source material
to a 300 mesh (about 50 µm), inoculating the material with microoganisms, adding sources
of carbon and/or nitrogen and Hoagland solution, incubating the mixture at about 30°C
for 3-4 days until the target population of microorganisms is attained. The mixture
is then dried and the population is approximately 106 to 109 CFU/g of dried.
[0030] UA, 87342 C2 also discloses that "the contact of microorganisms with biohumus fine-dispersed inclusions
of biohumus occurs under the influence of airlift flows of air bubbles containing
oxygen".
[0031] But the cavitation effect on the gases dissolved in flowing liquid media of the solid
phase-liquid type under constant access of oxygen is chemically and biologically aggressive.
Because of its unpredictability and uncontrollability there are negative effects related
to the effective changes in natural microbiota of the species composition (for example,
towards aerobic bacteria) and excessive oxidation of natural soil beneficial components,
which causes as a result a significant distortion of the final product bacterial profile
if compared to the initial bacterial profile at the beginning of the treating process.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0032] The above mentioned problems lead to the need to create such a method of obtaining
a liquid organic fertilizer for soils and/or plants colonized by natural soil microorganisms
that could provide optimal conditions for reproducing and preserving substantially
the starting species composition of natural soil microorganisms in the final product
by using a special and unique technology of "soft" turbulent effect with no cavitation
effects. This final product should be in the form of a homogeneous fine dispersion
suspension with solids of 10-50 microns, which is bigger than the size of relatively
large microorganisms (5-10 microns), be suitable for packing and long-term storage
and contain carbon and nitrogen-containing substances in water-soluble forms and the
hardened natural soil microorganisms of the starting species composition in the state
of anabiosis and spore forms with the highest possible concentration. The optimal
methods of using this final product should provide the conditions of obtaining higher
crop yields, improved fertility of depleted soils and restored fertility of sandy
and sandy-loam soils.
[0033] The problems are solved by the proposed method of obtaining liquid organic biofertilizer
for soils and/or plants which is colonized by natural soil microorganisms and includes
the following operations:
- a) preparing, sorting and crushing a portion of a starting humus-containing soil or
soil mixture, in which at least one of soils in the mixture is a humus-containing,
the starting humus-containing soil having beneficial components which contain an organic
carbon in an amount greater than 10% and an organic nitrogen in an amount greater
than 1% and having colonies of natural soil microorganisms, their concentration in
the starting humus-containing soil or soil mixture being not less than 104 CFU/ml;
- b) mixing the crushed portion of the said soil or soil mixture with water to produce
a water suspension;
- c) creating a running flow of said water suspension within a closed circuit with oxygen-eliminating;
- d) cyclic processing of the running flow of the water suspension within the closed
circuit with oxygen-eliminating by using a turbulence effect so as to preclude cavitation
and due to turbulent friction and shearing force to provide for crushing solids in
a processed medium of the running flow of the said water suspension and uniform heating
of a whole volume of the processed medium with a temperature growth rate not exceeding
2 °C/min; said cyclic processing comprising at least two stages, a first stage and
a second stage.
[0034] The first stage provides an initial heating of the processed medium, extracting of
carbon- and nitrogen-containing substances from the processed medium , transiting
these substances into water-soluble forms with simultaneous crushing solids in the
processed medium and as a result obtaining a homogeneous processed medium with carbon-
and nitrogen-containing substances in water-soluble forms causing a growth of colonies
of natural soil microorganisms present in the homogeneous processed medium When reaching
a predetermined final temperature upon the initial heating, which depends on a species
composition of the natural soil microorganisms containing in the starting humus-containing
soil, it is achieved a growth of substantially all kind of colonies of the natural
soil microorganisms present in the starting humus-containing soil to concentrations
exceeding 10
8 CFU/ml and a uniform colonization of the homogeneous processed medium with carbon-
and nitrogen-containing substances in water-soluble forms by these microorganisms.
[0035] The second stage provides a further heating the homogeneous processed medium and
a further crushing solids in the homogeneous processed medium to result in hardening
substantially all kinds of the natural soil microorganisms present in the homogeneous
processed medium, transiting these microorganisms into an state of anabiosis and spore
forms and crushing solids in the homogeneous processed medium to the sizes in the
range of 10-50 microns.
[0036] The method according to the claimed invention comprises also the final step e) which
provides:
removing the homogenous processed medium from said closed circuit after finishing
the second stage followed by cooling said medium to result in obtaining a final product
in the form of a liquid organic biofertilizer for soils and/or plants. This final
product is suitable for packaging and long-term storage and contains carbon- and nitrogen
substances in water-soluble forms , solids with size of 10-50 microns and the hardened
natural soil microorganisms substantially of all kind present in the species composition
of the starting humus-containing soil that are in the state of anabiosis or spore
form and in the concentration exceeding 10
7 CFU/ml.
[0037] The method according to the invention completely eliminates the transition of the
processable suspension flow into the cavitation with characteristic cavities and pockets,
which prevents the destruction of a relatively large microorganisms such as
Rhizobium or nodule bacteria.
[0038] The lower limit of crushing (10 microns) should be greater than the maximum size
of the typical fertile soil bacteria, which prevents their destruction, while the
upper limit should be 50 microns to meet the requirements of modern sprayer filter
construction.
[0039] It is also necessary to emphasize that it is very important that the final product
is obtained in form of the homogenous fine-dispersion suspension because it is just
this form that causes the transition of the beneficial components of the starting
humus-containing soil into water-soluble form which is indispensable both for the
microflora active growth and for the macro and micro nutrition of germinating seeds
and growing plants when using this product as a fertilizer.
[0040] According to the next preferred embodiment of the claimed method the optimal heating
temperatures for cyclic processing at the first stage may be up to about 50°C, at
the second stage - within the range of 50° - 80°C, while the optimal cooling temperatures
may be from +40°C to -4°C, cooling to subzero temperatures ensuring additional hardening
of microorganisms.
[0041] It is advisable to use a starting soil selected from the group consisting of peat,
forest soil, sapropel, freshwater estuary and lake deposits, algae, biohumus, black
earth, grey earth and leonardite . If the starting humus-containing soil or soil mixture
has a lignin content amounting to more than 2% measured on a dry matter basis, the
final product will be obtained in a gel-like form which is very usable and if the
starting humus-containing soil or soil mixture has a humus content amounting to more
than 3% measured on a dry matter basis, the final product will contain more than 0.1%
humus water-soluble acids.
[0042] In the other preferred embodiment of the claimed method it is expedient to use microorganisms
chosen from the group consisting of nitrogen-fixing bacteria, or nitrifiers, such
as
Rhizobium, bacteria that assimilate organic nitrogen from soils such as
Azotobacter, phosphorous-mobilizing bacteria such as
Bacillus Subtilis, oligotrophic bacteria that grow well in the depleted soils and fungal microflora
including micromycetes. All these natural soil microorganisms upon hardening at the
step d) of the proposed method are transiting to an state of anabiosis or spore forms
and present in these state and forms in the final product.
[0043] In addition one more preferred embodiment of the claimed method includes a possibility
to carry out the cyclic processing in a closed circuit with oxygen elimination containing
a vertical cylindrical tank, an electric pump connected to the cylindrical tank lower
part and a turbulence device with a turbulence nozzle mounted after the pump and tangentially
connected to the cylindrical tank upper part According to this embodiment it is additionally
advisable that mode of turbulence effect on the medium processed in this closed circuit
may be provided so as to exclude cavitation and emergence of dead zones by keeping
the following three conditions:

where ΔP = (P
1 - P
2) - pressure difference before and after the turbulence nozzle (kPa, Bar),

- process specific energy consumption, kW/kg,
N - pump electric drive power, kW,
M - processed fluid medium weight, kg,
T1 = T2 ...... Tn - current heating temperature at measuring points distributed on an outer surface
of the cylindrical tank which serve to control the uniformity of heating the entire
volume of the medium processed in the closed circuit.
[0044] The proposed according to the invention cyclic processing of the water suspension
flow in the closed circuit without access to oxygen by turbulence effect in the mode
that excludes cavitation may be best realized, for example, using the devices developed
by Sergey Osypenko, the author of the present invention, and protected, in particular,
by patents
CA, 2511744 and
UA, 42365.
[0045] In such devices the closed circuit is created by joining a vertical cylindrical tank
to the pump through a sucker connected either to the tank lower part in its center
on the continuation of the symmetry axis - patent
CA, 2511744 (in this case the tank has a conical lower part connected to the tank cylindrical
surface or to the pump tangential to the tank lower part in the direction of fluid
rotation (patent
UA,42365) and tangential through a delivery nozzle to the tank upper part. The turbulence
device is fixed on the delivery pipe.
[0046] The author has found that the proposed soft turbulence effect on the processed medium
and slow heating, the rate not exceeding 2 °C /min, which excludes cavitations and
dead zones in the closed circuit, may be best implemented by using any one of the
above devices provided the above mentioned requirements 1),2) and 3) are fulfilled
during cyclic processing at stage d) according to the claimed method.
[0047] Exceeding pressure differential ΔP = (P
1 - P
2) over 20 kPa (0.2 Bar) testifies to cavitation start. In this case lower pressure
at the pump outlet P
1 which prevents cavitation can be ensured by the pump drive speed control.
[0048] ΔP value drop below 10 kPa (0.1 Bar) decreases the turbulizer effect on the medium
to be processed, which results in a substandard final product.
[0049] T
1, T
2 ..... T
nsensors serve to control dead zone appearance. The change in their readings by 2-3°C
testifies to the appearance of such a zone near the sensor with a lower temperature.
As the temperature grows the medium viscocity grows and the probability of such zones
increases.
[0050] Thus, the optimal process mode suggested by the claimed method provides controllability
and reliability of cyclic processing without cavitation effects and dead zones with
a limited heating rate which results in the improvement of the final product quality.
[0051] The biofertilizer obtained via the claimed process contains a water-soluble nitrogen
and a water-soluble carbon, solids with size in the range of 10-50 microns and a hardened
natural soil microorganisms substantially of all kind present in the species composition
of the starting humus-containing soil which are in the state of anabiosis of or in
spore forms and are uniformly populated in this biofertilizer in the concentrations
exceeding 10
7 CFU/ml.
[0052] Preferably a content of the water-soluble nitrogen is at least 40 mg and a content
of the water-soluble carbon is not less than 470 mg per 100 g biological fertilizer
on basis of a dry weight.
[0053] According to another aspect of the present invention it is claimed a method of treating
soil, seeds or plants with using the liquid organic biofertilizer obtained by the
claimed method of claims 1-8. This method comprises the following steps: adding a
liquid or a crushed dry natural soil to the obtained biofetilizer to reduce the concentration
of hardened natural soil microorganisms present in it in the state of anabiosis and
spore forms to the concentration exceeding 10
4 CFU/ml, and applying such biofetilizer of reduced concentration to a soil before
sowing or during the sowing period or treating seeds or plants with such biofertilizer
during the vegetation period before harvesting. According to the different preferred
embodiments of the proposed treating it is now possible to improve a yield of a specific
crop, to increase the fertility of the depleted or to restore sandy and sandy-loam
soils.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
[0054] The claimed invention is further described in more detail with reference to the accompanied
Examples which disclose the different preferred embodiments in various aspects of
the claimed invention.
[0055] In present application the term "natural soil microorganisms" means substantially
all native soil microbiota divided into four types: bacteria and fungi as the basis
of any soil as well as actinomycetes and yeast as intermediate forms between bacteria
and fungi which are specific for each particular type of soil, highly variable depending
on changes in external conditions.
[0056] Without exaggeration it should be point out the dominant role of the bacteria in
soil fertility and plant productivity. Thus, if fungi have greater effect on plants,
the bacteria - both on plants and soils, that is, they are directly involved in transformation
and circulation of organic matter in the soil - plant - atmosphere - soil chain. Bacteria
are more susceptible to chemicals in soil. Fungi populations are less susceptible
to anthropogenic impact.
[0057] It is for this reason the bacteria have been chosen as the main representatives of
fertile soil microorganisms and their main species have been studied. The control
over fungal microflora has been carried out only as to its total number, without dividing
it into classes and species.
[0058] According to the modern concept, the number of major bacteria types has long exceeded
a thousand and their classification is very difficult and is the subject of scientific
debate and controversy. Therefore, having no opportunity to produce a purely scientific
proof of preserving the whole bacterial profile of natural soils, the Examples below
will demonstrate data confirming the preservation in the final product obtained by
the claimed method substantially the same fertile soil microorganisms present in the
species composition of the starting humus-containing soil (the same "microbiotic portrait")
(Example 1), and preservation of certain significant bacteria types, which confirms
the achievement of unobvious technical results of the claimed method of obtaining
the final product in the form of a biofertilizer which provides the minimal disturbing
natural balance of the soil microorganisms (Examples 2 - 11).
[0059] Example 12 is presented for comparing the result of the peat suspension processing,
the suspension humidity being 80%, the analyses were made before and after the processing.
Example 13 is presented in order to demonstrate an increase in fertility and yields
when cultivating the
Aratta soybean variety under irrigation. In all cases nitrogen-fixating bacteria of the
Rhizobium and
Bradirhizobium type have been selected as bacteria of "large" size (up to 5 microns and above).
Even larger sizes have been registered with oligotrophic bacteria which are widespread
in depleted soils, peat, sandy-loam soil, etc. In order to adapt to harsh living conditions
with a poor nutrition these bacteria have a large contact surface, that is, large
size (up to 10 microns) due to the formation of special overgrowths, flagella, etc.
[0060] As an example of relatively small bacteria (1-2 microns or lower) numerous species
of phosphorous-mobilizing bacteria of the
Bacillus Subtilis type have been selected. These bacteria are very important in transforming an organic
phosphorous which is contained in plant in soil into the mineral form available for
growing plants.
[0061] Numerous bacteria of the
Azotobacter type are mainly related to microorganisms that grow well in the presence of oxygen,
that is, to aerobic bacteria. At the same time some of them are relative aerobes,
while others are anaerobes, for example,
Clostridium Azotobacter.
[0062] It should be noted that due to the presence of a large number of relative aerobes
and anaerobes in soil, the artificial aeration of nutritious substrates as well as
suspensions from biohumus, vermicompost, etc used in well-known technologies results
in a substantial distortion of the natural soil bacterial profile towards the aerobic
bacteria.
[0063] To obtain a microbiological "portrait" before and after applying the method according
to the invention, the following typical microorganisms conventionally tested on appropriate
nutrient media have been used:
- 1. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria or nitrate-fixers, including Rhisobium,are tested on Ashby nutritional medium;
- 2. Bacteria capable of assimilating soil organic nitrogen forms of the Azotobacter type are tested on the SAA (starch - ammonia agar) medium;
- 3. Oligotrophic bacteria which develop well on depleted soils are tested on SA (starvation
agar) medium;
- 4. Phosphorous-mobilizing bacteria of the Bacillus Subtilis type are tested on Gause's medium;
- 5. Fungi microflora including Trichoderma and micromycetes are tested on Czapek's medium;
- 6. The total amount of microorganisms is tested on Zvyagintsev's medium.
EXAMPLE 1
[0064] Research has been carried out using an organic valley peat diluted with water, the
ratio being 1:1.25, as starting humus-containing soil. The resulting suspension was
obtained according to the claimed method.
[0065] During obtaining the medium was studied by microbiological and plant pathological
methods. In compliance with the conventional estimation of the soil composition the
qualitative and quantitative microbiota composition was tested in the following titres:
fungi and micromycetes - 1:10
-3, bacteria - 1:10
-4.
[0066] The results obtained are given in tables 1 - 4.
Table 1. Fungi microbiota and micromycetes of liquid soil samples under study (1:10
-3titre, wort agar)
 |
Temperature t° (degrees) |
Average colonies number |
Notes |
|
Feedstock before processing, 20°C |
2.1 · 103 |
4 Aspegillus colonies, 50 mm d |
1 |
30°C |
4 · 103 |
|
- « - |
2 |
40°C |
7.5 · 103 |
More Penicillium |
3 |
50°C |
4 · 104 |
|
- « - |
4 |
60°C |
3.1 · 106 |
sharp increase in fungi and micromycetes number |
5 |
70°C |
2 · 103 |
|
|
6 |
80°C |
1.2 · 102 |
spore and inactive forms |
|
7 |
90°C |
traces |
practically no |
|
Table 2. Nitrogen-fixing mictobiota (
Rhizobium, Bradirhizobium, etc) of liquid soil samples (1:10
-4titre, Ashby medium)
 |
Temperature t° (degrees) |
Average colonies number (Azotobacter) |
Notes |
 |
Feedstock before processing, 20°C |
3.2 · 105 |
mainly Rhizobium |
1 |
30°C |
2 · 108 |
|
-« - |
2 |
40°C |
3.5 · 107 |
|
- « - |
3 |
50°C |
2.2 · 108 |
mainly Rhizobium and Bradirhizobium |
4 |
60°C |
1.7 . 107 |
|
- « - |
5 |
70°C |
2.3 . 107 |
mainly spore forms |
6 |
80°C |
1.3 · 107 |
|
- « - |
Table 3. Total amount of bacterial microbiota of liquid soil samples containing mainly
organic nitrogen compounds (1:10
-4titre, beef-extract agar)
 |
Temperature t° (degrees) |
Average colonies number |
Notes |
|
Feedstock before processing, 20°C |
1.4 · 104 |
7 main morphological types, standard forms |
1 |
30°C |
2.5 · 104 |
|
- « - |
2 |
40°C |
7.4 · 107 |
|
- « - |
3 |
50°C |
8.2 · 108 |
|
- « - |
4 |
60°C |
3 · 108 |
|
- « - |
5 |
70°C |
4.1 · 108 |
2 bacillary morphological types (10-15 mm d) |
6 |
80°C |
5.6 · 107 |
bright yellow ones of the Sarcina type, 3 other saprophyte types, white color |
7 |
90°C |
3.5 · 105 |
one viable bacterium |
Table 4. Total amount of microbiota of liquid soil samples (1:10
-4titre, Zvyagintsev's medium)
 |
Temperature t° (degrees) |
Average colonies number |
Notes |
 |
Feedstock before processing, 20°C |
1.8 · 105 |
practically all morphological types |
1 |
30°C |
2.3 · 105 |
|
- « - |
2 |
40°C |
7.1 · 107 |
- « - |
3 |
50°C |
3.4 · 108 |
- « - |
4 |
60°C |
up to 3 · 1010 |
widest quality range of all morphological types |
5 |
70°C |
7 · 109 |
spore formation |
6 |
80°C |
up to 6.7 · 107 |
spore and atypical forms |
7 |
90°C |
2.1 · 107 |
bacillary + spore forms |
[0067] Table 1 shows sharp increase in fungi and micromycetes amounts in the temperature
range of 50° - 60°C up to 3.1 · 10
8 compared to the control (2.1 · 10
3), that is, more than a thousand times.
[0068] Tables 2-4 show the increase in
Azotobacter and
Rhizobium bacteria amounts (wort agar medium) as well as in total microbiota (solid Zvyagintsev's
medium).
[0069] The data in tables 1-4 testify to the sharp increase in microorganisms amounts within
50° - 60°C temperature range, while temperature increase over 60°C causes bacteria
inhibition, their transition to suspended animation state and spore formation followed
by their regeneration under favorable conditions.
[0070] At the same time the concentration of viable bacteria decreases by one or two digits
on average but less than 10
7 CFU.
[0071] Temperatures higher than 80°C bring about the destruction of most microbiota and
its amount reduction.
EXAMPLE 2
[0072] To increase the fertility of sandy loamy soils and their water-retaining properties,
use is made of the following mixture: 200 kg of valley peat and 40 kg of the Californian
worm biohumus. Peat humidity is 60%, it contains 20% ash, 80% organic matter, carbon
content mainly in the form of humic substances being about 30% relative to the dry
organic matter amount. The total nitrogen amount in the peat is about 2.8%. The total
microorganism content of the mixture is 2.2 • 10
4CFU / ml, organic carbon - 25.6%, nitrogen - 1.6% per 100 g dry mixture. Raw materials
are carefully sifted to remove mechanical impurities in the form of pebbles and wood
residues, loaded into a separate tank filled previously with 400 1 water and mixed
thoroughly by circulating them with a pump. As a result, a "coarse" aqueous suspension
fertile soil-water is obtained. The suspension is pumped to the device in the form
of a closed circuit consisting of a 670 liter vertical tank with a piping system connected
to an electric pump with a capacity of 90 m
3 / h and an outlet pressure of 400 kPa (4 bar) and a 90 kW electric drive. Between
the pump and the tank a turbulator is installed in the form of a hydrodynamic nozzle
with a relative contraction close to two and a smoothly streamlined obstacle in the
form of a ball with a flow blocking factor close to 65%.The spherical form of obstacles
is traditionally used to create developed turbulent currents reaching the critical
Reynolds numbers which characterize turbulence degree.
[0073] To control the nozzle operation in the turbulent mode with no cavitation ruptures,
manometers P
1 and P
2 are installed to measure pressure before and after the nozzle correspondingly. In
the case of cavitation ruptures, the difference in the manometer readings changes
discontinuously towards the reading increase.
[0074] After loading a portion of suspension to be processed, a pump is switched on and
the liquid medium circulates through a closed circuit: tank - pump - turbulent nozzle
- tank. As a result of particles turbulent friction in the nozzle, on the tank and
pipeline walls as well as shear stresses in the liquid, the suspension is heated.
The manometer readings are P
1≈743 kPa (7.43 bar), P2≈733 kPa (7.33 bar), the difference being ΔP=10 kPa (0.1 bar),
which meets the condition 10 kPa (0.1 bar) ≤ ΔP ≤ 20 kPa (0.2 bar) controlling the
absence of cavitation currents.
[0075] Due to the fact that the specific energy intensity of the process is close toW= 0.134
kW / kg, which corresponds to the condition (2) specified in claim 8, the heating
rate of the processed suspension is 1.8 deg / min, which does not exceed the value
of 2 deg / min.
[0076] In the process of cyclic processing, the suspension to be processed is sufficiently
slowly heated, which facilitates the transition of the raw material useful components
into a water-soluble form. The use of these useful components which have passed into
an accessible form by bacteria leads to their intensive growth.

[0077] Table 5 shows the increase in the water-soluble fraction of carbohydrates and nitrogen
as the processing temperature increases.
[0078] Water-soluble nitrogen was measured in 3 forms: nitrate NO
2, nitrite NO
3 and ammonium NH
4.It can be seen from Table 5 that within a short time when the temperature reaches
about 46° C from the initial 20° C, the total amount of water-soluble nitrogen 173m
g/kg has grown by approximately 35% relative to the water-soluble nitrogen of the
raw material 130.3 mg/kg taken at 20 °C. All analyzes hereafter (unless otherwise
specified) are given relative to dry matter.
[0079] Particularly noteworthy is the active growth of ammonium nitrogen, the main construction
material for bacterial membranes. The amount of NH
4 nitrogen increases by more than 50% when the temperature reaches about 46 °C.As a
result, in the temperature range from 40 °C to 50 °C bacteria begin to proliferate
actively, hundreds of times faster than under natural conditions. Thus, at the temperature
of about 52°C the amount of ammonium nitrogen drops significantly, lower than its
amount in the feedstock because nitrogen is not used for forming bacterial membranes.
Consequently the construction material of deformed membranes becomes available for
determining chemically the water-soluble nitrogen amount, which explains its rise
from the value of 25.3 mg at 52 ° C to 52.0 mg at 70 ° C. Such behavior of ammonium
nitrogen is typical of the method described.
[0080] Insoluble carbon humic compounds in the feedstock (starting humus-containing soil)
turn into soluble ones, mainly humic and fulvic acids. That is why the organic fertilizer
obtained after water dilution has an opaque dark color.
[0081] Active mixing, slowly growing comfortable temperature of the nutrient medium, easily
digested food with available forms of complex sugars in the form of water-soluble
carbohydrates and minerals intensify the process to the maximum possible values. A
"soft" turbulent effect on the processed medium prevents the selective growth of small
and death of relatively large bacteria forms which is characteristic of the well-known
methods that use the hard mechanic effect, for example, cavitation, for the purpose.
The above features that characterize the invention allow maximum maintenance of the
bacterial profile or "portrait" of the feedstock aboriginal microorganisms.
[0082] The results of bacterial concentration growth are shown in Table 6 which shows that,
as the temperature reaches 60 ° C, the intensive growth of microflora ceases, limited
to a value of 3.0 × 10
8, which can be considered the end of the first stage of processing.
Table 6
Total bacterial microbiota amount in the studied liquid soil samples (1: 10-4 titer, Zvyagintsev medium) |
 |
Temperature |
Average number of colonies |
Notes |
1. |
20 °C (feedstock) |
2.2· 104 |
up to 7 colonial morphotypes |
2. |
30 °C |
3.5 · 106 |
up to 7 colonial morphotypes |
3. |
50 °C |
2.5 · 108 |
up to 7 colonial morphotypes |
4. |
60 °C |
up to 3.0 · 108 |
The widest quality spectrum of morphotypes |
5. |
70 °C |
6.0 · 107 |
colonial types of Pseudomonasand others in suspended animation state |
6. |
80 °C |
up to 4.0 · 106 |
bacillary forms in spore forms and suspended animation |
[0083] After the temperature of 60 ° C, the second stage of the bacteria hardening begins
accompanied by their simultaneous transfer to spore forms and / or the state of anabiosis.
At the same time microorganisms concentration decreases vastly (from 3 · 10
8 at 60°C to 4 · 10
7 at 80°C) because of some bacteria destruction and some bacteria transition to the
state of anabiosis and spore forms.
[0084] At this stage it is especially important to avoid dead zones inside the tank, that
is, zones with insufficiently crushed solid soil particles and lower temperatures
insufficient for the transition of microorganisms into spore forms and the state of
anabiosis . Accordingly, this can lead to a drastic reduction in the fertilizer shelf
life, pack swell, bloat and the like.
[0085] Therefore, the equality of temperatures T
1 = T
2 .....T
non the tank outer surface ensures the control of the uniform heating of the entire
suspension volume processed in the tank. The equality of temperatures on the surface
and inside the entire volume is due to the high degree of heat and mass transfer coefficient
as a result of active pumping and turbulent mixing of the entire processed liquid.
[0086] It is especially important to note the equality of the temperature values top-down,
in particular, in the upper and lower parts of the tank where the probability of dead
zones occurrence is the highest. This is due to the fact that the viscosity of the
processed suspension increases as the temperature rises and after reaching the temperature
of 50 ° C it can increase tenfold. This is due to carbon transfer into a form that
is accessible to bacteria, i.e. water-soluble form, and primarily into lignin and
humic compounds, as well as cellulose transition into dextrins, protopectin - into
pectin and so on, which leads to a significant increase in the liquid medium rheological
properties.
[0087] The temperature increase in the second stage is targeted to 80 ° C. Its further increase,
as experiments have shown, leads to irreversible processes of some microorganism spore
forms death and to "welding" high-molecular polysaccharides of lignin type. In this
case the final product becomes poorly soluble and substandard because of the bacterial
content which is below 10
7CFU/ml. Naturally the bacterial profile of such a fertilizer differs significantly
from the initial profile of natural raw materials, shifting towards thermophilic bacteria.
[0088] Note that usually the transition of bacteria into spore forms begins at temperatures
around 60 ° C, at a temperature above 70 ° C it becomes active and at 75° - 80 ° C
its activity practically ends.
[0089] To increase the number of microorganisms at the end of the first stage, it is advisable
in certain cases to make a temporary pause as one else processing stage, thereby fixing
the optimal temperature of bacteria proliferation. To do this, it is enough to switch
off the pump for a while.
[0090] In any case, the expedience of a pause is determined in each case experimentally,
on the basis of microbiological tests analysis.
EXAMPLE 3
[0091] The same as in example 2. The power of the pump drive is increased to 150 kW. Power
dimensional factor
N= 0.22 kW / kg exceeds the upper permissible limit equaling 0.2 kW / kg of the inequality
(2),p. 8.
[0092] Substandard final product is obtained because of high heating rate (more than 2 deg/min).
The total amount of bacteria does not exceed 10
5 CFU/ml, which testifies to microorganisms inability to adapt to too fast medium heating.
EXAMPLE 4
[0093] The same as in example 2. The power of the pump drive is decreased to 30 kW. Substandard
final product is obtained because of dispersion particles heterogeneity. Dimensional
factor
N= 0.045 exceeds the lower permissible power limit
N= 0.1 kW. Some suspension particles are more than 50 micron size which can cause a
sprayer filter or a drip hose injector clogging. The flow energy is not enough for
crushing effectively the medium under processing. In this example, in the process
of heating the temperature at different points of the tank surface was different.
Therefore, when the temperature reaches 80 ° C in the upper part of the tank, in its
lower part the temperature reaches only68 ° C, which testifies to the presence of
dead zones due to the insufficient provision of power.
EXAMPLE 5
[0094] The same as in example 2. Pressure at the pump outlet is increased to P
1 = 1200 kPa (12 bar).
[0095] As a result, the pressure difference on the turbulent nozzle increases to ΔP = P
1-P
2 = 27 kPa (0.27 bar). The device switches to cavitation mode because of the violation
of the condition (1) specified in p. 8 of the claims according to which the maximum
pressure difference on the nozzle should not exceed ΔP = 20 kPa (0.2 bar). High-frequency
noise appears at frequencies close to (17.5 • 10
3 Hz), which accompanies the destruction of cavitation bubbles. In the product obtained
the percentage of relatively "large" nitrogen-fixing bacteria of the
Rhizobium type (tubercular bacteria) has been reduced three times compared to the natural profile
(see Table 6). This testifies to the fact that the microorganisms that are important
for plants and soils and that accumulate nitrogen from the atmosphere in tubercles
have been destructed. The final product is substandard as the bacterial profile has
higher content of small bacteria (1-2 micron size or even smaller), thus it fails
to provide plants with necessary nutrients.
EXAMPLE 6
[0096] The same as in example 2. Pressure P
1 at the pump outlet is decreased to 500 kPa (5 bar).
[0097] As a result the pressure difference at the nozzle ΔP decreases to 8 kPa (0.08 bar)
which violates the condition (1) specified in p. 8 of the claims going beyond the
lower limit ΔP = 10 kPa (0.1 bar).
[0098] Substandard product is obtained as the fertilizer particle size exceeds 50 micron
which causes sprayer filter clogging.
[0099] Hydrodynamic effect on the processed medium is insufficient. The resulting product
has a liquid consistency which is explained by the fact that lignin contained in peat
has not been converted to water-soluble form. Accordingly, natural humic compounds
remain unavailable to soil microorganisms. The ultimate concentration of microorganisms
is low(10
5 -10
6 CFU / ml),which is not enough for effective pre-sowing seeds treatment (inoculations).
EXAMPLE 7
[0100] Fertilizer is supposed to be used for growing soybeans on light grey desert soils
containing not more than 1.5% humus. Use has been made of the same device as in example
2. 200 kg of light grey desert soil with the initial natural microflora content of
2.7 · 10
4 CFU/ml and 0.52% nitrogen and 8% carbon content (on the dry matter basis) has been
used.
[0101] At the end of the first stage of the cyclic processing the content of water-soluble
carbon increases to 370 mg and water-soluble nitrogen - to 25 mg/100 g product. It
is below the lower limit (40 mg) for the standard product in compliance with the preferred
embodiment as claimed in claim 10. Accordingly, because of the nutrients low concentration
in grey desert soil, the soil microorganism concentration increases only to 1.2 ·
10
6, thus using the proposed technology is inexpedient because the final microorganism
concentration in the final product according to the invention should be at least 10
7 CFU/ml.
[0102] At the same time increasing the amount of grey desert soil in the loaded portion
to 240 kg with the aim of ensuring more beneficial properties of the final product
leads to higher viscosity of the suspension which makes impossible an active circulation
because of dead zones emergence.
[0103] This leads to the conclusion that just grey desert soil cannot be a proper feedstock
for a quality biofertilizer, it requires additions of biohumus, sapropel, manure,
etc which contain more microorganisms and organic substances.
EXAMPLE 8
[0104] The same as in example 7. 200 kg grey desert soil are supplied with 20 kg biohumus
on the basis of cow manure, 32% moisture with an initial carbon content of 25.3% and
total nitrogen of 2.63% based on dry matter. The initial concentration of biohumus
bacteria is 3.2 · 10
8 CFU/ml.
[0105] On processing the final quality product demonstrates fungicide properties because
natural bacteria have been substituted for pathogenic fungi.
[0106] High nutritional properties of the product obtained as an organic fertilizer are
due to a significant amount of soluble carbon (980 mg) and soluble nitrogen (65 mg)
per 100 g of product, as well as to high content of trace elements.
[0107] As a result of applying the obtained product to clay soils of southern Ukraine, the
yield of soybeans under irrigation increases by 12% on using 1l fertilizer per 1000
kg seeds (inoculation) and by 18.2% on a single spraying, the dose being 2 l/ha per
200 1 water at the stage of 4-6 true leaves.
[0108] Soya plants remain practically sound. The activity of the soil microflora which is
determined by carbon dioxide release from soil has increased almost 2.5 times. It
is important to note that in July the soil temperature rises to 60°C, however, the
natural bacteria hardened at the second processing stage have survived and actively
reproduced at extreme temperatures of southern Ukraine.
[0109] As numerous experiments have shown, traditional biological products based on nitrogen-fixing
bacteria (so-called "inoculants") grown on artificial media practically lose their
effectiveness in such extreme conditions.
EXAMPLE 9
[0110] When cultivating melons on poor sandy soils it is advisable to use mixtures poor
in organic matter, colonized by oligotrophic bacteria characteristic of sandy soils.
To produce fertilizers the following mixture of soils is used: 40% sandy soils, 30%
peat, 20% sapropel, 10% biohumus. The mixture contains about 19.7% of total carbon
and 2.3% of nitrogen based on dry matter.
[0111] Microorganism concentration in this soil mixture is 1.2 · 10
5 CFU/ml. The feedstock contains relatively great amount of oligotrophic bacteria typical
of sandy soil and valley peat. These bacteria can develop at low nitrogen concentration
in well-aerated sandy soil.
[0112] On using the described technology and the processing mode described in Example 2,
a quality product is produced, its bacteria content being 1.7 · 10
9, water-soluble carbon making 690 mg and nitrogen making 78 mg per 100 g of dry matter
with highly homogenous structure. The sand particles are filtered before packing.
The product contains a large number of biologically active substances inherent in
sapropel and organic biohumus.
[0113] The final product has been used on sandy testing grounds for cultivating organic
melons and watermelons. The results of cultivating organic non-irrigated watermelons
are given in table 7. The fertilizer made according to the invention is called "Product".
Table 7.
Cultivation of organic watermelons |
 |
Experiment variant |
Yield, t/ha |
± to control 1 |
± to control 2 |
t/ha |
% |
t/ha |
% |
1 |
Control 1 |
17.2 |
- |
- |
-0.6 |
-3.5 |
2 |
Control 2 (treating seeds with water) |
17.8 |
+0.6 |
+3.5 |
- |
- |
3 |
Treating seeds with "Product" (1 l/t) |
18.9 |
+1.7 |
+9.9 |
+1.1 |
+6.2 |
4 |
Treating seeds with "Product" (2 l/t) |
19.4 |
+2.2 |
+12.8 |
+1.6 |
+9 |
5 |
Spraying plants with "Product" (2 l/ha) |
20.2 |
+3 |
+17.4 |
+2.4 |
+ 13.5 |
6 |
Spraying plants with "Product" (4 l/ha) |
20.6 |
+3.4 |
+19.8 |
+2.8 |
+15.7 |
7 |
Treating seeds with "Product" (1 l/t) + spraying plants with "Product" (2 l/ha) |
21.2 |
+4 |
+23.2 |
+3.4 |
+19.1 |
8 |
Treating seeds with "Product" (1 l/t) + spraying plants with "Product" (4 l/ha) |
22.1 |
+4.9 |
+28.5 |
+4.3 |
+24.1 |
9 |
Treating seeds with "Product" (2 l/t) + spraying plants with "Product" (2 l/ha) |
22.6 |
+5.4 |
+31.4 |
+4.8 |
+27 |
10 |
Treating seeds with "Product" (2 l/t) + spraying plants with "Product" (4 l/ha) |
22.8 |
+5.6 |
+32.5 |
+5 |
+28.1 |
HIP 05 t = 0.51 |
[0114] The main concise conclusions of using the product are presented below:
- seedling emergence 2 days and fruits ripening 8 days earlier than in control;
- 2 - 2.5 times increase in soil organisms biological activity which testifies to the
increased activity of soil processes and nutrition improvement;
- 20 - 22% reduction of water consumption coefficient, i.e. the amount of groundwater
needed to form 1000 kg fruit;
- 9.9% increase in yield with pre-sowing seed treatment and 32.5% increase with the
product combined application.
EXAMPLE 10
[0115] Biofertilizer is used for growing apple-trees on clay soil. Valley peat with Ph =
6.8 acidity is applied. Initial microorganism concentration in the feedstockis 1.5
• 10
4 CFU/ml. The amount of lignin in peat is 3.6% based on dry matter.
[0116] As a result of the proposed method use and the final heating up to 80°C at the second
stage, a homogenous gel-like product has been obtained. The ultimate total concentration
of microorganisms that have entered the state of suspended animation and spore forms,
is about 2.2 × 10
8 CFU / ml. After packaging, the product is cooled to --2° C. This is done for the
purpose of hardening microorganisms.
[0117] Apart from organic fertilizer properties, the product has the properties of a natural
adaptogen which is capable to restore plants promptly after chemical treatment, adverse
weather conditions including crops freezing during winter. First of all it is due
to the carbon conversion into water-soluble forms as humic acids. As the study has
shown, the content of water-soluble humates (see Table 5) increases tenfold reaching
0.1-1% of the fertilizer dry weight. The product triple application by spraying, the
dose being 6 l/ha, made it possible to restore the apple orchard productivity after
late frosts in 2017.
[0118] The fertilizer gel-like form reduces fertilizer consumption by 30-40% due to its
better adhesion to leaf surface.
EXAMPLE 11
[0119] The same as in example 9. The production process is restricted to the first stage
and stopped at 55°C medium temperature which is immediately followed by packing. Live
bacteria concentration is higher than 10
11. The bacteria have not entered the state of suspended animation or spore forms, thus
the product is substandard. Active reproduction of soil microflora caused packages
bloating and depressurizing, thus making the biofertilizer transportation impossible.
EXAMPLE 12
[0120] In order to compare the final products made by using cavitation and turbulence phenomena,
the same sequence of operations and the device described in example 2 are used, the
mixture content being the same as well. The turbulent nozzle of this example is replaced
with a direct-flow cavitational mixer with a cavitator in the form of a truncated
cone that clogs the flow by 85% with regard to the area of the nozzle minimum cross-section.
[0121] The pressure at the P
1 pump outlet has been increased to 1120 kPa (11.2 bar). Thus the pressure difference
ΔP at the nozzle increased to 35 kPa (0.35 bar) which indicates that the nozzle has
changed over to the cavitation flow mode. The emergence of cavitation is accompanied
by specific cavitation noise. All other parameters of the process are identical. To
get the bacterial profile before and after applying the invention the following microorganisms
tested on the conventional nutrient medium have been used:
- 1. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria which include Rhizobium, Ashby nutrient medium;
- 2. Bacteria capable of absorbing organic forms of nitrogen in soil, SAA (starch-ammonia
agar) nutrient medium;
- 3. Oligotrophic bacteria which grow well on depleted soils, SA (starvation agar) nutrient
medium;
- 4. Phosphorous-mobilizing bacteria of the Bacillus subtilis type Gause's nutrient medium;
- 5. Fungi microflora including micromycetes, Czapek's nutrient medium;
- 6. The total amount of microorganisms, Zvyagintsev's nutrient medium.
[0122] Table 8 shows comparative round results of the bacteria concentrations in the feedstock
diluted with water and mixed to a suspension of 80% humidity before and after processing
by means of cavitation and turbulence phenomena.
Table 8
 |
Medium |
Initial suspension peat-water |
r1 (%) |
A Turbulence (CRU/ml) |
r2 (%) |
B Cavitation (CFU/ml) |
r3 (%) |
1 |
Ashby |
3.0 · 105 |
10 |
1.1 108 |
12 |
0.2 · 107 |
3 |
2 |
SAA |
6.1 105 |
20 |
2.2 · 108 |
24 |
0.9 · 107 |
12 |
3 |
SA |
7.6 · 105 |
25 |
1.8 · 108 |
21 |
1.2 107 |
17 |
4 |
Gause's |
1.1 ·106 |
35 |
2.8 · 108 |
32 |
4.1 · 107 |
56 |
5 |
Czapek's |
3.2 · 104 |
1.0 |
6.9 · 106 |
0.8 |
1.5 · 106 |
2.1 |
6 |
Zvyagintsev's |
3.1 · 106 |
100 |
8.7 · 108 |
100 |
7.3 · 107 |
100 |
[0123] The values of r
1, r
2, r
3 (%) show the percentage of bacterial components in the total amount of microorganisms
bred in Zvyagintsev's medium and taken for 100% (table 8).
[0124] After processing by turbulence (A) and cavitation (B) this amount changes but under
turbulence the amount of relatively "large" bacteria bred on Ashby medium (nitrogen-fixing)
- 12% and on SA medium (oligotrophic) - 21% remains practically the same compared
to their amount in the initial suspension (10% and 25%, respectively). But under cavitation
the share of these bacteria drops sharply to 3% and 17%, respectively.
[0125] At the same time the share of relatively "small" phosphorous-mobilizing bacteria
(Gause's medium) practically does not change (35% in the initial soil suspension and
32% after turbulence process). It should be noted that after cavitation it increases
sharply by more than 1.6 times and reaches 56%.
[0126] But the percentage of fungi in micromycetes practically does not change from 1% in
the initial feedstock up to 0.8% under the influence of turbulence and changes greatly
influenced by cavitation, doubling to 2.1% of the total microbiota amount.
[0127] This testifies to the fact that the proposed method of "gentle" soil suspension processing
by turbulence preserves the natural profile ("portrait") of fertile soils while "hard"
processing by cavitation deforms it considerably destroying relatively large bacteria
(3-10 microns) and cultivating small ones (1-2 microns).
[0128] The emergence of cavitation is accompanied by a typical cavitational noise, the other
process parameters being the same.
[0129] At the same time the patented method using the "soft" processing mode based on turbulence
increases the availability of fertile soil beneficial components by increasing the
efficiency of the final product use also as a mineral organic biological fertilizer.
[0130] Various aspects of the invention to be patented are most effective for the restoration
of soil fertility depleted by fertilizers and pesticides overuse, under flooding,
etc.
EXAMPLE 13
[0131] In order to increase yields and restore soil fertility the biological fertilizer
according to the invention has been used in growing the
Aratta soybean variety under irrigation.
[0132] Microbiota in the soil for the crop is almost absent and amounts to 10
2 - 10
3 CFU/ml. The humus amount in the soil is not higher than 1.2%, which is not enough
for soybean cultivation.
[0133] To increase soybean productivity, fertile organic soil of the black earth profile
has been used after growing on it the same soybean variety in the previous year.
[0134] The amount of nitrogen-fixing
Rhizobium bacteria in the soil is 8 · 10
7. The total microbiota amount is not less than 10
8 - 10
9, that of carbon - 12%, nitrogen - more than 2.5% on a dry matter basis. Thus the
potential fertility of the soil is very high.
[0135] On processing according to the proposed technology, a quality product has been obtained,
nitrogen-fixing bacteria prevailing in its profile (2 · 10
8), water-soluble nitrogen and carbon making 120 mg and 570 mg, respectively, on a
dry matter basis.
[0136] The results of studying the obtained biological fertilizer are given in table 9.
Table 9. Indicators of nitrogen-fixing capacity and the
Aratta soybean variety productivity
 |
Variants |
Tubercle weight per plant, g |
Tubercle weight per ha, kg |
Yield, center/ha |
Increase, % |
1 |
Treatment with water (control) |
0.10 |
66.0 |
18.1 |
0 |
2 |
Seed treatment with Product (1 l/t) |
0.26 |
171.6 |
19.8 |
9.4 |
3 |
Spraying 1% Product solution on vegetating plants (2 real leaves) |
0.45 |
317.0 |
20.5 |
13.3 |
4 |
Seed treatment with Product (1 l/t) + spraying 1% Product solution on vegetating plants
(2 real leaves) |
0.65 |
432.0 |
20.7 |
14.4 |
[0137] Consequently, the studies conducted have found out that the application of the proposed
biological fertilizer affects significantly the productivity, the formation of tubers
and their weight.
[0138] Thus, seed treatment with Product (1 lit) + spraying 1% Product solution on vegetating
plants (2 real leaves) cause tubers weight increase to 0.55 g per plant compared to
the control, while the total tubers weight increased by 366.0 kg/ha.
[0139] The yield increase varies from 9.4% to 14.4%, which in terms of economic indicators
gives an estimated 10-15 UAH additional income per each UAH invested in organic fertilizers.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
[0140] The studies conducted have shown that based on the state of soil, plant species and
variety, cultivation technology, etc the proposed invention makes it possible to select
the feedstock component composition by optimizing its application method to ensure
a commercially significant industrial application. The proposed technology is particularly
relevant in present day conditions when soils are depleted by irrational crop rotation,
chemical pollution, natural disasters such as droughts and late frosts, global warming
on the planet.
[0141] The naturalness and organicity of the proposed technical decisions on obtaining liquid
organic biological fertilizer and its subsequent application is that by transferring
a small amount of fertile soil from one place to another it is possible to restore
fertility and increase yields on large areas in a short period of time at a minimal
labor and material cost.
[0142] It is also important to note that the application of the biological fertilizer of
a certain microbiotic portrait produced according to the invention also leads to the
reduction in herbicide and fungicide use up to 30% of the recommended doses.
1. A method of obtaining a liquid organic biofertilizer for soils and/or plants that
is colonized by natural soil microorganisms comprising the following steps:
a) preparing, sorting and crushing a portion of a starting humus-containing soil or
soil mixture, in which at least one of soils in the mixture is a humus- containing,
the starting humus-containing soil having beneficial components which contain an organic
carbon in an amount greater than 10% and an organic nitrogen in an amount greater
than 1% and having colonies of natural soil microorganisms, their concentration in
the starting humus-containing soil or soil mixture being not less than 104 CFU/ml; and
b) mixing the crushed portion of the said soil or soil mixture with water to produce
a water suspension;
characterized by the following steps:
c) creating a running flow of said water suspension within a closed circuit with oxygen-eliminating;
d) cyclic processing of the running flow of the water suspension within the closed
circuit with oxygen-eliminating by using a turbulence effect so as to preclude cavitation
and due to turbulent friction and shearing force to provide crushing solids in a processed
medium of the running flow of the said water suspension and uniform heating of a whole
volume of the processed medium with a temperature growth rate not exceeding 2 °C/min;
said cyclic processing comprising at least two stages, a first stage and a second
stage, wherein
- the first stage providing an initial heating of the processed medium, extracting
of carbon- and nitrogen-containing substances from the processed medium, transiting
these substances into water-soluble forms with simultaneous crushing solids in the
processed medium and as a result obtaining a homogeneous processed medium with carbon-
and nitrogen-containing substances in water-soluble forms causing a growth of colonies
of natural soil microorganisms present in the homogeneous processed medium and when
reaching a predetermined final temperature upon the initial heating which depends
on a species composition of the natural soil microorganisms containing in the starting
humus-containing soil it is achieved a growth of substantially all kind of colonies
of the natural soil microorganisms present in the starting humus-containing soil to
concentrations exceeding 108 CFU/ml and a uniform colonization of the homogeneous processed medium with carbon-
and nitrogen-containing substances in water-soluble forms by these microorganisms;
- the second stage providing a further heating the homogeneous processed medium and
a further crushing solids in the homogeneous processed medium to result in hardening
substantially all kinds of the natural soil microorganisms present in the homogeneous
processed medium, transiting these microorganisms into an state of anabiosis and spore
form and crushing solids in the homogeneous processed medium to the size in the range
of 10-50 microns; and
e) removing the homogenous processed medium from said closed circuit after finishing
the second stage followed by cooling said medium to result in obtaining a final product
in the form of a liquid organic biofertilizer for soils and/or plants suitable for
packaging and long-term storage, which contains carbon- and nitrogen substances in
water-soluble forms, solids with size of 10-50 microns and the hardened natural soil
microorganisms substantially of all kind present in the species composition of the
starting humus-containing soil that are in the state of anabiosis or spore form and
in the concentration exceeding 107 CFU/ml.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the final temperature of the initial heating of the
homogeneous processed medium at the first stage of the cyclic processing while performing
step d) is about 50°C.
3. The method of any of the preceding claims, wherein the final temperature of the further
heating the homogeneous processed medium at the second stage of the cyclic processing
while performing the step d) is in the range of about 50° - 80°C.
4. The method of any of the preceding claims, wherein the cooling at step e) is carried
out within the temperature range from +40°C to -4°C.
5. The method of any of the preceding claims, wherein the starting humus-containing soil
is selected from the group consisting of peat, forest soil, sapropel, bottom sediments
of freshwater estuaries and lakes, algae, biohumus, black earth, grey desert soil
and leonardite.
6. The method of any of the preceding claims, wherein the final product is obtained in
a gel form provided a lignin content in the starting humus-containing exceeds about
2% based on a dry weight.
7. The method of any of the preceding claims. wherein the final product is obtained with
humic water-soluble acids content exceeding about 0,1 % provided a humus content the
staring humus-containing soil exceeds about 3%.
8. The method of any of the preceding claims, wherein the natural soil microorganisms
which transit under hardening into a state and spore forms are the microorganisms
selected from the group consisting of nitrogen-fixing bacteria such as Rhizobium, bacteria that assimilate organic soil nitrogen such as Azotobacter, phosphorous-mobilizing bacteria such as Bacillus subtilis, oligotrophic bacteria that grow on depleted soils and fungal microflora including
micromycetes.
9. The method of any of the preceding claims, wherein the cyclic processing performed
in step d) is carried out in a closed circuit with oxygen elimination containing a
vertical cylindrical tank, an electric pump connected to the cylindrical tank lower
part and a turbulence device with a turbulence nozzle mounted after the pump and tangentially
connected to the cylindrical tank upper part, the mode of turbulence effect on the
medium processed in this closed circuit being provided so as to exclude cavitation
and emergence of dead zones and to keep the following three conditions:

where ΔP = (P
1 - P
2) - pressure difference before and after the turbulence nozzle in kPa (bar),

- process specific energy consumption, kW/kg,
N - pump electric drive power, kW,
M - processed fluid medium weight, kg,
T1 = T2, ...... Tn - current heating temperature at measuring points distributed on an outer surface
of the cylindrical tank which serve to control the uniformity of heating the entire
volume of the medium processed in the closed circuit.
10. The method of any of the preceding claims, wherein the liquid organic biofertilizer
for soils and/or plants obtained comprises a water-soluble nitrogen and a water- soluble
carbon, solids with size in the range of 10-50 microns and hardened natural soil microorganisms
substantially of all kind present in the species composition of the starting humus-containing
soil which are in the anabiotic state of or in spore forms and are uniformly populated
in this biofertilizer in the concentrations exceeding 107 CFU/ml.
11. The method of any of the preceding claims, wherein a content of the water- soluble
nitrogen is at least 40 mg and a content of the water-soluble carbon is not less than
470 mg per 100 g biological fertilizer on basis of a dry weight.
12. A method of treating soil, seeds or plants with a product obtained according to the
method of claims 1-11, comprising the following steps: adding a liquid or a crushed
dry natural soil to the obtained biofetilizer to reduce the concentration of hardened
natural soil microorganisms present in it in the anabiotic state or spore forms to
the concentration exceeding 104 CFU/ml, and applying such biofetilizer of reduced concentration to a soil before
sowing or during the sowing period or treating seeds or plants with such biofertilizer
during the vegetation period before harvesting.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein for improving a yield of a specific crop, the liquid
organic biofertilizer is obtained by using as the starting humus-containing soil a
fertile soil taken from the field where the same or similar crop was grown in the
previous time period.
14. The method of any of the claims 12 or 13, wherein for increasing the fertility of
the depleted soil the liquid organic biofertilizer is obtained by using as the start
gumus-containing soil the soil of the same type as the depleted soil to which the
said fertilizer is added.
15. The method of any of the claims 12, 13 or 14, wherein for restoring sandy and sandy-loam
soil the liquid organic biofertilizer is obtained by using as the start gumus- containing
the soil colonized by oligotrophic bacteria.
1. Verfahren zum Gewinnen eines flüssigen organischen Biodüngers für Böden und/oder Pflanzen,
der von natürlichen Bodenmikroorganismen besiedelt ist, umfassend die folgenden Schritte:
a) Herstellen, Sortieren und Zerkleinern eines Teils eines humushaltigen Ausgangs-Bodens
oder Bodengemischs, bei dem mindestens einer der Böden in dem Gemisch humushaltig
ist, wobei der humushaltige Ausgangs-Boden nützliche Komponenten aufweist, die einen
organischen Kohlenstoff in einer Menge von mehr als 10% und einen organischen Stickstoff
in einer Menge von mehr als 1% enthalten und Kolonien natürlicher Bodenmikroorganismen
aufweisen, wobei ihre Konzentration in dem humushaltigen Ausgangs-Boden oder Bodengemisch
nicht weniger als 104 CFU/ml beträgt; und
b) Mischen des zerkleinerten Teils des Bodens oder Bodengemischs mit Wasser, um eine
wässrige Suspension herzustellen;
gekennzeichnet durch die folgenden Schritte:
c) Erzeugen eines fließenden Stroms der wässrigen Suspension innerhalb eines geschlossenen
Kreislaufs unter Eliminierung von Sauerstoff;
d) zyklisches Bearbeiten des fließenden Stroms der wässrigen Suspension innerhalb
des geschlossenen Kreislaufs unter Eliminierung von Sauerstoff durch Ausnutzen eines
Turbulenzeffekts, um eine Kavitation auszuschließen, und aufgrund von turbulenter
Reibung und Scherkraft, um ein Zerkleinern von Feststoffen in einem bearbeiteten Medium
des fließenden Stroms der wässrigen Suspension und ein gleichmäßiges Erwärmen eines
gesamten Volumens des bearbeiteten Mediums mit einer Temperaturwachstumsrate, die
2°C/min nicht überschreitet, vorzusehen; wobei die zyklische Bearbeitung mindestens
zwei Stufen umfasst, nämlich eine erste Stufe und eine zweite Stufe, wobei
- die erste Stufe ein anfängliches Erwärmen des bearbeiteten Mediums, ein Extrahieren
von kohlenstoff- und stickstoffhaltigen Substanzen aus dem bearbeiteten Medium, ein
Überführen dieser Substanzen in wasserlösliche Formen bei gleichzeitigem Zerkleinern
von Feststoffen in dem bearbeiteten Medium und als Ergebnis ein Erhalten eines homogenen
bearbeiteten Mediums mit kohlenstoff- und stickstoffhaltigen Substanzen in wasserlöslichen
Formen vorsieht, wodurch ein Wachstum von Kolonien natürlicher Bodenmikroorganismen
bewirkt wird, die in dem homogenen bearbeiteten Medium vorhanden sind, und beim Erreichen
einer vorbestimmten Endtemperatur nach dem anfänglichen Erwärmen, die von einer Artenzusammensetzung
der natürlichen Bodenmikroorganismen abhängt, die in dem humushaltigen Ausgangs-Boden
enthalten sind, ein Wachstum von im Wesentlichen allen Arten von Kolonien der natürlichen
Bodenmikroorganismen, die in dem humushaltigen Ausgangs-Boden vorhanden sind, auf
Konzentrationen von mehr als 108 CFU/ml und eine gleichmäßige Besiedelung des homogenen bearbeiteten Mediums mit kohlenstoff-
und stickstoffhaltigen Substanzen in wasserlöslichen Formen durch diese Mikroorganismen
erreicht werden;
- die zweite Stufe vorsieht: ein weiteres Erwärmen des homogenen bearbeiteten Mediums
und ein weiteres Zerkleinern von Feststoffen in dem homogenen bearbeiteten Medium,
was zu einer Härtung von im Wesentlichen allen Arten der natürlichen Bodenmikroorganismen
führt, die in dem homogenen bearbeiteten Medium vorhanden sind, ein Überführen dieser
Mikroorganismen in einen Zustand der Anabiose und Sporenform und ein Zerkleinern von
Feststoffen in dem homogenen bearbeiteten Medium auf eine Größe im Bereich von 10-50
µm; und
e) Entfernen des homogenen bearbeiteten Mediums aus dem geschlossenen Kreislauf nach
Beendigung der zweiten Stufe, gefolgt von einem Kühlen des Mediums, was dazu führt,
dass ein Endprodukt in Form eines flüssigen organischen Biodüngers für Böden und/oder
Pflanzen erhalten wird, der verpackt werden kann und für die Langzeitlagerung geeignet
ist und der Kohlenstoff- und Stickstoffsubstanzen in wasserlöslichen Formen, Feststoffe
mit einer Größe von 10-50 µm und die gehärteten natürlichen Bodenmikroorganismen im
Wesentlichen aller Arten enthält, die in der Artenzusammensetzung des humushaltigen
Ausgangs-Bodens vorhanden sind, die im Zustand der Anabiose oder Sporenform und in
einer Konzentration von mehr als 107 CFU/ml vorliegen.
2. Verfahren nach Anspruch 1, wobei die Endtemperatur des anfänglichen Erwärmens des
homogenen bearbeiteten Mediums in der ersten Stufe der zyklischen Bearbeitung während
des Durchführens von Schritt d) etwa 50°C beträgt.
3. Verfahren nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, wobei die Endtemperatur des weiteren
Erwärmens des homogenen bearbeiteten Mediums in der zweiten Stufe der zyklischen Bearbeitung
während des Durchführens des Schritts d) im Bereich von etwa 50° - 80°C liegt.
4. Verfahren nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, wobei das Abkühlen in Schritt e)
in einem Temperaturbereich von +40°C bis -4°C durchgeführt wird.
5. Verfahren nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, wobei der humushaltige Ausgangs-Boden
ausgewählt ist aus der Gruppe bestehend aus Torf, Waldboden, Sapropel, Bodensedimenten
von Süßwasser-Mündungsgebieten und Seen, Algen, Bichumus, Schwarzerde, grauer Wüstenboden
und Leonardit.
6. Verfahren nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, wobei das Endprodukt in Gelform
erhalten wird, sofern der Ligningehalt im humushaltigen Ausgangs-Boden mehr als etwa
2 %, bezogen auf das Trockengewicht, beträgt.
7. Verfahren nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, wobei das Endprodukt mit einem
Gehalt an humushaltigen wasserlöslichen Säuren erhalten wird, der etwa 0,1 % übersteigt,
sofern der Humusgehalt des humushaltigen Ausgangs-Bodens mehr als 3 % beträgt.
8. Verfahren nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, wobei es sich bei den natürlichen
Bodenmikroorganismen, die unter Härten in einen Zustand und Sporenformen übergehen,
um die Mikroorganismen handelt, die ausgewählt sind aus der Gruppe bestehend aus stickstofffixierenden
Bakterien, wie beispielsweise Rhizobium, Bakterien, die den Stickstoff eines organischen
Bodens assimilieren, wie beispielsweise Azotobacter, phosphormobilisierenden Bakterien,
wie beispielsweise Bacillus subtilis, oligotrophen Bakterien, die auf ausgelaugten Böden wachsen, und Pilzmikroflora einschließlich
Mikromyceten.
9. Verfahren nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, wobei die in Schritt d) durchgeführte
zyklische Bearbeitung in einem geschlossenen Kreislauf unter Eliminierung von Sauerstoff
durchgeführt wird, der einen vertikalen zylindrischen Tank, eine elektrische Pumpe,
die mit dem unteren Teil des zylindrischen Tanks verbunden ist, und eine Turbulenzeinrichtung
mit einer Turbulenzdüse enthält, die nach der Pumpe montiert und tangential mit dem
oberen Teil des zylindrischen Tanks verbunden ist, wobei die Art des Turbulenzeffekts
auf das in diesem geschlossenen Kreislauf bearbeitete Medium so vorgesehen ist, dass
eine Kavitation und das Auftreten von toten Zonen ausgeschlossen ist und die folgenden
drei Bedingungen erfüllt werden:

worin ΔP = (P
1 - P
2) - Druckdifferenz vor und nach der Turbulenzdüse in kPa (bar),

- prozessspezifischer Energieverbrauch, kW/kg,
N -- elektrische Antriebsleistung der Pumpe, kW,
M -- Gewicht des bearbeiteten flüssigen Mediums, kg,
T1 = T2, ...... Tn - aktuelle Heiztemperatur an Messpunkten, die auf der Außenfläche des zylindrischen
Tanks verteilt sind und die dazu dienen, eine gleichförmige Erwärmung des gesamten
Volumens des im geschlossenen Kreislauf bearbeiteten Mediums zu steuern.
10. Verfahren nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, wobei der erhaltene flüssige organische
Biodünger für Böden und/oder Pflanzen einen wasserlöslichen Stickstoff und einen wasserlöslichen
Kohlenstoff, Feststoffe mit einer Größe im Bereich von 10-50 µm und gehärtete natürliche
Bodenmikroorganismen von im wesentlichen allen Arten umfasst, die in der Artenzusammensetzung
des humushaltigen Ausgangs-Bodens vorhanden sind und die sich im anabiotischen Zustand
oder in Sporenformen befinden und diesen Biodünger in Konzentrationen von mehr als
107 CFU/ml gleichmäßig besiedeln.
11. Verfahren nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, wobei der Gehalt an wasserlöslichem
Stickstoff mindestens 40 mg und der Gehalt an wasserlöslichem Kohlenstoff nicht weniger
als 470 mg pro 100 g Biodünger, bezogen auf das Trockengewicht, beträgt.
12. Verfahren zum Behandeln von Boden, Saatgut oder Pflanzen mit einem Produkt, das nach
dem Verfahren der Ansprüche 1-11 erhalten wurde, umfassend die folgenden Schritte:
Zugeben einer Flüssigkeit oder eines zerkleinerten trockenen natürlichen Bodens zu
dem erhaltenen Biodünger, um die Konzentration an gehärteten natürlichen Bodenmikroorganismen,
die im anabiotischen Zustand oder in Sporenformen darin vorliegen, auf eine Konzentration
von mehr als 104 CFU/ml zu reduzieren, und
Anwenden eines solchen Biodüngers mit verringerter Konzentration auf einen Boden vor
der Aussaat oder während der Aussaatperiode oder Behandeln von Saatgut oder Pflanzen
mit einem solchen Biodünger während der Vegetationsperiode vor der Ernte.
13. Verfahren nach Anspruch 12, wobei zum Verbessern des Ertrags einer bestimmten Nutzpflanze
der flüssige organische Biodünger dadurch erhalten wird, dass als humushaltiger Ausgangs-Boden
ein fruchtbarer Boden verwendet wird, der dem Feld entnommen wurde, auf dem die gleiche
oder eine ähnliche Nutzpflanze in der vorangegangenen Zeitperiode angebaut wurde.
14. Verfahren nach einem der Ansprüche 12 oder 13, wobei zum Steigern der Fruchtbarkeit
des ausgelaugten Bodens der flüssige organische Biodünger dadurch erhalten wird, dass
als humushaltiger Ausgangs-Boden ein Boden desselben Typs wie der ausgelaugte Boden
verwendet wird, dem der Dünger zugesetzt wird.
15. Verfahren nach einem der Ansprüche 12, 13 oder 14, wobei zum Wiederherstellen eines
Sand- und Sand-Lehm-Bodens der flüssige organische Biodünger dadurch erhalten wird,
dass als humushaltiger Ausgangs-Boden der von oligotrophen Bakterien besiedelte Boden
verwendet wird.
1. Procédé permettant d'obtenir un biofertilisant organique liquide pour les sols et/ou
les plantes, qui est colonisé par des micro-organismes naturels du sol, comprenant
les étapes suivantes consistant à :
a) préparer, trier et broyer une partie d'un sol ou d'un mélange de sols initial,
contenant de l'humus, dans laquelle l'un au moins des sols du mélange est un sol contenant
de l'humus, le sol initial contenant de l'humus ayant des composants bénéfiques, qui
contiennent du carbone organique dans une quantité supérieure à 10 % et de l'azote
organique dans une quantité supérieure à 1 %, et ayant des colonies de micro-organismes
naturels du sol, leur concentration dans le sol ou dans le mélange de sols initial
contenant de l'humus n'étant pas inférieure à 104 UFC/ml ; et
b) mélanger la partie broyée dudit sol ou mélange de sols avec de l'eau pour produire
une suspension aqueuse ;
caractérisé par les étapes suivantes consistant à :
c) créer un flux en écoulement de ladite suspension aqueuse dans un circuit fermé
avec élimination de l'oxygène ;
d) traiter cycliquement le flux en écoulement de la suspension aqueuse dans le circuit
fermé avec élimination de l'oxygène, en utilisant un effet de turbulence de manière
à exclure la cavitation et, en raison d'un frottement turbulent et d'une force de
cisaillement, à broyer les matières solides dans un milieu traité du flux en écoulement
de ladite suspension aqueuse, et chauffer uniformément un volume entier du milieu
traité avec un taux de croissance de la température ne dépassant pas 2 °C/min ; ledit
traitement cyclique comprenant au moins deux étapes, une première étape et une deuxième
étape, sachant que
- la première étape consiste à chauffer initialement le milieu traité, à extraire
les substances contenant du carbone et de l'azote du milieu traité, à transformer
ces substances en formes solubles dans l'eau avec broyage simultané des matières solides
dans le milieu traité et, en conséquence, à obtenir un milieu traité homogène avec
des substances contenant du carbone et de l'azote sous des formes solubles dans l'eau,
ce qui entraîne la croissance de colonies de micro-organismes naturels du sol, présents
dans le milieu traité homogène, et, lorsqu'une température finale prédéterminée est
atteinte lors du chauffage initial, laquelle dépend de la composition des espèces
de micro-organismes naturels du sol, présents dans le sol initial contenant de l'humus,
on obtient une croissance de pratiquement tous les types de colonies de micro-organismes
naturels du sol, présents dans le sol initial contenant de l'humus, à des concentrations
supérieures à 108 UFC/ml, et une colonisation uniforme du milieu traité homogène avec des substances
contenant du carbone et de l'azote sous des formes solubles dans l'eau par ces micro-organismes
;
- la deuxième étape consiste à chauffer davantage le milieu traité homogène et à broyer
davantage les matières solides dans le milieu traité homogène, afin de durcir pratiquement
tous les types de micro-organismes naturels du sol présents dans le milieu traité
homogène, à faire passer ces micro-organismes à un état d'anabiose et à une forme
de spores, et à broyer les matières solides dans le milieu traité homogène jusqu'à
une taille de l'ordre de 10 à 50 microns ; et
e) retirer le milieu traité homogène dudit circuit fermé à la fin de la deuxième étape,
suivie du refroidissement dudit milieu, afin d'obtenir un produit final sous la forme
d'un biofertilisant organique liquide pour les sols et/ou les plantes, apte à être
conditionné et stocké à long terme, qui contient des substances, contenant du carbone
et de l'azote, sous forme soluble dans l'eau, des matières solides d'une taille de
10 à 50 microns et des micro-organismes naturels du sol durcis, sensiblement de tous
types, présents dans la composition des espèces du sol initial contenant de l'humus,
à l'état d'anabiose ou sous forme de spores et en concentration supérieure à 107 UFC/ml.
2. Procédé selon la revendication 1,
dans lequel la température finale du chauffage initial du milieu traité homogène dans
la première étape du traitement cyclique lors de l'exécution de l'étape d) est d'environ
50 °C.
3. Procédé selon l'une des revendications précédentes,
dans lequel la température finale du chauffage supplémentaire du milieu traité homogène
dans la deuxième étape du traitement cyclique lors de l'exécution de l'étape d) est
comprise entre 50° et 80 °C environ.
4. Procédé selon l'une des revendications précédentes,
dans lequel le refroidissement dans l'étape e) est effectué dans une plage de température
allant de +40 °C à -4 °C.
5. Procédé selon l'une des revendications précédentes,
dans lequel le sol initial contenant de l'humus est choisi dans le groupe constitué
par la tourbe, le sol forestier, le sapropel, les sédiments de fond des estuaires
et des lacs d'eau douce, les algues, le bio-humus, la terre noire, la terre désertique
grise et la léonardite.
6. Procédé selon l'une des revendications précédentes,
dans lequel le produit final est obtenu sous forme de gel, à condition que la teneur
en lignine de l'humus initial est supérieure à environ 2 % sur la base du poids sec.
7. Procédé selon l'une des revendications précédentes,
dans lequel le produit final est obtenu avec une teneur en acides humiques solubles
dans l'eau supérieure à environ 0,1 %, à condition que la teneur en humus du sol initial
contenant de l'humus soit supérieure à environ 3 %.
8. Procédé selon l'une des revendications précédentes,
dans lequel les micro-organismes naturels du sol qui passent à des formes d'état de
spores en durcissant sont les micro-organismes choisis dans le groupe constitué des
bactéries fixatrices d'azote telles que Rhizobium, des bactéries qui assimilent l'azote organique du sol telles que Azotobacter, des bactéries mobilisant le phosphore telles que Bacillus subtilis, des bactéries oligotrophes qui se développent sur des sols épuisés, et de la microflore
fongique, y compris les micromycètes.
9. Procédé selon l'une des revendications précédentes,
dans lequel le traitement cyclique effectué à l'étape d) est réalisé dans un circuit
fermé avec élimination de l'oxygène, comprenant un réservoir cylindrique vertical,
une pompe électrique reliée à la partie inférieure du réservoir cylindrique, et un
dispositif à turbulence avec une tuyère à turbulence monté après la pompe et relié
tangentiellement à la partie supérieure du réservoir cylindrique, l'effet turbulent
sur le milieu traité dans ce circuit fermé étant prévu de manière à exclure la cavitation
et l'apparition de zones mortes et à maintenir les trois conditions suivantes :

où
ΔP = (P1 - P2) - différence de pression avant et après la tuyère à turbulence en kPa (bar),
N = N/M - consommation d'énergie spécifique au processus, en kW/kg,
N - puissance d'entraînement électrique de la pompe, en kW,
M - poids du milieu fluide traité, en kg,
T1 = T2, ... Tn - température de chauffage actuelle aux points de mesure répartis sur une surface
extérieure du réservoir cylindrique, qui servent à contrôler l'uniformité du chauffage
de l'ensemble du volume du milieu traité dans le circuit fermé.
10. Procédé selon l'une des revendications précédentes,
dans lequel le biofertilisant organique liquide pour les sols et/ou les plantes obtenu
comprend de l'azote soluble dans l'eau et du carbone soluble dans l'eau, des matières
solides d'une taille comprise entre 10 et 50 microns et des micro-organismes naturels
durcis du sol, sensiblement de tous types, présents dans la composition des espèces
du sol initial contenant de l'humus, qui sont à l'état anabiotique ou sous forme de
spores et qui sont uniformément peuplés dans ce biofertilisant à des concentrations
supérieures à 107 UFC/ml.
11. Procédé selon l'une des revendications précédentes,
dans lequel une teneur en azote soluble dans l'eau est d'au moins 40 mg et une teneur
en carbone soluble dans l'eau n'est pas inférieure à 470 mg par 100 g d'engrais biologique
sur la base du poids sec.
12. Procédé de traitement du sol, des semences ou des plantes avec un produit obtenu par
le procédé selon les revendications 1 à 11, comprenant les étapes suivantes consistant
à :
ajouter un liquide ou un sol naturel sec broyé au biofertilisant obtenu, afin de réduire
la concentration des micro-organismes du sol naturel durcis,
présents dans celui-ci à l'état anabiotique ou sous forme de spores, à une concentration
supérieure à 104 UFC/ml, et
appliquer ce biofertilisant à concentration réduite sur un sol avant l'ensemencement
ou pendant la période d'ensemencement, ou traiter des semences ou des plantes avec
ce biofertilisant pendant la période de végétation, avant la récolte.
13. Procédé selon la revendication 12,
dans lequel, pour améliorer le rendement d'une culture spécifique, le biofertilisant
organique liquide est obtenu en utilisant comme sol initial contenant de l'humus un
sol fertile prélevé dans le champ où la même culture ou une culture similaire a été
cultivée au cours de la période précédente.
14. Procédé selon l'une des revendications 12 ou 13,
dans lequel, pour augmenter la fertilité du sol épuisé, le biofertilisant organique
liquide est obtenu en utilisant comme sol initial contenant de l'humus un sol du même
type que le sol épuisé auquel ledit engrais est ajouté.
15. Procédé selon l'une des revendications 12, 13 ou 14,
dans lequel, pour restaurer un sol sablonneux et sablo-limoneux, le biofertilisant
organique liquide est obtenu en utilisant comme sol initial contenant de l'humus le
sol colonisé par des bactéries oligotrophes.