Seed pill

Abstract

Disclosed is a seed pill comprising a core (1), a shell / adhesive layer (2) and a seed layer (3), characterized in that the seed pill includes a fiber layer (4) which at least partly covers the seeds in the seed layer (3).

Description

[0001] Seed pill

[0002] Field of the invention

[0003] A seed pellet containing at least one seed per pellet is described. The pellet has a core with a coating / adhesive layer to which the seeds are adhered. The seed pellet is particularly suitable for small and light seeds and is preferably applied to the soil surface.

[0004] State of the art and background of the invention

[0005] It is known that seeds of many crops and ornamental plants cause difficulties in sowing due to their shape, size or weight.

[0006] When reforesting or planting trees, planting trees is particularly challenging. Bare, hard-to-reach, and uneven areas are difficult to reforest with planting machines. Planting trees or sowing tree seeds over large areas is very time-consuming and, due to the labor required, very costly.

[0007] So-called light germinators usually have small seeds, so they do not have enough energy to penetrate a soil layer and need light or warmth to germinate. Therefore, they should only be sown in

[0008] CONFIRMATION COPY must be pressed into the ground and not covered with soil.

[0009] Other necessary conditions for successful germination and development are: sufficient moisture supply during the first growing season, soil that is not susceptible to wind blowing or silting, and protected areas in the micro-relief (e.g. depressions in the terrain) where the seeds are not pressed into the soil.

[0010] It is already known that seeds are enlarged with a coating compound to facilitate handling and improve germination through better soil contact. The resulting pills or pellets usually contain more than one seed. For seeds with low germination capacity, each pill or pellet should contain at least one viable seed.

[0011] EP0616758B1 describes a process for producing pelleted seeds with a number of seeds per grain in which the seeds are deposited on the kernels in a manner that prevents them from being stripped off.

[0012] US5623781A describes pills or pellets in which at least two small seeds are attached to a core. Depending on the design, the seeds are located in different areas of the pill.

[0013] The binding agents used in the solutions mentioned are water-soluble or soften when exposed to water and can dissolve along with the seeds (e.g., during heavy rain). The seeds are then covered with a layer of soil / mud, which makes germination difficult, or the seeds are left on the ground and can dry out quickly. Dissolving would not occur if the pills were placed underground, but this is obviously not the case because the pills are also designed for light germination, meaning they are applied to the soil surface.

[0014] Technical problem of the invention

[0015] The aim of the invention is to produce a seed pill with seeds which has the following features: - the pill is heavy enough to create good contact with the soil and thereby draw moisture from the earth and transfer it to the seeds - the seeds are attached to the pill in such a way that they do not fall off the pill and thus dry out or become covered - in a further embodiment, the pill itself can store water and / or create an additional water-conducting connection between the soil and the pill and / or impart water-storing properties to the soil environment around the pill.

[0016] Basic features of the invention and preferred embodiments

[0017] The technical problem is solved according to the invention by the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the invention emerge from claims 2 - 6. The pill consists of a core with a shell

[0018] / adhesive layer, a seed layer, a fiber layer and possibly further layers.

[0019] The core is preferably water-storing and water-conducting or with a water-storing and water-conducting

[0020] layer. The core can consist of -a piece of sand grain, stone chippings, perlite, pumice,

[0021] Pieces of wood or any granular material, - granulated minerals or granulated vegetable

[0022] Material that may contain additives - as well as plant seeds that can serve as a nutrient depot, among other things.

[0023] The material of which the core is made depends on many

[0024] Factors depend on, among others: - Cost and labor in kernel production - Availability - biological needs of the seeds / plants such as pH value,

[0025] Germination time and other - soil type e.g. clay for sandy soil, perlite for heavy

[0026] Floor .

[0027] The grain size is preferably 2 to 10 mm (maximum

[0028] Dimension). Grains that are too small make it difficult to stick the

[0029] Seeds that are too large increase the weight of the pellets, which causes higher transport / storage / and sowing costs, but ensures better soil contact. Larger

[0030] Grains also allow larger seeds or larger amounts of

[0031] Seeds can be placed on the pill.

[0032] A hull layer can be applied to change the shape of the grains and / or to balance or increase the size.

[0033] The coating layer can also serve as an adhesive layer. However, the adhesive layer can form the surface of a grain if the grain is made of a material with adhesive

[0034] properties (such as clay). This layer is called the hull / adhesive layer and consists of the kernel material or a suitable binding agent. Its function is to attach the seeds to the grain.

[0035] The coating / adhesive layer should be tailored to the seeds so that it does not negatively affect germination. Clay, bentonite, or other minerals, as well as the binding agents commonly used for seed pellets, such as PVA, dextrins, gum arabic, and others, can be used as binding agents for the coating / adhesive layer.

[0036] Another layer is called the seed layer and is formed by the seeds. In most cases, the seeds only cover a small part of the coating / adhesive layer and are stuck to the layer. These are small seeds, such as those often found in vegetables, flowers and herbs, and especially small tree seeds such as birch, alder or papule. The seed layer consists of at least two seeds, but usually many more. Because of the varying germination capacity of different seeds, it is generally the case that there is at least one viable seed in a pill. Some seeds reach the bottom of the pill during sowing, and this can make germination more difficult; most seeds, however, remain above the soil.

[0037] Another layer of the seed pellet consists of fibers and is called the fibrous layer. The fibers adhere to the husk / adhesive layer between the seeds, forming a fibrous network. This stabilizes the husk / adhesive layer and prevents it from dissolving from the kernel, even when heavily moistened.

[0038] The fiber length should be, at least in part, greater than the diameter of the seed. This means that some fibers span the seeds like a net, with the ends of the fibers embedded in the coating / adhesive layer. If enough fibers span a seed, the force with which the seed is held is relatively high, even if the coating / adhesive layer has not yet hardened. Once the layer has hardened, the force is even greater and the seeds are held in place during transport and sowing and do not fall out of the seed pill. The fiber layer does not cover the pill completely; only enough fibers are needed to stabilize the coating / adhesive layer and to hold the seeds sufficiently firmly to the pill. How many fibers are necessary for this depends on the properties of the coating / adhesive layer, the type and size of the seeds, and the properties of the fiber itself. Fibers of plant origin such as jute, hemp, linen, viscose, or others are preferably used.

[0039] This design of the seed pellet ensures that the seeds are held to the surface of the pellet without the coating / adhesive layer exhibiting strong adhesive properties that could potentially negatively impact germination. The coating / adhesive layer is therefore only intended to allow the seeds to adhere and to conduct moisture to the seeds.

[0040] On top of the fibrous layer there can preferably be another layer, which is called a leaching layer. This layer additionally protects the seeds during transport and sowing, but above all should ensure better contact between the pill and the soil. This is achieved by the layer being made of a material that can be easily washed out when water is applied, for example when watering or raining, and by the material being water-retaining or at least water-conducting. Leaching here means that the layer, completely or mostly, melts into the soil when water is applied. The melted material forms a connection, a bridge in the shape of a ring around the pill and, due to the way it was formed, is very well connected to the soil and the pill and can therefore transport water to the pill very effectively.

[0041] The leaching layer may consist of mineral and / or biological components and may also contain additives such as nutrients or fertilizers that support the growth of the germinated plants and have a thickness between a few tenths of a millimeter and a few millimeters.

[0042] Adequate water supply is necessary for successful germination and initial plant development. Superabsorbents, known as SAPs, are helpful in this regard. They can absorb and release many times their weight in water. The washout layer can consist entirely of SAP or partly of SAP and partly of other mineral and / or biological components and a binding agent.

[0043] When SAP absorbs water, it forms a gel. The gel detaches from the pill, falls to the ground, and forms a bond between the soil and the pill. Due to its high water-binding capacity, SAP forms a moist zone around and beneath the pill, slowing the pill's drying out during dry periods. SAP is hydrophilic and can partially bind water from humid air, fog, or morning dew. A portion of the SAP will seep into the soil beneath the pill and form a water reservoir for young plants. SAP can store and release water for several years until it biodegrades.

[0044] The seed pellet may also have a protective / colored layer. This layer can improve the pellet's flow properties or determine its appearance, and can also have water-repellent properties. Above all, however, the layer must not prevent the leaching layer from dissolving. The layer can consist of talc and a dye, for example. This layer is particularly desirable if the leaching layer contains SAP, as it protects it from absorbing moisture from the air during transport, storage, or sowing. In this case, the protective / colored layer preferably contains a wax or a wax mixture, preferably of plant origin. However, upon contact with water, SAP absorbs water, thereby increasing its volume, bursting the wax layer, and dissolving with the layer to the ground.

[0045] Example

[0046] The structure of a seed pill with birch seeds is shown schematically in Fig. 1.

[0047] The core 1 consists of a roughly round or oval stone with a diameter of approximately 5 mm and is coated with a covering / adhesive layer 2. This layer is a few tenths of a millimeter thick and consists of clay. Due to the irregular grain shape, the layer thickness can vary at different locations.

[0048] A seed layer 3 consists of birch seeds. The seeds are attached to the pill by moistening the coating / adhesive layer 2, making it sticky and allowing the individual seeds to adhere to the layer. On average, four birch seeds were attached to each pill, only partially covering the coating / adhesive layer 2.

[0049] On top of the seed layer 3 there is a fiber layer 4 made of approximately 5 mm long viscose fibers forming a network. The fibers stick to the parts of the coating / adhesive layer 2 not covered by the seeds. The fibers are randomly distributed and partially span the seeds. The ends of the fibers that span the seeds are glued to the coating / adhesive layer 2 or embedded in the layer. When the coating / adhesive layer 2 hardens due to drying out, the seeds are held in place by the fibers and do not fall off. The fibers only partially cover the pill. However, the amount of fiber is intended to ensure that the seeds are sufficiently firmly fixed. The network of fibers has no negative effect on the germination of the seeds or their later development as plants.

[0050] The pellet has another layer, designated as the leaching layer 5. This layer further protects the attached seeds during transport or sowing, but is designed to be easily washed out, falling from the pellet to the ground, and thus forming a pathway for moisture transport between the soil and the pellet. It consists of loam with a low clay content, is approximately 0.5 mm thick, and completely covers all previous layers.

[0051] In another variant, the leaching layer 5 contains SAP in addition to clay, or consists exclusively of SAP. In the latter case, SAP does not completely envelop the pill, and the leaching layer 5 consists only of individual SAP particles located on the surface and adhered to the coating / adhesive layer 2, between the seeds and fibers.

[0052] On top of the washout layer 5 is a protective / color layer 6 consisting of talc and dye. In the SAP version, the layer contains wax.

Claims

Patent claims 1. Seed pill, with a core (1), a coating / adhesive layer (2) and a seed layer (3), characterized in that it has a fiber layer (4) which at least partially covers the seeds in the seed layer (3).

2. Seed pill according to claim 1, characterized in that it has a wash-out layer (5).

3. Seed pill according to claim 1 and 2, characterized in that the leaching layer (5) contains SAP.

4. Seed pellet according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it has a protective / colored layer.

5. Seed pill according to claim 4, characterized in that the protective / color layer contains wax 6. Seed pellet according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that It consists of the components mentioned.

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