Vacuum-packed compost

Abstract

To cope with the problems that a food crisis has occurred in this country and will be worried in the future as well has to be solved and the solution to the food crisis depends on whether or not fertilizer procurement is possible and that this country has been making light of effective composts that can be procured domestically, and farmland soil has been deteriorated and washed away due to lopsided dependence on chemical fertilizers.SOLUTION: The above problems can be simultaneously solved by producing a compost from vegetable raw materials and animal raw materials that can be abundantly procured in this country and vacuum-packing the compost. The vacuum-packing prevents the compost from being deteriorated thereby enabling all-year-around fertilization and freeing this country from the dependence on imported chemical fertilizers.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention mainly relates to the field of compost storage and fertilization techniques necessary for agricultural product production.

[0002] For the production of agricultural products obtained from farmland, the three major elements of fertilizer, N, P, and K, and trace elements, that is, minerals, are required. Furthermore, it is only with the blessings of nature, namely air, moisture, solar energy, and the action of soil microorganisms, that agricultural products can be obtained.

[0003] Thus, agricultural products are rarely stored in a fresh state and are mostly consumed as human food or livestock feed.

[0004] The products of animals and plants, as agricultural products, must generally be kept fresh almost simultaneously with harvesting. If left unattended, they will rot, ferment, decompose, and approach extinction without remaining in their original form.

Background Art

[0005] In the application of conventional organic compost, there has been a constraint that it must be applied within a short period of limited seasons. That is, it is generally applied as base fertilizer before sowing or before transplanting seedlings.

[0006] This is because the raw material of organic compost is organic matter, and when air and moisture are present, organic matter will be decomposed, fermented, and decomposed by microorganisms under a certain temperature, shrinking, and eventually visually disappearing.

[0007] Although there are differences depending on the type of organic matter, for example, when 1 m 3 of grass is left outdoors, its volume will shrink to less than one-tenth in dozens of days and approach extinction over time.

[0008] Also, when the carcasses of animals such as chickens are thrown into the compost, they will almost visually disappear in a few months. This is because they decompose, ferment, and decompose.

[0009] The phenomenon of shrinking or disappearing is because through corruption, fermentation, and decomposition, it chemically changes into water vapor, carbon dioxide gas, ammonia gas, methane gas, etc., and dissipates into the air.

[0010] Therefore, in the application of organic compost, it is necessary to apply it before it visually disappears. It is required to apply it as base fertilizer before sowing or before transplanting seedlings, and it is difficult to limit the timing.

[0011] So, instead of using organic compost as base fertilizer, people tend to apply chemical fertilizers quickly and easily, saving time and effort. The advantages and disadvantages of organic compost and scientific fertilizers are obvious. Over-reliance on chemical fertilizers will acidify the soil within just a few years, making it impossible for plants to grow, and ultimately leading to soil erosion and the worst situation.

[0012] The rational application of fertilizers is directly linked to increased food production.

[0013] Now, Japan's food policy has stalled. It is manifested in the easy import procurement of food, the stagnation of logistics due to the COVID-19 pandemic, crop failures due to abnormal weather, and the shock of fertilizer imports due to the Ukraine conflict, etc. As a result, the import of chemical fertilizers, which had been dependent on Russia and Ukraine, has stopped, and Japanese agriculture is on the verge of being blocked on all sides.

Prior Art Documents

Non-Patent Documents

[0014]

Non-Patent Document 1

[0015]

Non-Patent Document 2

[0016] [Non-Patent Document 3] Book "Soil, Compost, and Organic Matter" by Toshihide Matsuzaki, published on April 11, 2001, 9th printing, pages 96 - 97, the key is the adjustment of the carbon ratio (C / N ratio)

[0017] [Non-Patent Document 4] Book "The Basics and Practice of Organic Cultivation" by Masaaki Ozawa, published on September 25, 2022, 17th printing, pages 265 - 269, How to Use Compost Design Software

[0018] [Non-Patent Document 5] Monthly magazine "Bungei Shunju", March 2023 issue, published by Bungei Shunju Co., Ltd., (Special Emergency Feature) pages 94 - 163, Japanese food is in danger

[0019] [Non-Patent Document 6] Not searched in J-PlatPat. Also, most of the content spread in the media such as newspapers, magazines, and TV is only about the food crisis in our country. Regarding fertilizers, no media shows any interest. [Summary of the Invention] [Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

[0020] As described above, the current farming method relies too much or is too biased towards modern chemical fertilizers when applying fertilizers. However, the agricultural income has not increased and is almost suffering from deficits, and in fact, agriculture is declining more and more.

[0021] The reasons include the progress of the aging of agricultural workers, the pursuit of ease of labor, and the low agricultural income. Although this is related to the present invention, it is a problem that must be solved separately.

[0022] To stop the decline of agriculture, increasing food production is essential, and one of the absolutely necessary things is to ensure self-sufficiency or stable supply of fertilizers.

[0023] At present, the procurement of chemical fertilizers that relied on overseas sources has been disrupted. Particularly serious is the fact that Japan depends 100% on overseas for phosphorus and potassium, which are essential raw materials for the production of chemical fertilizers, and 96% for urea. Among them, most of the urea and phosphorus depend on China. With the deterioration of Sino-Japanese relations, China has given priority to its own country, and the consequences of relying too easily on overseas procurement in the past are now being felt. It is inevitable that procurement will be difficult in the future (see Non-Patent Documents 1, 5, and 6).

[0024] In addition, the farming methods themselves have also relied too easily on chemical fertilizers.

[0025] The problem that Japanese agriculture faces and needs to solve is that it has relied too easily on importing chemical fertilizers, and has neglected the existence of organic compost that is abundantly available in our country.

[0026] Furthermore, although chemical fertilizers have various demerits, if they are replaced with organic resources that are abundantly available in our country, the merits are more than sufficient. However, organic resources have the defect that they shrink during the stages of decay, fermentation, and decomposition, and will disappear if left unattended. That is, organic resources deteriorate over time, so timely and appropriate fertilization cannot be expected.

[0027] Therefore, it must be applied within a limited period for each type of crop.

[0028] For this purpose, how to prevent the deterioration of the commercialized organic fertilizer, that is, compost, and how to store it are the decisive problems to be solved in the present invention.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0029] Therefore, as a means for solving the above problems at once, the present invention proposes a technology for composting organic resources that can be abundantly procured in our country, storing them for a long time, and utilizing them timely and appropriately.

[0030] The means is to vacuum-pack the completed compost, store it for a required period, and apply it in a timely and appropriate manner.

[0031] Organic resources that can be procured domestically can be broadly classified into plant-based organic resources and animal-based organic resources.

[0032] As plant-based organic resources, there are the wood parts of trees, as well as branches or leaves. However, the climate in our country is rich in variations, including subtropical, temperate, and subarctic zones. There are hundreds of plant groups thriving in each zone.

[0033] For example, when observing the situation of a thicket, if one sees an overwhelming growth that is beyond control, it is obvious at a glance. There has never been any artificial maintenance, nor any supply of fertilizer or water. However, it grows wildly, far exceeding human weeding ability. Probably, the fallen leaves and fallen branches naturally decay, ferment, and decompose to become beneficial fertilizers, resulting in the vigorous growth of plants.

[0034] When these natural fallen materials become compost, they can be absorbed by plants even in an immature state, that is, in the state of water-soluble proteins. (Refer to Non-Patent Document 2)

[0035] These plant groups, excluding the deep forest parts, are subject to deforestation and weeding on the slopes of roads such as around the edges of mountains, around houses and vacant houses, and along highways. They grow wildly without any maintenance such as weeding on the edges of fields, thinning in artificial forests, and deforestation. All of these become plant-based organic resources.

[0036] Also, as animal-based organic resources, there are manure, carcasses of livestock and animals, food processing residues, processing residues of fish and shellfish, powder after purification treatment of human excrement, etc. The main components of these are proteins and fats containing nitrogen, which serve as heat sources to promote the decay, fermentation, and decomposition of plant-based organic resources, and the rest become fertilizer components.

[0037] Therefore, plant-based organic resources and animal-based organic resources can be mixed together to promote decay, fermentation, and decomposition, and at the same time, nitrogen can be supplied. We will call the mixed organic materials thus mixed compost.

[0038] And as a means to solve the above problems, the present invention stores the mixed organic materials, that is, compost, after vacuum packaging according to the degree of fermentation suitable for the purpose of use.

[0039] The present invention proposes a technique to completely stop decay, fermentation, and decomposition in order to enable storage. Making the packaging of compost vacuum in the storage technique completely blocks the entry and exit of air and moisture. Therefore, decay, fermentation, and decomposition stop precisely. Blocking direct sunlight is even more effective.

[0040] Also, in order to know the intended degree of design ripeness of the mixed organic materials, by taking any number of samplings, measuring moisture, measuring the C / N ratio, measuring pH, and performing component analysis, after adjusting the excess or deficiency while checking, a product that conforms to the manufacturing design is obtained. (Refer to Non-Patent Document 3 and Non-Patent Document 4)

[0041] As described above, up to the point of manufacturing the mixed organic raw materials as compost in accordance with the manufacturing design, it was possible with conventional techniques.

[0042] However, at the above stage, there were inconsistent irregularities when applying it at an appropriate time and in an appropriate amount to crops. It was impossible to appropriately manufacture compost at a time according to the nature of the crops.

[0043] The present invention incorporates the currently widely used vacuum packaging technology and, just like fresh food and processed food, solves the problems at once by vacuum packaging the mixed organic materials, that is, compost.

[0044] We will call this vacuum-packaged compost.

Advantages of the Invention

[0045] As described above, with the present invention, compost, which had various restrictions, can now be applied at the right time, in an appropriate number of times, and to any crop.

[0046] By application, the number of microorganisms inhabiting the soil increases significantly, and there is an immeasurable effect of granulating the soil structure most suitable for crop growth. This effect is not present in chemical fertilizers, and excessive use rather leads to an extreme decrease in the microbial biomass.

[0047] Application produces the effect of preventing soil acidification and soil erosion.

[0048] By application, the effect of enabling the regeneration of the traditional fertile soil can be obtained.

[0049] Therefore, replace the chemical fertilizers that have been dependent on imports from foreign countries until now with the mixed organic materials, that is, compost, without worry about the future, and enhance the self-sufficiency of fertilizers in our country.

[0050] By vacuum-packing the mixed organic materials, that is, compost, the transportation and storage costs can be reduced by the compressed amount.

[0051] It helps in the effective utilization of raw materials, so the beautification of the living environment can be preserved by tree felling, thinning, pruning, etc.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0052]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0053] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on FIGS. 1 to 4.

[0054] In FIG. 1, 1 to 9 are conventional compost manufacturing methods.

[0055] Next, 10 and 11 are for vacuum-packing the compost completed by the method according to the present invention, enabling annual application in a timely and appropriate manner.

[0056] 12 in Fig. 2 is a sample photo of vacuum-packed vegetable edamame.

[0057] 13 and 14 in Fig. 3 are sample photos of vacuum-packed meat and cut vegetables.

[0058] Fig. 4-15 is a photo of the appearance of the unpacked tare of the completed compost.

[0059] Fig. 4-16 is a photo of the appearance of the vacuum-packed completed compost.

[0060] The compression ratio of Fig. 4-15 and Fig. 4-16 is 100 to 50. That is, it is compressed at a ratio of 2 to 1.

Explanation of reference numerals

[0061] Flow chart of storing the completed compost after vacuum-packing and bagging Flow chart enabling annual application of the stored vacuum-packed compost in a timely and appropriate manner

Claims

【Claim 1】 Compost that has been vacuum-packed.

Images