Plant trays for protecting plants and methods for preparing the same

Abstract

A plant tray, comprising a base layer and a coating layer configured to coat the base layer. Said coating layer comprises an anti- microbial compound and a solution mixed with the anti- microbial compound.

Description

PLANT TRAYS FOR PROTECTING PLANTS AND METHODS FOR PREPARING THE SAMEFIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to plant trays for protecting plants and methods for preparing the same.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Plant trays are designed to hold multiple plants' pots or seedlings in a confined space, making them convenient for organizing and transporting plants. The plant trays come in various sizes and materials (e.g., plastic, metal, seedling trays). The trays are often standardized to accommodate specific pot sizes.

[0003] The plant trays are commonly used for seed starting, propagation, and organizing potted plants and delivery to the field for planting. The plant trays help keep plants organized and make it easier to water multiple pots at once. When the plants in the plant trays arrive the planting destination, or when the plants are ready to be planted, the plants are removed from the trays.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The subject matter discloses plant trays coated with a coating layer containing anti- microbial compounds. When in physical contact with wet or humid plant substrate, the anti- microbial compounds detach from the plant tray and envelope the roots. The anti- microbial compounds in the coating are released, hence protecting the plant from viruses, fungus and the like.

[0005] The coating layer comprises a solution mixed with anti- microbial compounds.The solution may be a water-soluble solution such as water, organic solvents and the like. The solution may be a polymer, for example a polymeric resin such as polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). Sodium alginate, Chitosan (soluble in acidic water), Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC),

[0006] Methylcellulose (MC), Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), Hydroxy ethyl cellulose (HEC), Corn starch, Potato starch, Tapioca starch, Chitosan, Gelatin, Soy protein, Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), Polyethylene oxide (PEG), Polyacrylic acid (PAA), Polyacrylamide, Polyethylene glycol (PEG), in addition , the solution may include plasticizers,such as Glycerol, Sorbitol, Polyethylene glycol, Polypropylene glycol, Starch, Sodium alginate, Coconut oil, Castor oil, ethylene acrylic acid and additional options selected by a person skilled in the art. The anti- microbial compounds may include Chlore Trisodium Phosphate, Sodium dichloroisocyanurate or other anti- microbial compounds selected by a person skilled in the art. The anti- microbial compounds may be dispensed on a secondary layer attached to the base layer of the plant tray. The secondary layer may be made from soft material such as paper, paper mash, wood powder, wood flakes, cardboard and a combination thereof.

[0007] The subject matter includes the plant trays, methods for protecting plants using plant trays coated by anti- microbial compounds mixed with the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and methods of producing plant trays coated by anti-viral compounds mixed with the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA).

[0008] A plant tray, comprising a base layer; a coating layer configured to coat the base layer, said coating layer comprises: an anti-microbial compound and a solution mixed with the anti- microbial compound.

[0009] In some cases, the anti- microbial compound is selected from Clothianidin,Chloropicrin, Metam sodium, Mctam potassium, Agrocelhone, Tebuconazole, Propiconazole, Sodium hypochlorite, calcium hypochlorite, hypochlorous acid, sodium hypochlorite, Dimethyl Benzyl Ammonium Chloride, 2-Phenylphenol, bromochlorodimethylhydantoin, Copper (0, II, III), Didecyldimethylammonium chloride, Glyoxal, Chlorinated trisodium phosphate and a combination of at least some of the above.

[0010] In some cases, the coating layer includes the anti- microbial compound in a range of 0.1-10 percent by weight. In some cases, the coating layer is present in a range of 0.5-20 gram per square meter of the base layer. In some cases, the coating layer includes the solution in a range of 3-20 percent by weight. In some cases, the base layer comprises a compound selected from plastic, expanded polystyrene foam (Styrofoam), paper pulp, molded fiber, wood, Biodegradable Plastics, vinyl, foam materials, recycled materials and a combination thereof.[Oi l] In some cases, the anti- microbial compound is selected from antiviral, antibacterial, fungicide, herbicide, insecticide, and nematicide. In some cases, the solution is of a hydrolysis level in a range of 70%-96%. In some cases, the solution comprises a polymeric resin. In some cases, the polymeric resin is selected from polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and ethylene acrylic acid.

[0012] In some cases, the solution comprises water. In some cases, the solution comprises organic solvents. In some cases, the solution comprises cellulose. In some cases, the solution comprises paper. In some cases, the solution comprises cardboard. In some cases, the solution comprises wood flakes. In some cases, the solution comprises wood powder.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] The invention may be more clearly understood upon reading of the following detailed description of non-limiting exemplary embodiments thereof, with reference to the following drawings, in which:

[0014] Figure 1 shows a method for protecting plants from viruses, according to exemplary embodiments of the subject matter.

[0015] Figures 2A-2C show a plant tray before coated, after coated and after the coating layer becomes separate from the plant tray, according to exemplary embodiments of the subject matter.

[0016] The following detailed description of embodiments of the invention refers to the accompanying drawings referred to above. Dimensions of components and features shown in the figures are chosen for convenience or clarity of presentation and are not necessarily shown to scale. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings and the following description to refer to the same and like parts.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] Illustrative embodiments of the invention are described below. In the interest of clarity, not all features / components of an actual implementation are necessarily described.

[0018] The technical challenge addressed in the subject matter is to protect plants from viruses when they are planted in the ground. More specifically, when plants in the growing trays are sent to the field to be planted in the ground or soilless substrate, upon removal from the growing tray the roots seedling tend to tear, this makes the plant particularly vulnerable to soil viruses because they penetrate through the torn rhizomes in the root system, hence infecting the plants. Therefore, protecting the roots system from tears and covering it with antiviralcoating will decrease the infections of the plants from the roots. The term “infect” may also describe contamination, conveying viruses and the like.

[0019] The subject matter discloses a plant tray configured to carry plants. The plant tray comprises a base layer on which the plants are carried or compartments for storing the plants separately (fewer plants per compartment). The base layer of the plant tray is coated or otherwise covered by a coating compound configured to protect the plants from at least one of viruses, bacteria, fungus and the like. The coating layer comprises an anti- microbial compound and a solution mixed with the anti- microbial compound. The solution may include one or a mix of these compounds: ethylene or propylene acrylic acid co-polymers; ethylene or propylene methacrylic acid co-polymers; ethylene or propylene acrylic acid co-polymers; ethylene vinyl acetate co-polymers; co-polymers of ethylene or propylene, ester of methacrylic or acrylic acid, polyvinyl alcohol and anti-viral compounds, such as Chlore Trisodium Phosphate, Sodium dichloroisocyanurate or other anti-viral compounds selected by a person skilled in the art. In some exemplary cases, the compound included in the solution may be of an hydrolysis level of 70%-96%. In some cases, the solution’s viscosity [mPa*s] is in the range of 2.5-65. In some cases, the molecular weight of the compound included in the solution is in the range of 9,000- 250,000.

[0020] The coating compound may be dispensed onto the plant tray in the form of a paste, aerosol, liquid, and the like. The coating compound may be poured onto the plant tray during the manufacturing process of the plant tray, or later, for example in a facility in which the plant trays are supplied to customers, or in a facility in which the plants are placed on or in the plant trays. The coating compound may be dispensed onto an additional layer of material secured to the base layer of the plant tray. The additional layer may be made of paper, paper mash, cardboard and the like, and secured to the base layer using adhesives or another technique.

[0021] Examples:

[0022] Example 1: A plastic sheet having a surface area of 40 square meters is coated using a coating compound of 60 grams. The coating compound comprises Ethylene Acrylic acid (EAA) soluble in water at 8-30 percent w / w. The coating compound also comprises Chlore Trisodium Phosphate of 3% w / w of the compound. From the 60 grams of the coating compound, Chlore Trisodium Phosphate is present at 1.8 grams, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is present at 4.8 grams and water is present at 54.4 grams.

[0023] Example 2: A plastic sheet having a surface area of 40 square meters is coated using a coating compound of 160 grams. The coating compound comprises EAA soluble in water at 11 percent w / w. The coating compound also comprises Sodium dichloroisocyanurate of 0.3% w / w of the compound. From the 160 grams of the coating compound, Sodium dichloroisocyanurate is present at 0.48 grams, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is present at 17.6 grams and water is present at 141.92 grams.

[0024] The seedlings planted in the virus infected soil or other substrate were not affected by the virus after planting because when the virus approaches it is inhibited by the coating. These chemicals that can be used as antiviral, antimicrobial, fungicide, herbicide, insecticide, and nematicide usage: Clothianidin, Chloropicrin, Metam sodium, Mctam potassium, Agrocelhone, Tebuconazole, Propiconazole, Sodium hypochlorite, calcium hypochlorite, hypochlorous acid, sodium hypochlorite, Dimethyl Benzyl Ammonium Chloride, 2-Phenylphenol, bromochlorodimethylhydantoin, Copper (0, II, III), Didecyldimethylammonium chloride, Glyoxal, Chlorinated trisodium phosphate and a combination of at least some of the above.

[0025] Figure 1 shows a method for protecting plants from viruses, according to exemplary embodiments of the subject matter.

[0026] Step 110 discloses creating a sheet of material used as base layer of a plant tray.The base layer may be made of one or more of the following materials:

[0027] 1. Plastic, one of the most common materials for plant trays, mainlyPolypropylene (PP), Polyethylene (PE), and polystyrene (PS) are common plastic materials used. 2. Expanded polystyrene foam (Styrofoam). 3. Plant trays made of paper pulp or molded fiber are biodegradable and environmentally friendly. 4. Wood: Wooden plant trays, often made from materials like cedar. 5. Biodegradable Plastics, such as Polylactic Acid (PLA), Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), Starch-Based Plastics, Polybutylene Succinate (PBS), Polyhydroxyurethanes (PHUs), Polyglycolic Acid (PGA), Tapioca-Based Plastics, Recycled Plastics with Additives. 6. Vinyl. 7. A variety of foam materials. 8. Recycled Materials such as recycled plastics, paper, or other materials.

[0028] The size and shape of the sheet may change according to customer requirements, seasonal changes, properties of the plants and the like.

[0029] Step 120 discloses coating the base layer. The coating may be done by the following techniques - Spray coating, Dip Coating, Spin Coating, Electrospinning, ChemicalVapor Deposition (CVD), Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD), Sol-Gel Coating, Layer-by- Layer (LbL) Assembly, Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD), Electrochemical Deposition, Hot- Dip Galvanizing, Gravure coating, Flexo coating and the like. The amount of coating may be sufficient to create a coating layer in the amount of 0.5-15 grams per square meter (g / mA2).

[0030] Step 130 discloses drying the sheet after the coating process. The time and temperature range for drying the sheet and the coating may be selected by a person skilled in the art. Exemplary embodiments of the subject matter include heating for 1-150 minutes at 50- 200 degrees Celsius.

[0031] Step 140 discloses forming the plant tray from the coated sheet. The formation may be done by folding parts of the sheet, stretching parts of the sheet, cutting parts of the sheet and similar techniques. The formation may be done using vacuum forming techniques.

[0032] Step 150 discloses placing plants into the plant trays coated with the coating compound. The plants may be placed on the plant trays with soil covering at least a portion of the plant. Humidity of the soil causes some of the coating to be absorbed into the soil or cover a portion of the soil and / or parts of the plant itself.

[0033] Step 160 discloses the coating compound becoming separate from the plant trays and absorbing or mixing with the plant or the soil that surrounds the plant. Separating the coating compound may result from the humidity level of the plant or the plant’s soil. The humidity results in a chemical process that attracts the coating compound of the subject matter.

[0034] Each of the following terms written in singular grammatical form: ‘a’, ‘an’, and‘the’, as used herein, means ‘at least one’, or ‘one or more’. Use of the phrase ‘one or more’ herein does not alter this intended meaning of ‘a’, ‘an’, or ‘the’. Accordingly, the terms ‘a’, ‘an’, and ‘the’, as used herein, may also refer to, and encompass, a plurality of the stated entity or object, unless otherwise specifically defined or stated herein, or, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0035] Figures 2A-2C show a plant tray before coated, after coated and after the coating layer becomes separate from the plant tray, according to exemplary embodiments of the subject matter.

[0036] Figure 2A shows a plant tray before the coating process. The plant tray comprises a base 215 and sidewalls 210 and 212 that form a volume in which a plant can be placed. The base 215 and sidewalls 210 and 212 may include pores to enable fluid to flow therethrough. The base 215 and sidewalls 210 and 212 may be made of the same material orfrom different materials, such as base layer comprises a compound selected from plastic, expanded polystyrene foam (Styrofoam), paper pulp, molded fiber, wood, Biodegradable Plastics, vinyl, foam materials, recycled materials and a combination thereof. The base 215 and sidewalls 210 and 212 form the base layer of the plant tray of the claimed invention. The base 215 and sidewalls 210 and 212 may be folded, stretched, strengthened or otherwise manipulated to form the shape and size of the plant tray. The cross section of the plant tray may be polygonal, elliptical, a combination thereof, or any other shape desired by a person skilled in the art.

[0037] Figure 2B shows a plant tray after the coating process. In some cases, the total weight of the plant tray increases after the coating process at a rate of 1-5 percent. Base 225 and sidewalls 220 and 222 include the coating layer. In some cases, the coating layer is dispensed only in a portion of the base layer of the plant tray, for example dispensed only on the sidewalls 220 and 222, dispensed only on the base 225 dispensed on a portion of the sidewalls 220 and 222, dispensed only on a portion of the base 225 and the like. After the coating process, the plant tray is made of the base layer and a coating layer that is added during the coating process.

[0038] The coating process may be done by Spray coating, Dip Coating, Spin Coating,Electrospinning, Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD), Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD), Sol- Gel Coating, Lay er-by- Layer (LbL) Assembly, Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD), Electrochemical Deposition, Hot-Dip Galvanizing, Gravure coating, Flexo coating and the like. The amount of coating may be sufficient to create a coating layer in the amount of 0.5-15 grams per square meter (g / mA2). The coating layer may change a physical or chemical property of the plant tray, such as rigidity level or smoothness, either by increasing the level or decreasing it. The coating layer comprises a solution and an anti- microbial compound. The solution enables coating the anti- microbial compound on the base layer and enables separation of the antimicrobial compound from the base layer when the coated plant tray is in contact with a humid material such as soil. The anti- microbial compound is selected from antiviral, antibacterial, fungicide, herbicide, insecticide, and nematicide.

[0039] Figure 2C shows a plant tray after the coating layer becomes separate from the plant tray. The separation of the coating layer from the base layer may be done gradually, for example over a week, a day, two hours and the like. After the coating layer is in physical contact with the humid material, such as soil 240 of a plant, a portion of the coating layer may remain coated on the base layer, for example 5-50 percent of the coating layer by weight. In somecases, the sidewalls 230, 232 and base 235 may still contain a portion of the coating layer, more than the amount shown in figure 2A and less than the amount shown in figure 2B.

[0040] Each of the following terms: ‘includes’, ‘including’, ‘has’, ‘having’,‘comprises’, and ‘comprising’, and, their linguistic / grammatical variants, derivatives, or / and conjugates, as used herein, means ‘including, but not limited to’, and is to be taken as specifying the stated component(s), feature(s), characteristic(s), parameter(s), integer(s), or step(s), and does not preclude addition of one or more additional component(s), feature(s), characteristic(s), parameter(s), integer(s), step(s), or groups thereof. Each of these terms is considered equivalent in meaning to the phrase ‘consisting essentially of’ Each of the phrases ‘consisting of’ and ‘consists of’, as used herein, means ‘including and limited to.’

[0041] The phrase ‘consisting essentially of’, as used herein, means that the stated entity or item (composition, product, material, method or process, step or procedure, sub-step or sub-procedure), which is an entirety or part of an exemplary embodiment of the disclosed invention, or / and which is used for implementing an exemplary embodiment of the disclosed invention, may include at least one additional component or ingredient, but only if each such additional component or ingredient does not materially alter the basic novel and inventive characteristics or special technical features, of the claimed entity or item.

[0042] The term ‘method’, as used herein, refers to steps, procedures, manners, means, or / and techniques, for accomplishing a given task including, but not limited to, those steps, procedures, manners, means, or / and techniques, either known to, or readily developed from known steps, procedures, manners, means, or / and techniques, by practitioners in the relevant field(s) of the disclosed invention.

[0043] Throughout this disclosure, a numerical value of a parameter, feature, characteristic, object, or dimension, may be stated or described in terms of a numerical range format. Such a numerical range format, as used herein, illustrates implementation of some exemplary embodiments of the invention, and does not inflexibly limit the scope of the exemplary embodiments of the invention. Accordingly, a stated or described numerical range also refers to, and encompasses, all possible sub-ranges and individual numerical values (where a numerical value may be expressed as a whole, integral, or fractional number) within that stated or described numerical range. For example, a stated or described numerical range ‘from 1 to 6’ also refers to, and encompasses, all possible sub-ranges, such as ‘from 1 to 3’, ‘from 1 to 4’, ‘from 1 to 5’, ‘from 2 to 4’, ‘from 2 to 6’, ‘from 3 to 6’, etc., and individualnumerical values such as ‘1’, ‘1.3’, ‘2’, ‘2.8,’ ‘3’, ‘3.5’, ‘4’, ‘4.6’, ‘5’, ‘5.2’, and ‘6’, within the stated or described numerical range of ‘from 1 to 6’. This applies regardless of the numerical breadth, extent, or size, of the stated or described numerical range.

[0044] Moreover, for stating or describing a numerical range, the phrase ‘in a range of between about a first numerical value and about a second numerical value’, is considered equivalent to, and meaning the same as, the phrase ‘in a range of from about a first numerical value to about a second numerical value’, and, thus, the two equivalently meaning phrases may be used interchangeably. For example, for stating or describing the numerical range of room temperature, the phrase ‘room temperature refers to a temperature in a range of between about 20° C. and about 25° C.’, and is considered equivalent to, and meaning the same as, the phrase ‘room temperature refers to a temperature in a range of from about 20° C. to about 25° C.’ The term ‘about’, as used herein, refers to ±10% of the stated numerical value.

[0045] It should be understood that the above description is merely exemplary and that there are various embodiments of the present invention that may be devised, mutatis mutandis, and that the features described in the above-described embodiments, and those not described herein, may be used separately or in any suitable combination; and the invention can be devised in accordance with embodiments not necessarily described above.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A plant tray, comprising: a base layer; a coating layer configured to coat the base layer, said coating layer comprises: an anti- microbial compound; a solution mixed with the anti- microbial compound.

2. The plant tray of claim 1, wherein the anti- microbial compound is selected from Clothianidin, Chloropicrin, Metam sodium, MetamD potassium, Agrocelhone, Tebuconazole, Propiconazole, Sodium hypochlorite, calcium hypochlorite, hypochlorous acid, Dimethyl Benzyl Ammonium Chloride, 2-Phenylphenol, bromochlorodimethylhydantoin, Copper (0, II, III), Didecyldimethylammonium chloride, Glyoxal, Calcium hypochlorite, Sodium phosphate, Chlorinated trisodium phosphate, Benzalkonium chloride, Chlorhexidine Povidone-iodine, Silver compounds (as silver sulfadiazine or silver nanoparticles), Hydrogen peroxide, Peracetic acid, Chitosan, Essential oils as thyme, oregano, clove, Phenolic compounds and a combination of at least some of the above.

3. The plant tray of claim 1, wherein the coating layer includes the anti- microbial compound in a range of 0.1-10 percent by weight.

4. The plant tray of claim 1, wherein the coating layer is present in a range of 0.5-20 gram per square meter of the base layer.

5. The plant tray of claim 1, wherein the coating layer includes the solution in a range of 3-20 percent by weight.

6. The plant tray of claim 1, wherein the base layer comprises a compound selected from plastic, expanded polystyrene foam (Styrofoam), paper pulp, molded fiber, wood, Biodegradable Plastics, vinyl, foam materials, recycled materials and a combination thereof.

7. The plant tray of claim 1, wherein the anti- microbial compound is selected from antiviral, antibacterial, fungicide, herbicide, insecticide, and nematicide.

8. The plant tray of claim 1, wherein the solution is of a hydrolysis level in a range of 70%-96%.

9. The plant tray of claim 1, wherein the solution comprises a polymeric resin.

10. The plant tray of claim 9, wherein the polymeric resin is selected from polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and ethylene acrylic acid.

11. The plant tray of claim 1, wherein the solution comprises water.

12. The plant tray of claim 1, wherein the solution comprises organic solvents.

13. The plant tray of claim 1, wherein the solution comprises cellulose.

14. The plant tray of claim 1, wherein the solution comprises paper.

15. The plant tray of claim 1, wherein the solution comprises cardboard.

16. The plant tray of claim 1, wherein the solution comprises wood flakes.

17. The plant tray of claim 1, wherein the solution comprises wood powder.

18. The plant tray of claim 1, wherein the solution comprises plasticizers.

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