Soluble Calcium Fertilizer with Boron Mediator

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Solution Overview

Problem

There is a need for new agricultural compositions that supply nutrients to plants in a readily available form, as existing fertilizers may not effectively provide calcium and other essential micronutrients in a form readily taken up by plants.

Innovation Solution

A fertilizer composition containing calcium, boron, proline, hydroxyproline, L-tryptophan, glycolic acid, and an adjuvant, with a calcium-to-boron ratio of 10:1, is developed, which is designed as a concentrated liquid fertilizer for dilution and application, incorporating soluble calcium sources and other nutrients like phosphorus and potassium, to enhance plant nutrition without relying on auxin components.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If calcium is supplied separately in the form of lime added to soil, then calcium can be provided to plants, but the calcium is not readily taken up by plants and requires separate application

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecalcium uptake efficiencyVSAvoidapplication complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines calcium with boron and other nutrients in a single fertilizer composition, integrating multiple nutrient delivery functions. This merging allows calcium to be supplied together with boron (which enhances calcium uptake) and other essential nutrients, eliminating the need for separate lime application while improving calcium uptake efficiency through the synergistic effect of boron.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

Boron acts as an intermediary that facilitates calcium uptake by plants. The patent leverages boron's role in enhancing calcium transport and utilization, where boron serves as a mediator that improves the plant's ability to absorb and use calcium, thereby resolving the issue of poor calcium uptake without requiring separate application methods.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If existing fertilizers are used, then plants receive basic nutrients, but calcium and micronutrients are not provided in a readily available form

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenutrient availabilityVSAvoidformulation flexibility
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a composite fertilizer formulation that integrates calcium, boron, and other nutrients into a single composition with enhanced availability. This composite approach combines multiple nutrient sources and utilizes their synergistic interactions, particularly the interaction between boron and calcium, to provide nutrients in a readily available form that overcomes the limitations of conventional separate nutrient applications.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

3Ease of manufacture

If concentrated liquid fertilizer is used, then shipping and handling are facilitated, but the formulation must remain stable without auxin components

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveshipping convenienceVSAvoidformulation stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent optimizes the concentration parameters and composition ratios of calcium, boron, and other nutrients to achieve formulation stability in concentrated liquid form. By carefully controlling the parameters of the fertilizer composition and eliminating auxin components that may cause instability, the formulation maintains stability while retaining the shipping and handling advantages of concentrated liquid form.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS8444742B2Soluble calcium fertilizer formulation
Publication Date: 2013.05.21 MILLER CHEM & FERTILIZER LLC

AI summary

A concentrated aqueous fertilizer which is readily water-soluble and a method of applying the solubilized dilute fertilizer to crops to enhance crop production are described. The dry fertilizer contains a contains nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium compounds, as well as a mixture of plant growth stimulators including at least one of each of growth promoters, vitamins, amino acids, carbohydrates/polysaccharides, and adjuvants.