Microbial Protectant Matrix for High-Salt Fertilizer Granulation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods struggle to uniformly mix chemical fertilizers with high salt indices and viable beneficial microorganisms, leading to the death of microorganisms during the preparation of chemical fertilizer-biological compound fertilizers, resulting in low microbial activity and short shelf life.

Innovation Solution

A microbial protectant comprising alginate oligosaccharide, tetrahydropyrimidine, and optionally burdock oligosaccharide, chitosan oligosaccharide, amino acid, vegetable oil, fumaric acid, and citric acid, which forms a protective matrix around microbial cells, enhancing their survival in high-salt environments and maintaining high activity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If chemical fertilizer with high salt index is mixed with viable beneficial microorganisms to prepare chemical fertilizer-biological compound fertilizer, then nutrient use efficiency is improved, but microorganisms die during preparation due to high temperature, high salt, and drying

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemicrobial activityVSAvoidhigh salt and high temperature damage
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a protective agent as an intermediary substance between the chemical fertilizer and microorganisms. This protective agent forms a protective layer around microorganisms, isolating them from the harmful high-salt and high-temperature environment during granulation, thereby maintaining their viability while enabling uniform mixing with chemical fertilizer.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies protective agents to microorganisms before they are exposed to the harsh granulation process. This beforehand cushioning creates a protective barrier that cushions microorganisms against the upcoming high-temperature and high-salt stress, preventing cell death during the preparation process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

2Ease of manufacture

If microorganisms are added during granulation process, then chemical fertilizer-biological compound fertilizer is formed, but high temperature and drying cause death of a large number of microorganisms

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegranulation processVSAvoidmicrobial survival rate
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The protective agent serves as an intermediary that enables the granulation process to proceed without killing microorganisms. It allows the mechanical and thermal stress of granulation to be applied while the protective layer mediates the interaction, preventing direct damage to microbial cells.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent modifies the physical and chemical parameters of the microbial formulation by incorporating protective agents that change the microenvironment around microorganisms. This parameter change includes altering osmotic pressure, temperature buffering, and moisture retention, allowing microorganisms to survive the granulation conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If microbial fertilizer is applied alone in the field, then beneficial microorganisms are introduced, but fertilizer efficiency is slow and product shelf life is short

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefertilizer efficiencyVSAvoidproduct shelf life
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a composite fertilizer product that combines chemical fertilizer and biological fertilizer into a single formulation. This composite structure allows the chemical fertilizer to provide immediate nutrient availability while the protected microorganisms provide sustained biological activity, thereby improving both short-term efficiency and long-term shelf life.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The patent merges two previously separate fertilizer types (chemical and biological) into a unified compound fertilizer. This merging allows the advantages of both types to work synergistically: the chemical fertilizer component ensures rapid nutrient release while the protected microbial component maintains viability and provides extended biological function, solving the shelf life problem of pure microbial fertilizers.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The microbial protectant significantly increases the survival rate and activity of microorganisms in chemical fertilizer-biological compound fertilizers, ensuring a viable number of 200 million cfu/g or more, even after 12 months of storage, and maintaining effective microbial function in the soil for field crops.

Implementation Method 1

forms a protective matrix around microbial cells, enhancing their survival in high-salt environments

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectProtective matrix formation:

Implementation Method 2

alginate oligosaccharide and tetrahydropyrimidine, which forms a protective matrix around microbial cells

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectOsmotic pressure regulation: Osmotic Pressure

Implementation Method 3

10% humic acid is added to the bacterial solution as an adsorbent

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAdsorption: Adsorption

Data Source

PatentUS12365636B2Microbial protectant in high-nutrient and high-activity chemical fertilizer-biological compound fertilizer and preparation method thereof
Publication Date: 2025.07.22 WUZHOUFENG AGRI SCI & TECH

AI summary

A microbial protectant in a high-nutrient and high-activity chemical fertilizer-biological compound fertilizer and a preparation method thereof are related, belonging to the technical field of biological extracts. The microbial protectant mainly includes alginate oligosaccharide and tetrahydropyrimidine, with the other ingredients further including at least one of burdock oligosaccharide, chitosan oligosaccharide, amino acid, vegetable oil, fumaric acid, and citric acid. The microbial protectant can protect microorganisms from injury and death in extreme environments, such as a high-salt environment, has broad application prospects, and may be applied to the preparation of a high-activity microbial agent and the preparation of a high-nutrient chemical fertilizer-biological compound fertilizer.