Scented Soil Additive for Odor-Free Nutrient Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing plant fertilizers, especially those from natural sources, often have undesirable odors, particularly when used indoors, and fail to provide significant and sustained nutrient delivery to plants.
Innovation Solution
A water-dissolvable carrier system that incorporates plant nutrients from sources like guano, egg shells, or seaweed, combined with odiferous compounds from culinary herbs, such as essential oils of thyme, clove, and rosemary, to provide a pleasant scent and effective nutrient distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If natural source fertilizers (guano, animal dung) are used, then plant nutrients are provided, but undesirable odor is generated
Solution Approach 1:
The fertilizer is segmented into multiple functional components: nutrient sources (guano, egg shells, seaweed), odor-masking agents (essential oils of culinary herbs), and water-dissolvable carriers. Each component performs a specific function, allowing the nutrient delivery and odor control to be independently optimized and combined.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite fertilizer formulation that combines natural nutrient sources with odor-controlling essential oils and water-soluble polymers. This composite material delivers plant nutrients while simultaneously providing a pleasant scent, resolving the contradiction between nutrient provision and odor generation.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If leaf sprays with odorants are used, then desirable scent is provided, but nutrient delivery is limited and short-acting
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the functions of scent provision and nutrient delivery into a single fertilizer product. Essential oils providing desirable scents are combined with substantial amounts of plant nutrients and water-dissolvable carriers, creating a multi-functional product that outperforms separate leaf spray applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The fertilizer formulation serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides substantial plant nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and other elements), delivers desirable scents from essential oils, and ensures sustained release through water-dissolvable carrier polymers. This multi-functionality addresses both the scent requirement and nutrient delivery limitation.
3Quantity of substance
If conventional fertilizers are used, then plant nutrients are delivered, but duration of action is short
Solution Approach 1:
Water-dissolvable carrier polymers serve as intermediaries between the fertilizer ingredients and the environment. These polymers control the release rate of nutrients and essential oils, providing sustained action over time rather than immediate but short-lived effects.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical and chemical parameters of the fertilizer formulation by using water-dissolvable carrier polymers with specific molecular weights and solubility characteristics. This modifies the release kinetics of nutrients, extending the duration of action from short-term to sustained release.
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 solution offers a long-lasting, odor-free nutrient delivery system that repels pests and encourages plant growth, addressing the odor issues and nutrient delivery limitations of existing fertilizers while providing a pleasant environment.
Implementation Method 1
a water-dissolvable carrier that can be inserted into the soil, that would provide both significant amounts of plant nutrients
Data Source
AI summary
A composition of matter comprising a plant-usable nutrient derived from a first source, an odiferous compound obtained from a second source different from the first source; and a water-dissolvable carrier that carries the plant-usable nutrient and the odiferous compound.