Methods for application of biochar

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10233129-B2
Application number	US-201615263227-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 12, 2016
Priority date	Jun 6, 2011
Publication date	Mar 19, 2019
Grant date	Mar 19, 2019

Abstract

A method is provided for applying porous carbonaceous particles to soil for purpose of cultivating plants having roots, where at least 95% of the porous carbonaceous particles have a particle size less than or equal to 10 mm. The method incorporates the porous carbonaceous particles into the soil surrounding the plant roots at a depth of between 0-24 inches from the soil surface, where the porous carbonaceous particles are positioned in the area surrounding the roots of the plants at a ratio of between 1:999 to 1:1 porous carbonaceous particles to soil.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method for applying treated porous carbonaceous particles to soil for the purpose of cultivating plant growth of plants having roots, where at least 95% of the treated porous carbonaceous particles have a particle size less than or equal to 10 mm and have been treated by infusing a liquid into the pores of the porous carbonaceous particles, the method comprising: incorporating the treated porous carbonaceous particles into the soil surrounding the root zone of the plants roots, where the treated porous carbonaceous particles are positioned in the area surrounding the roots of the plants where the volumetric percentage of the treated porous carbonaceous particles in the soil surrounding the root zone is between 0.1% to 10%.

2. The method of claim 1 where the incorporation of the treated porous carbonaceous particles to the soil surrounding the plant roots further includes the steps of:
creating voids in the area of soil where the plants are to be planted;
mixing the treated porous carbonaceous particles with backfill soil at a ratio of between 1:999 to 1:9 treated porous carbonaceous particles to soil;
filling the voids with a backfill soil mixture to cover the bottom of each of the voids;
placing plants in the voids; and
filling any open area in the void surrounding the roots of the plants with the backfill soil mixture.

3. The method of claim 2 where the plant is a tree and the treated porous carbonaceous particles are mixed with the backfill soil at a rate of approximately five percent treated porous carbonaceous-particles in the backfill soil.

4. The method of claim 2 where the plant is a vine.

5. The method of claim 2 where the plant is a flowering plant, the voids are created in containers and the treated porous carbonaceous particles are mixed with the backfill soil.

6. The method of claim 2 where the plant is a vegetable producing plant, the voids are created in containers and the treated porous carbonaceous particles are mixed with the backfill soil.

7. The method of claim 1 where the treated porous carbonaceous particles are derived from wood.

8. The method of claim 1 where the treated porous carbonaceous particles are derived from coconut shells.

9. The method of claim 1 where the treated porous carbonaceous particles are treated by infusing the liquid into the macropores of the plurality of porous carbonaceous particles using a vacuum.

10. The method of claim 1 where the treated porous carbonaceous particles are treated by infusing the liquid into the macropores of the plurality of porous carbonaceous particles using a surfactant.

11. A method for enhancing a soil environment with treated porous carbonaceous particles for the purpose of cultivating plant growth, the method comprising the steps of:
creating a void for the acceptance of a plant having roots or plant seed;
mixing the treated porous carbonaceous particles into the soil at a ratio of between 1:999 to 1:9 treated porous carbonaceous particles to soil, where at least 95% of the treated porous carbonaceous particles have a particle size less than or equal to 10 mm and have been treated by infusing the porous carbonaceous particles with a liquid; and
adding the soil mixture to the void.

12. The method of claim 11 where the void is filled with the soil mixture such that the soil mixture covers the bottom of the void, where the plant having roots or plant seed is placed in the void on top of the soil mixture and where any open area in the void surrounding the roots or seed of the plant placed in the void is then filled with the soil mixture.

13. The method of claim 12 where the plant having roots or plant seed is a tree and the treated porous carbonaceous particles are mixed with backfill soil in the ratio of approximately one part treated porous carbonaceous particles to nineteen parts backfill soil to create the soil mixture.

14. The method of claim 12 where the plant having roots or plant seed is a vine and the treated porous carbonaceous particles are mixed with backfill soil.

15. The method of claim 12 where the plant having roots or plant seed is a flowering plant, the voids are created in containers and the soil mixture is placed in the containers.

16. The method of claim 12 where the plant having roots or plant seed is a vegetable producing plant, the voids are created in containers and the soil mixture is placed in the containers.

17. The method of claim 11 where the treated porous carbonaceous particles are derived from wood.

18. The method of claim 11 where the treated porous carbonaceous particles are derived from coconut shells.

19. The method of claim 11 where the treated porous carbonaceous particles are treated by infusing the liquid into the macropores of the plurality of porous carbonaceous particles using a vacuum.

20. The method of claim 11 where the treated porous carbonaceous particles are treated by infusing the liquid into the macropores of the plurality of porous carbonaceous particles using a surfactant.

21. A method for enhancing a soil environment having plant beds with treated porous carbonaceous particles for the purpose of cultivating plants for plant growth, the method comprising: incorporating the treated porous carbonaceous particles into the top 1-6″ inches of the soil of the plant beds, where at least 95% of the treated porous carbonaceous particles have a particle size less than or equal to 10 mm and have been treated by infusing the porous carbonaceous particles with a liquid, and where the treated porous carbonaceous particles are incorporated into the soil of the plant beds at a rate of between 0.5 to 10 cubic yards per acre.

22. The method of claim 21 where the treated porous carbonaceous particles are incorporated into the top 2-3″ inches of the plant beds.

23. The method of claim 21 where the treated porous carbonaceous particles are incorporated into the top 4-6″ inches of the plant beds.

24. The method of claim 21 where the treated porous carbonaceous particles are incorporated by spreading the treated porous carbonaceous particles over the surface of the soil and then tilling the soil or bedding the soil up.

25. The method of claim 21 where the treated porous carbonaceous particles are incorporated by spreading the porous carbonaceous particles over the surface of the soil of the plant beds and then incorporating the treated porous carbonaceous particles into the soil by tilling or cultivating.

26. The method of claim 21 where the treated porous carbonaceous particles are incorporated into the soil of the plant beds at a rate of between 0.5 to 5 cubic yards per acre.

27. The method of claim 21 where the treated porous carbonaceous particles are incorporated into the soil of the plant beds by side dressing the plant beds with a spreader and a disk.

28. The method of claim 21 where the treated porous carbonaceous particles are incorporated into the top 4-6″ of the soil on the side of the plant bed.

29. The method of claim 21 where the treated porous carbonaceous particles are derived from wood.

30. The method of claim 21 where the treated porous carbonaceous particles are derived from coconut shells.

31. The method of claim 21 where the treated porous carbonaceous particles are treated by infusing the liquid into the macropores of the plurality of p

Assignees

• Cool Planet Energy Systems Inc

Inventors

• Kim Han Suk
• Dolinar Kevin Daniel
• Jarand Mark L
• Traxler Vern
• Thompson Timothy Alan
• Malyala Rajashekharam

Classifications

• C05G3/80

  Soil conditioners · CPC title

• C09K17/04

  applied in a physical form other than a solution or a grout, e.g. as granules or gases · CPC title

• A01C21/005

  Following a specific plan, e.g. pattern · CPC title

• C09K17/40

  containing mixtures of inorganic and organic compounds · CPC title

• A01G17/02

  Cultivation of hops or vines · CPC title