Micronized earth alkali carbonate-containing material, for regulating the pH of a soil

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11591272-B2
Application number	US-201414917078-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2014
Priority date	Oct 4, 2013
Publication date	Feb 28, 2023
Grant date	Feb 28, 2023

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for regulating the pH of a soil as well as the use of at least one earth alkali carbonate-containing material having a weight median particle size d 50 value of ≤50.0 μm for optimizing or improving the pH of a soil as well as the use of an irrigation or spraying system for the application of an aqueous suspension comprising at least one earth alkali carbonate-containing material in order to optimize or improve the pH of a soil.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for regulating the pH of a soil, the method comprising:
applying an aqueous suspension comprising 0.001 to 30 wt.-% at least one earth alkali carbonate-containing material that is limestone, based on the weight of the aqueous suspension and comprising 0.1 to 30 wt.-% of a water softener based on the weight of the aqueous suspension, on and/or into soil through an irrigation or spraying system, in an amount from 1.0 to 100.0 kg/ha, based on the at least one earth alkali carbonate-containing material, per pH increase of 0.1 of the soil, to regulate the pH of the soil, wherein the at least one earth alkali carbonate-containing material comprises natural ground calcium carbonate, wherein a ratio of the pH of the soil at 2, 4, 6, 8, 24 and/or 52 weeks after applying the at least one earth alkali carbonate-containing material to the pH of the soil before applying the at least one earth alkali carbonate-containing material is 1.05 to 1.4, and the at least one earth alkali carbonate-containing material comprises:
a) a weight median particle size diameter d 50 in the range from 0.3 μm to 20.0 μm,
b) a specific surface area (BET) in the range from 1.0 m 2 /g to 10.0 m 2 /g as measured by a BET nitrogen method, and
c) a density in the range from 2.5 to 3.5 g/cm 3 .

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one earth alkali carbonate-containing material comprises:
a) a weight median particle size diameter d 50 in the range from 0.5 μm to 15.0 μm,
b) a specific surface area (BET) in the range from 3.0 m 2 /g to 8.0 m 2 /g as measured by the BET nitrogen method, and
c) a density in the range from 2.6 to 3.0 g/cm 3 .

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aqueous suspension comprises at least one compound selected from the group consisting of fertilizer, soil conditioner, bactericide, fungicide, insecticide, herbicide, anti-evaporation agent, anti-freezing agent, buffering agent, and any mixture thereof.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the irrigation system is selected from the group consisting of drip irrigation, fertigation, sprinklers, pivots, distribution with booms, and any mixture thereof.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the soil before applying the at least one earth alkali carbonate-containing material has a pH≤7.2, and after applying the at least one earth alkali carbonate-containing material has a pH≤7.2, wherein the pH is determined after 2, 4, 6, 8, 24 and/or 52 weeks of applying the at least one earth alkali carbonate-containing material on and/or into the soil.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the soil has pH, before applying the at least one earth alkali carbonate-containing material of 3.5<pH≤7.0, and a pH, after applying the at least one earth alkali carbonate-containing material of 5.1<pH≤7.2, wherein the pH is determined after 2, 4, 6, 8, 24 and/or 52 weeks of applying the at least one earth alkali carbonate-containing material on and/or into the soil.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one earth alkali carbonate-containing material is applied on and/or into a soil for domesticated plants, top fruits, small-plant fruits, crops, legumes, vegetables either open field or green house, industrial crops, commodities, or ornamental plants.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein a ratio of the pH of the soil at 2, 4, 6, 8, 24 and/or 52 weeks after applying the at least one earth alkali carbonate-containing material to the pH of the soil before applying the at least one earth alkali carbonate-containing material is 1.05 to 1.2.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pH of the soil at 8 weeks after applying the at least one earth alkali carbonate-containing material is higher than the pH of the soil before applying the at least one earth alkali carbonate-containing material.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pH of the soil at 12 weeks after applying the at least one earth alkali carbonate-containing material is higher than the pH of the soil before applying the at least one earth alkali carbonate-containing material.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pH of the soil at 16 weeks after applying the at least one earth alkali carbonate-containing material is higher than the pH of the soil before applying the at least one earth alkali carbonate-containing material.

12. A method for regulating the pH of a soil, the method comprising:
applying an aqueous suspension comprising at least one earth alkali carbonate-containing material that is limestone and comprising 0.1 to 30 wt.-% of a water softener based on the weight of the aqueous suspension, on and/or into soil through an irrigation or spraying system, in an amount from 1.0 to 75 kg/ha, based on the at least one earth alkali carbonate-containing material, per pH increase of 0.1 of the soil, to regulate the pH of the soil, wherein the at least one earth alkali carbonate-containing material comprises natural ground calcium carbonate, wherein a ratio of the pH of the soil at 8, 24 and/or 52 weeks after applying the at least one earth alkali carbonate-containing material to the pH of the soil before applying the at least one earth alkali carbonate-containing material is 1.05 to 1.1, and the at least one earth alkali carbonate-containing material has:
a) a weight median particle size diameter d 50 in the range from 0.3 μm to 20.0 μm,
b) a specific surface area (BET) in the range from 1.0 m 2 /g to 10.0 m 2 /g as measured by a BET nitrogen method, and
c) a density in the range from 2.5 to 3.5 g/cm 3 .

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the water softener comprises monosodium citrate, monopotassium citrate and mixtures thereof.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the water softener comprises monosodium citrate, monopotassium citrate and mixtures thereof.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the weight median particle size diameter d 98 is less than or equal to 75 μm.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the weight median particle size diameter d 98 is less than or equal 20 μm.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the weight median particle size diameter d 98 is less than or equal to 75 μm.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the weight median particle size diameter d 98 is less than or equal 20 μm.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aqueous suspension is 2 to 20 wt.-% of the water softener.

Assignees

• Omya Int Ag

Inventors

• Skovby Michael
• Zocco Domenico
• Durand Steven Edward

Classifications

• C09K17/06

  Calcium compounds, e.g. lime · CPC title

• C05D5/00

  Fertilisers containing magnesium (C05D7/00 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C05D3/02 Primary

  from limestone, calcium carbonate, calcium hydrate, slaked lime, calcium oxide, waste calcium products · CPC title

• A01G25/00

  Watering gardens, fields, sports grounds or the like (special apparatus or adaptations for fertilising-liquids A01C23/00; nozzles or outlets, spraying apparatus B05B) · CPC title

• A01G25/02 Primary

  Watering arrangements located above the soil which make use of perforated pipe-lines or pipe-lines with dispensing fittings, e.g. for drip irrigation · CPC title