Seed treatment process for large liquid volumes
Provided herein are processes for the preparation of treated seeds. Generally, the processes described herein include providing seeds in a seed treatment apparatus. The seeds are contacted with a liquid seed treatment, thereby producing wetted seeds. The wetted seeds are dried simultaneously with the application of the liquid seed treatment.
1 . A method of treating seeds, the method comprising:
providing seeds in a seed treatment apparatus;
contacting the seeds with a liquid seed treatment in the seed treatment apparatus, thereby producing wetted seeds, and;
drying the wetted seeds in the seed treatment apparatus;
wherein contacting the seeds with the liquid seed treatment and drying the wetted seeds occur simultaneously,
wherein the drying of the wetted seeds occurs through injection of ambient air, dehumidified air, heated air, or a combination thereof;
wherein drying the wetted seeds includes drying the wetted seeds through an injection of air at a rate of from about 10 cubic feet (0.283 cubic meters) per minute to about 20,000 cubic feet (566 cubic meters) per minute; and
wherein a total cycle time of providing the seeds, contacting the seeds with the liquid seed treatment to produce the wetted seeds and drying the wetted seeds is 8 minutes or less, and wherein the seed treatment throughput of the method during the cycle time is at from about 4,000 kg seeds per hour to about 12,000 kg seeds per hour and at least 95% of the seeds are fully coated with the liquid seed treatment, wherein the seeds are selected from corn seeds, soybean seeds, cotton seeds, or canola seeds, and wherein:
when the seeds are corn seeds over 30 fluid ounces (887 mL) of liquid seed treatment is applied per 100 pounds (45 kg) of seed,
when the seeds are soybean seeds over 8 fluid ounces (237 mL) of liquid seed treatment is applied per 100 pounds (45 kg) of seed, and
when the seeds are canola seeds at least 50 fluid ounces (1479 mL) of liquid seed treatment is applied per 100 pounds (45 kg) of seed.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the air is ambient air, heated air, or a combination thereof.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the injection of air occurs at a rate of from about 10 cubic feet (0.283 cubic meters) per minute to about 10,000 cubic feet (283 cubic meters) per minute.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the seeds are selected from corn seeds, soybean seeds, cotton seeds, or canola seeds and at least 55 fluid ounces (1627 mL) of liquid seed treatment is applied per 100 pounds (45 kg) of seed.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the seeds are corn seeds and wherein over 30 fluid ounces (887 mL) of liquid seed treatment is applied per 100 pounds (45 kg) of corn seed.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the seeds are soybean seeds and wherein over 8 fluid ounces (237 mL) of liquid seed treatment is applied per 100 pounds (45 kg) of soybean seed.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the seeds are cotton seeds and wherein at least 45 fluid ounces (1331 mL) of liquid seed treatment is applied per 100 pounds (45 kg) of cotton seed.
8 . A method of treating seeds, the method comprising:
providing seeds in a seed treatment apparatus;
contacting the seeds with a liquid seed treatment in the seed treatment apparatus, thereby producing wetted seeds, and;
drying the wetted seeds in the seed treatment apparatus;
wherein contacting the seeds with the liquid seed treatment and drying the wetted seeds occur simultaneously,
wherein the drying of the wetted seeds occurs through injection of ambient air, dehumidified air, heated air, or a combination thereof;
wherein drying the wetted seeds includes drying the wetted seeds through an injection of air at a rate of from about 10 cubic feet (0.283 cubic meters) per minute to about 20,000 cubic feet (566 cubic meters) per minute; and
wherein a total cycle time of providing the seeds, contacting the seeds with the liquid seed treatment to produce the wetted seeds and drying the wetted seeds is 10 minutes or less, and wherein the seed treatment throughput of the method during the cycle time is at least 4,000 kg seeds per hour and at least 95% of the seeds are fully coated with the liquid seed treatment, wherein the seeds are selected from corn seeds, soybean seeds, cotton seeds, or canola seeds, and wherein:
when the seeds are corn seeds over 30 fluid ounces (887 mL) of liquid seed treatment is applied per 100 pounds (45 kg) of seed,
when the seeds are soybean seeds over 8 fluid ounces (237 mL) of liquid seed treatment is applied per 100 pounds (45 kg) of seed, and
when the seeds are canola seeds at least 50 fluid ounces (1479 mL) of liquid seed treatment is applied per 100 pounds (45 kg) of seed, the method further comprising applying a dry seed treatment following application of the liquid seed treatment in the seed treatment apparatus used to contact the seeds with the liquid seed treatment.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the seeds are cotton seeds and the cotton seeds have a seed throughput in the seed treatment apparatus of greater than about 175 kg of seed per minute and wherein at least about 100 fluid ounces (2957 mL) liquid seed treatment is applied per 100 pounds (45 kg) of seed.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the seeds are soybean seeds and the soybean seeds have a seed throughput in the seed treatment apparatus of greater than about 200 kg of seed per minute and wherein at least about 14 fluid ounces (414 mL) liquid seed treatment is applied per 100 pounds (45 kg) of seed.
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the seeds are corn seeds and the corn seeds have a seed throughput in the seed treatment apparatus of greater than about 200 kg of seed per minute and wherein at least about 45 fluid ounces (1331 mL) liquid seed treatment is applied per 100 pounds (45 kg) of seed.
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the liquid seed treatment comprises one or more biological agents, one or more agrochemicals, or a combination thereof.
13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the liquid seed treatment comprises a pesticide selected from the group consisting of fungicides, insecticides, nematicides, and mixtures thereof.
14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the liquid seed treatment comprises a biological agent, microbial extract, plant growth activator, plant defense agent, or a mixture thereof.
15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the dry seed treatment comprises one or more biological agents, one or more agrochemicals, one or more flowability agents, or a combination thereof.
16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the seeds in the seed treatment apparatus includes receiving the seeds in a drum of the seed treatment apparatus; and
wherein the method further comprises delivering the liquid seed treatment to the drum of the seed treatment apparatus after the seeds are received in the drum.
17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein contacting the seeds with the liquid seed treatment includes rotating the drum of the seed treatment apparatus.
18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein drying the wetted seeds includes directing air into the drum of the seed treatment apparatus via perforations defined in a sidewall of the drum.
19 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the seeds are contacted with the dry seed treatment for a duration of less than about 2 minutes.
20 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the liquid seed treatment is in the form of a slurry comprising an aqueous phase and a dispersed solid phase.
21 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a total cycle time for providing the seeds, contacting the seeds with the liquid seed treatment to produce the wetted seeds and drying the wetted seeds is from about 30 seconds to 8 minutes.
22 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the seeds are canola seeds and at least 50 fluid ounces (1479 mL) of liquid seed treatment is applied per 100 pounds (45 kg) of seed.