Seed-borne, soil amendment method and composition
View Patent ↗A material for assisting in at least one of germination, protection, hydration, and thriving of seeds and the plants originating therefrom treats a seed with a tackifier or binder, such as corn syrup or the like, which secures a layer of hydrating polymer particles thereto. Nutrients, protectants, and the like may be absorbed in the polymer before or after coating of a seed thereby. Weighting materials, extenders, flowing agents, and the like may assist in the functioning or handling of the coated seeds.
1. A method for amending soil by treating a seed, the method comprising:
providing seed;
providing a tackifier;
providing a weighting material;
providing at least one first additive selected from a diluent for the tackifier and an extender;
forming a coating by mixing the tackifier, weighting material and the first additive;
coating the seed with the coating;
embedding in the tackifer on a surface of the seed a hydrophilic polymer; and
distributing the coated seed.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
infusing nutrients into the polymer.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
infusing protectant into the polymer.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
coating the seed with at least one of a protectant and a nutrient selected to be water soluble; and
absorbing by the polymer, the at least one of a protectant and a nutrient.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the weighting material is selected from sand, iron, clay, talc, and another earthen material;
the diluent is water; and
the tackifier comprises a sugar.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
distributing the seed to a soil bed;
providing water to the seed;
hydrating the hydrophilic polymer by the water;
absorbing nutrients, by the polymer; and
delivering by the polymer, the nutrients to at least one of the seed and a plant propagated from the seed.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising drying the tackifier.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the seed is selected from cotton seed and grass seed.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer is polyacrylamide.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tackifier is selected from molasses, corn syrup, gelatin, another sugar, glue, and lignicite.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer is comminuted to an average maximum dimension smaller than the average minimum dimension of the seeds.
12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising delaying providing any additional water to the seed after planting.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
providing seed further comprises providing at least one of a nutrient, a protectant, and a combination of a nutrient and a protectant on the surface of the seed;
providing a tackifier further comprises reducing the viscosity of tackifier by at least one of diluting and heating the tackifier;
providing a weighting material further comprises selecting an earthen material having a density greater than the density of an individual seed of the seed;
providing at least one first additive comprises providing an extender;
embedding further comprises absorbing, by the hydrophilic polymer, liquid from the tackifier; and
the method further comprises drying a portion of at least one of the tackifier and a diluent from the seed after coating the seed.
14. A composition to amend soils by adhesion to a seed, the composition comprising:
a tackifier having embedded therein granules of a polymer having hydrophilic properties;
the polymer comminuted to granules smaller than the smallest dimension of a seed to which the tackifier is applied;
a weighting agent mixed into the tackifier;
a flowing agent mixed into the polymer granules before embedding of the polymer granules in the tackifier;
an extender mixed into the tackifer before coating of seeds by the tackifier; and
the tackifier having embedded therein the granules.
15. The composition of claim 14 , wherein the tackifer is dried with the granules embedded therein.
16. The composition of claim 14 , wherein the flow agent and the extender are constitute of the same material.
17. The composition of claim 14 , wherein the polymer contains at least one of nutrients and protectants effective to support the health of the seed, a plant from the seed, or both.
18. The composition of claim 14 , wherein:
the polymer is a hydrophilic material selected to amend soil near the seed by absorbing water in an amount greater than the weight thereof;
the polymer is comminuted to particles, each having a size characterized by a maximum dimension thereacross and the particles characterized by an average maximum dimension smaller than the average maximum dimension of a seed operating as a substrate; and
the tackifer and polymer are substantially evenly distributed on the outer surface of the substrate.
19. The composition of claim 18 , wherein the polymer is synthetic.
20. The composition of claim 19 , wherein:
the polymer is polyacrylamide;
the tackifer is extended by talc mixed therewithin, and
the tackifier is neutralized by talc as a flowing agent on the outermost surface thereof.