ES2817649B2 - COMPOSITION FOR THE CONTROL OF WEEDS - Google Patents

Description

DESCRIPTION

Composition for weed control

The present invention relates to a composition comprising paper pulp, Kraft fiber, a lignocellulosic derivative and gypsum. Likewise, the invention relates to the process for obtaining said composition and its use as hydromulch for weed control.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Weeds are currently one of the main restrictions on food production in the world and the main threat to farmers. Its control is, therefore, of vital importance.

For this, chemical methods are currently used, such as the application of herbicides, mechanical methods, such as tillage and/or mowing, or plastic mulches are used. However, in recent years the problems of soil and water contamination are increasing, as well as the appearance of resistance to herbicides in certain weed species.

The use of plastic as mulch, known as plasticulture (Manickam, L., Thilagam, VK, Balakrishnan-Mansour, M. (2010). Effect of plastic mulch on soil properties and crop grnwth. Agricultural reviews, 31 (2). pp 145-149), it has different advantages for crops: it allows to increase soil temperature, growth, quality and crop yield. However, plastic mulch is giving rise to a very significant environmental problem. Most of the plastic used is made from polyethylene.

In order to reduce the environmental impact of plastic mulches, biodegradable plastic mulches and paper mulches have been developed.

Mulches based on biodegradable plastic (BDMs for its acronym in English Biodegradable Mulches) (Moreno, MM, Moreno, A. (2008). Effect of different biodegradable and polyethylene mulches on soil properties and production in a tomato crop. Scientia Horticulturae, 116 pp 256-263). The problem with these padding is the cost of the materials, since BDMs are more expensive than polyethylene plastics.

On the other hand, there is the alternative of paper padding (Ahokas, J., Korpela, A., Ince, A., Güzel, E., Asikaiken, J., Haapala, T., Kujanpáa, M., Mikkola, H. ., Pitkáen, M., Tamminen, A., Vikman, M. (2014). Paper based mulches as an alternative to polyethylene mulches in vegetable production. Journal of Agricultural Machinery Science, 10 (1) pp 73-78). Compared to plastic mulches or BDMs, paper mulches are less elastic and break during installation (Haapala, T., Palonen, P., Korpela, A. & Ahokas, J. (2014). Feasibility of paper mulches in crop production: a review.Agricultural and Food Science, 23. pp 60-79.). In addition, paper mulch does not increase soil temperature as much as plastic mulch and the material is more expensive than polyethylene mulch and BMDs.

Therefore, it would be desirable to have a composition for padding as an alternative to the use of plastic and paper padding known in the state of the art that has the advantage of being sustainable, that is, that it does not use substances that are harmful to the environment and can obtained from recycled materials, and that demonstrate greater efficacy in the control of weeds in crops, particularly in perennial crops.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In a first aspect, the present invention relates to a composition comprising: component 1) paper pulp;

component 2) Kraft fiber;

component 3) a lignocellulosic derivative; Y

component 4) gypsum or calcium hydroxide.

In another embodiment, the invention refers to the composition defined above, where the lignocellulosic derivative (component 3) is selected from corn cane, rice straw, cotton husk, cereal straw, substrate used in the cultivation of mushroom and husk of rice, and more preferably where the lignocellulosic derivative (component 3) is selected from cereal straw, a substrate used in the cultivation of mushrooms and rice husks.

In another embodiment, the invention refers to the composition defined above where the component 4 is plaster.

In another embodiment, the invention refers to the composition defined above, where the amount of paper pulp per unit area in the field is between 12 and 20 L m-2, and preferably where the amount of paper pulp per unit area surface area in the field is between 15 and 17L m-2.

In another embodiment, the invention relates to the composition defined above, where the amount of Kraft fiber per unit area in the field is between 175 and 230 g m-2, and preferably where the amount of Kraft fiber per unit area in field is between 205 and 210g m-2.

In another embodiment, the invention relates to the composition defined above, where the amount of gypsum per unit surface area in the field is between 700 and 1100 g m-2, and preferably where the amount of gypsum per unit surface area in the field is between 1000 and 1005gm-2.

In another embodiment, the invention relates to the composition defined above where the composition is composition A:

component 1) paper pulp;

component 2) Kraft fiber;

component 3) cereal straw; Y

component 4) gypsum or calcium hydroxide, and preferably gypsum.

In another embodiment, the invention refers to composition A where the amount of each component is:

- paper pulp (component 1) per surface unit in the field is between 12 and 20 L m-2, and preferably between 15 and 17 L m-2;

- Kraft fiber (component 2) per surface unit in the field is between 175 and 230 g m-2, and preferably between 205 and 210 g m-2;

- cereal straw (component 3) per unit area of field is between 700 and 900 g m-2, and preferably between 830 and 835 g m-2; Y

- gypsum (component 4) per unit area of field is between 700 and 1100 g m-2, and preferably between 1000 and 1005 g m-2.

In another embodiment, the invention relates to the composition defined above where the composition is composition B:

component 1) paper pulp;

component 2) Kraft fiber;

component 3) substrate used in mushroom cultivation; Y

component 4) gypsum or calcium hydroxide, and preferably gypsum.

In another embodiment, the invention refers to composition B where the amount of each component is:

- paper pulp (component 1) per surface unit in the field is between 12 and 20 L m'2, and preferably between 15 and 17 L m-2;

- Kraft fiber (component 2) per surface unit in the field is between 175 and 230 g m'2, and preferably between 205 and 210 g m-2;

- substrate used in mushroom cultivation (component 3) per unit area of field is between 2,800 and 3,500 g m-2, and preferably between 3,000 and 3,200 g m-2; Y

- gypsum (component 4) per unit area of field is between 700 and 1100 g m'2, and preferably between 1000 and 1005 g m'2.

In another embodiment, the invention relates to the composition defined above where the composition is composition C:

component 1) paper pulp;

component 2) Kraft fiber;

component 3) rice husk; Y

component 4) gypsum or calcium hydroxide, and preferably gypsum.

In another embodiment, the invention refers to composition C where the amount of each component is:

- paper pulp (component 1) per surface unit in the field is between 12 and 20 L m-2, and preferably between 15 and 17 L m-2;

- Kraft fiber (component 2) per surface unit in the field is between 175 and 230 g m-2, and preferably between 205 and 210 g m-2;

- rice husk (component 3) per unit area of field is between 1000 and 1450 g m-2, and preferably between 1200 and 1300 g m-2; Y

- gypsum (component 4) per unit area of field is between 700 and 1100 g m-2, and preferably between 1000 and 1005 g m-2.

Another aspect of the invention refers to the process for obtaining the composition defined above, comprising the steps of:

phase II) mixture of components 1, 2 and 3, characterized in that component 2 is crushed; Y

phase III) addition of component 4 to the mixture obtained in phase II.

In another embodiment, the invention relates to the process for obtaining the composition defined above, where phase II is carried out in a concrete mixer.

In another embodiment, the invention refers to the process for obtaining the composition defined above, which also comprises the following stage:

phase I) preparation of component 3.

In another embodiment, the invention refers to the process for obtaining the composition defined above, where component 3 is cereal straw and in phase I its grinding and screening is carried out.

In another embodiment, the invention refers to the process for obtaining the composition defined above, where component 3 is a substrate used in mushroom cultivation and in phase I its comminution and drying is carried out.

In another embodiment, the invention relates to the process for obtaining the composition defined above, which comprises the steps:

phase I) preparation of component 3;

phase II) mixture of components 1, 2 and 3, characterized in that component 2 is crushed; Y

phase III) addition of component 4 to the mixture obtained in phase II.

Another aspect of the invention refers to the use of the composition defined above for weed control.

Another aspect of the invention relates to a hydrocushion comprising the composition defined above.

Another aspect of the invention relates to the use of hydromulch for weed control.

Throughout the invention, the term "Kraft fiber" refers to a paper pulp obtained by a chemical cooking method known as the Kraft process or sulfate process, in which sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide are mainly used in digesters. at high pressure and temperature. It can be preceded or followed by other thermal or mechanical threads. The raw material used will consist of any type of material of plant origin that contains fibers, and may be both wood (coniferous or hardwood) and Liberian (hemp, jute, flax or esparto, among others).

The term "lignocellulosic derivative" refers to agricultural residues or residues from the fibrous agri-food industry. Examples include, but are not limited to, corn stalk, rice straw, cotton hull, cereal straw, mushroom growing medium, and rice hull.

The term "cereal straw" refers to the stem and leaves of cereals (such as, for example, wheat, barley, oats, and rye) that remain after the grain has been harvested. It is normally packed in the field for later use in livestock or crushed and spread on the ground to enrich it with organic matter.

The term "substrate used in mushroom cultivation" refers to the solid base that has been used in a mushroom cultivation cycle, once the basidiocarps have been harvested, and which contains the initial components (normally straw, peat and some organic fertilizer). ) already partially degraded by the mushroom mycelium that has grown on it. It is the main residue of the cultivation of this mushroom.

The term "rice husk" refers to the glumes that surround the rice grain once harvested and that are mechanically separated from the grain as a first step to obtain brown rice first and white rice when, in addition to the husk, the rice has been separated. pericarp. It is considered a residue or by-product of the production of rice grains.

The term "hydromulch" refers to biodegradable, liquid-applied mulch.

Throughout the description and claims the word "comprise" and its variants are not intended to exclude other technical characteristics, additives, components or steps. Other objects, advantages and features of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in part from the description and in part from the practice of the invention. The following examples and figures are provided by way of illustration, and are not intended to be limiting of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Fig. 1. Shows the scheme of the procedure for obtaining the compositions of the invention.

Fig. 2. Shows the appearance of block 4 at the beginning of the trial (left) and after 2 months (right).

EXAMPLES

Next, the invention will be illustrated by tests carried out by the inventors, which reveal the effectiveness of the product of the invention.

Example 1: Padding composition

Components

Obtaining and requirements prior to blending:

1.- Paper pulp from the industrial paper recycling process.

Obtaining: paper and cardboard recycling industry. In the process of recycling paper, it is cut into strips that are crushed in water until they form a pulp, the ink and other impurities are extracted and it can be bleached or not. In these industries the process is continuous, therefore, it can be obtained at any time of the year from the emitter that the industries present at this point of the manufacture of recycled paper (later in the industry this pulp will be filtered, laminated and dried ).

Requirements: it is necessary to collect the pulp in closed tanks and keep it refrigerated (5-10°C) until it is mixed with the rest of the components.

2. - Kraft fiber from Pinus radiata [Pinus insignis]

Extraction: paper industry.

Requirements: it is necessary to shred the fiber before mixing it with the rest of the components. It can be done with a mixer attached to the body of a drill, such as those used to knead plaster.

3. - Lignocellulosic residue.

(A) cereal straw

B) substrate used in mushroom cultivation

(C) rice husk

Obtaining: cereal producers (A), mushroom producers (B), and rice chambers (C).

Requirements:

( A) The straw should be milled and sieved to 2mm. It can be done with a feed mill. ( B) The substrate used in mushroom cultivation must be crumbled and dried. It can be done by making several passes with a rotovator attached to a tractor; then it is spread out and left to air dry.

4. - Delayed setting plaster.

Obtaining: marketers of construction materials.

Dose per surface unit in a field of 3 hydromulches:

3 types of hydromulch have been developed, one with each of the different crop residues (A, B, and C).

Component 1)

16.7 L-m-2 of paper pulp

Component 2)

209.25 gm'2 of Kraft fiber

Component 3)

833 g m'2 of cereal straw (A); or

3100 g m'2 of substrate used in mushroom cultivation (B); or

1250 g m'2 of rice husk (C)

Component 4)

1002 g m'2 of plaster

Example 2: Procedure for obtaining hydroquilting

Specific composition A: Component 1, at a rate of 16.7L for each m2 of surface to be covered with the hydromulch, must be kept at temperatures between 5°C and 10°C during its transfer from the paper mill to the site. in which the composition is to be prepared. Component 2, at a dose of 209.25 g m'2, must be ground before being mixed. Component 3 must be ground and screened with a 2 mm mesh sieve before being mixed at a dose of 833 g m'2. The mixture of components 1, 2 and 3 is carried out in a concrete mixer, which is put into operation until a paste is obtained, which is achieved in about 10 minutes. The last step is to add component 4, at a dose of 1002 g m'2; after having the mixture in the concrete mixer running for about 3-5 more minutes, the hydromulch is ready to be applied in the field.

Specific composition B: Component 1, at a rate of 16.7L for each m2 of surface to be covered with the hydromulch, must be kept at temperatures between 5°C and 10°C during its transfer from the paper mill to the site. in which the composition is to be prepared. Component 2, at a dose of 209.25 g m'2, must be ground before being mixed. Component 3, at a dosage of 3100 g m'2, must be ground and air-dried before being mixed. The mixture of components 1, 2 and 3 is carried out in a concrete mixer, which is put into operation until a paste is obtained, which is achieved in about 10 minutes. The last step is to add component 4, at a dose of 1002 g m'2; after having the mixture in the concrete mixer running for about 3-5 more minutes, the hydromulch is ready to be applied in the field.

Specific composition C: Component 1, at a rate of 16.7L for each m2 of surface to be covered with the hydromulch, must be kept at temperatures between 5°C and 10°C during its transfer from the paper mill to the site. in which the composition is to be prepared. Component 2, at a dose of 209.25 gm-2, must be ground before mixing. Component 3 is added to the mixture at a rate of 1250 gm-2. The mixture of components 1, 2 and 3 is carried out in a concrete mixer, which is put into operation until a paste is obtained, which is achieved in about 10 minutes. The last step is to add component 4, at a dose of 1002 g-m'2; after having the mixture in the concrete mixer running for about 3-5 more minutes, the hydromulch is ready to be applied in the field.

As a result of the procedure (see Figure 1), an aqueous paste is obtained which, once applied in the field, hardens when it dries and forms a padding. That is, it forms a barrier, more or less thick, depending on the amount applied, whose mechanical properties and opacity prevent the sprouting and emergence of weeds through it.

This padding is hydrophilic and biodegradable.

The optimal performance of the product will occur in early applications in fields of crops of biennial or perennial species (asparagus, artichoke, vineyard, stone and pome fruit trees, almond trees, olive trees, etc.). For example, in vineyards it should be applied before the leaf emerges with the idea of avoiding the competition that weeds would exert if they emerged.

Specifically, maximum efficiency will be achieved by applying it, when there are no weeds in the soil, in the rows of cultivated plants.

Example 4: Efficacy of hydromulch mixtures in managing perennial weeds

This example shows the results obtained in an experiment carried out in a greenhouse that aimed to assess the behavior of 3 hydromulch mixtures in suppressing the emergence of shoots of 4 species of weeds.

Methods:

The trial was carried out in a greenhouse located in the Agropolis Scientific and Technical Unit of the UPC in Viladecans, from February 4, 2019 to May 8, 2019.

The 3 mixtures were made following the composition and dosage mentioned in example 1. The known sources of variation were:

1. - Hydromulching, with 4 levels, hydromulching of cereal straw, rice husk, mushroom crop residue, and without hydromulching.

2. - Block, with 4 levels. Four repetitions were designed considering that there is a gradient in the incident solar radiation in the greenhouse.

We worked with tubers of sedge ( Cyperus rotundus) and with rhizomes of grass ( Cynodon dactylon), honeygrass ( Paspalum dilatatum), and Aleppo sorghum ( Sorghum halepense). The four species are cosmopolitan weeds with underground reserve structures (perennial perennials), and are very difficult to control by moving machinery that removes the soil or by applying herbicides.

Within each block, 16 pots were randomly arranged, 4 per species, one for each level of hydromulching. The pots used had dimensions of 40 cm in diameter and 28 cm in height. Inside each pot, 10 plastic containers were placed, each with a weed propagule. At the base of each pot, 10 cm thick expanded clay was placed to facilitate drainage, then 8 cm of commercial substrate, and then the ten containers that, in addition to the propagules, also contained commercial substrate. Each pot was drilled to install drip irrigation by placing the 2 emitters in the basal area of the containers.

The hydromulches were prepared with a concrete mixer and applied so that the surface of each pot was completely covered (see figure 2).

The data taken were the number of shoots emerged per pot and the dry weight of the aerial stems in each pot.

Results:

The source of variation block (4 repetitions) was not significant in any of the two parameters analyzed, neither in the number of emerged shoots nor in aerial biomass.

The first table (table 1) shows that the three hydromulches exert a strong control on the emergence of weed shoots. In two of the species, in fact, they reduce it completely ( Cynodon dactylon and Paspalum dilatatum). In the other two they reduce it significantly: in the case of Sorghum halepense with rice husk hydromulch, around 90%, and in Cyperus rotundus around 84%.

Table 1. Average values of the number of shoots emerged to the surface. To the right of each average is the standard error in parentheses. Different letters in each column indicate significant differences at P<0.05 in the means.

Cynodon Cyperus Paspalum Sorghum Cereal straw 0 (0) to 0,600 (0.27) to 0,(0) to 0,125 (0,09) to Husk from 0 (0) to 0,975 (0.30) to 0 (0) to 0,075 (0 .04) to rice

Substrate 0 (0) to 0.700 (0.23) to 0 (0) to 0 (0) to mushroom

Without 1.225 (0.48) b 6.250 (0.65) b 3.425 (0.65) b 1.325 (0.29) b hydrocushion

Regarding the biomass generated from the initial propagules (see table 2), the results are equally convincing. With respect to the control without hydromulch, the 3 mixtures of hydromulch tested significantly reduce the average value of biomass of the 4 species (see table 1). The reduction is complete in Cynodon dactylon and Paspalum dilatatum ; they reduce it a lot, around 92%, in the case of Sorghum halepense, and finally manage to reduce it by 86% in the case of Cyperus rotundus.

Table 2. Average values of aerial biomass (g dry weight m 2 ) collected at the end of the trial. To the right of each average is the standard error in parentheses. Different letters in each column indicate significant differences at P<0.05 in the means.

Cynodon Cyperus Paspalum Sorghum

Cereal straw 0 (0) to 1.95 (0.83) to 0 (0) to 2.38 (1.78) to Rice husk 0 (0) to 2.43 (0.77) to 0 ( 0) to 1.23 (0.90) to Mushroom substrate 0 (0) to 2.55 (0.95) to 0 (0) to 0 (0) to

Without hydrocushioning 4.12 (1.49) b 19.19 (2.32) b 12.67 (3.29) b 30.41 (6.90) b The three mixtures significantly and highly effectively prevent the sprouting and vegetative growth of the four species.

Claims (23)

1. A composition comprising: component 1) paper pulp; component 2) Kraft fiber; component 3) a lignocellulosic derivative; Y component 4) gypsum or calcium hydroxide. 2. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the lignocellulosic derivative (component 3) is selected from cereal straw, a substrate used in the cultivation of mushrooms and rice husks. 3. The composition according to any of claims 1 or 2, wherein component 4 is gypsum. 4. The composition according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the amount of paper pulp (component 1) per unit area in the field is between 12 and 20L m'2. 5. The composition according to claim 4, wherein the amount of paper pulp (component 1) per unit area in the field is between 15 and 17 L m'2. 6. The composition according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the amount of Kraft fiber (component 2) per unit area in the field is between 175 and 230 g m'2. 7. The composition according to claim 6, wherein the amount of Kraft fiber (component 2) per unit area in the field is between 205 and 210g m-2. 8. The composition according to any of claims 1 to 7, wherein the lignocellulosic derivative (component 3) is cereal straw and the amount of cereal straw per unit area in the field is between 700 and 900 g m-2. 9. The composition according to claim 8, wherein the amount of cereal straw (component 3) per unit area in the field is between 830 and 835 g m-2. 10. The composition according to any of claims 1 to 7, wherein the derivative Lignocellulosic (component 3) is the substrate used in mushroom cultivation and the amount of substrate used in mushroom cultivation per unit area in the field is between 2,800 and 3,500 g m'2. 11. The composition according to claim 10, wherein the amount of substrate used in mushroom cultivation (component 3) per unit area in the field is between 3000 and 3200 g mr2. 12. The composition according to any of claims 1 to 7, where the lignocellulosic derivative (component 3) is rice husk and the amount of rice husk per unit area in the field is between 1000 and 1450 g m-2. 13. The composition according to claim 12, wherein the amount of rice husk (component 3) per unit area of field is between 1200 and 1300 g m-2. 14. The composition according to any of claims 1 to 13, wherein the amount of plaster (component 4) per unit area in the field is between 700 and 1100 g m-2. 15. The composition according to claim 14, wherein the amount of plaster (component 4) per unit area of field is between 1000 and 1005 g m-2. 16. Process for obtaining the composition of any of claims 1 to 15, comprising the following steps: phase II) mixture of components 1, 2 and 3, characterized in that component 2 is crushed; Y phase III) addition of component 4 to the mixture obtained in phase II. 17. The process according to claim 16, wherein phase II is carried out in a concrete mixer. 18. The method according to any of claims 16 or 17, further comprising the following step: phase I) preparation of component 3. 19. The process according to claim 18, wherein component 3 is straw of cereal and in phase I its grinding and screening is carried out. 20. The method according to claim 18, wherein component 3 is a substrate used in mushroom cultivation and in phase I its shredding and drying is carried out. 21. Use of the composition of any of claims 1 to 15, for the control of weed growth. 22. Hydrocushion comprising the composition of any of claims 1 to 15. 23. Use of the hydromulch of claim 22, for the control of weed growth.