Patent Grant
10165732
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the US Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
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1. Field
The present invention relates, generally, to agricultural and horticultural systems, apparatus and methods. More particularly, the invention relates to systems, apparatus, and methods to effectuate delivery of beneficial or sustaining fluids to components of plants residing in an elevated condition in relation to the ground. Most particularly, such fluids are gases delivered to leaves/canopy of plants in orchards, vineyards, and the like. The invention is especially suitable for delivery of CO2 gas.
2. Background Information
Plants obtain their water requirement from the soil via their root systems. Less known, but equally important, is that the CO2 requirement comes from the air via the leaves. In the presence of sunlight, plants combine carbon from CO2 with water to produce carbohydrates and oxygen—photosynthesis;
6CO2+6O2+sunlight & chlorophyll=>C6H206+O2.
Increasing the air's daytime CO2 concentration accelerates photosynthetic activity inducing the plants to become heartier and to produce more, larger and healthier fruits, vegetables and root systems. The crops are more disease resistant and the whole process is deemed organic by the USDA.
Of further importance is that as plants acquire CO2 from the air via their leaves, they lose water vapor through this same mechanism. This water loss, known as transpiration, is significant. The leafs gaseous exchange. CO2 in and water vapor out, is regulated by microscopic orifices called “stomata” located predominantly on the underside of leaves. CO2 regulates the size of the stomata opening. When plenty of CO2 available and the apertures close, reducing water loss. With an ambient CO2 deficit, the apertures open, greatly increasing the plant's water loss. Thus, stomatal closure induced by the application of CO2 has at least the following benefits: (1) the rate of water loss declines thereby decreasing the plant's water requirements and increasing the water-use efficiency (yield/unit of water); (2) it reduces the plant's vulnerability to drought; and, (3) it stems the inducement of harmful air pollutants into the plant's metabolic processes The third aspect is particularly beneficial in the notably highly delterious ozone pollution synonymous with Central Valley, Calif. air quality.
While greenhouse and other closed plant growth environments have made in roads to leveraging the foregoing principles, the distrinbution, application, and effective retention of CO2 in outdoor settings has generally been a non-starter for various reasons. Be that as it may, with global population growth and rising affluence in developing nations, significant demands are being placed upon freshwater supplies while stretching farmers' ability to produce enough quality food to meet rising demand. At the same time, the grim realization that CO2 emissions are a global threat and corporate liability has government officials and corporate executives seeking answers.
In light of the foregoing, it is believed especially advantageous to provide improved CO2 enrichment technology for effective and efficient distribution, application and retention of CO2 gas to large, open-field tracts of farmland so as to envelope plants' leaves with CO2 gas. Moreover, it is believed desirable and advantageous to provide a sapling windbreak or the like which magnifies CO2 residency, enables higher CO2 concentrations, reduces CO2 costs, and enables other agronomic functions. More particularly still, it is believed that a low cost, high durability, high efficiency, reliable sapling growth system, in kit form or otherwise, is desirable, with select stake and windbreak and adjustable elements believed to be especially advantageous so as to increase the systems' capabilities commensurate with sapling growth.
Younger saplings are key to the orchard production. It takes 5-6 years to get the orchards into production with substantial investment capital tied up for years in advance of the orchard and/or vineyard's production and payout. By applying CO2 gas to the young saplings as much as one or two years could be knocked off the production cycle which would have significant financial benefits to orchard and vineyard owners. Moreover, in the early years of the orchard, the juvenile saplings are very susceptible to costly mortality so it would be highly desirable to provide the saplings with CO2 to increase their vigor, reduce water stress and improve resiliency to a whole package of environmental stresses that lead to mortality. Unfortunately, because the trees are planted on such great spacing to allow for a full canopy later in life, they do not control the microclimate within the orchard and wind within the orchard in the early years. An older orchard would also benefit by having broadcast CO2 application.
Many orchards and notably the nut orchards are harvested with big mechanical shakers that grab the trunk of the tree and literally shake all the nuts off the tree. The embodiments of the invention for applying CO2 gas avoid interfering with this highly automated process and allow the machine to quickly approach the trunk of the tree and grab hold of it as circumstances warrant.
Existing technology is believed to have significant limitations and shortcomings. For these and other reasons, a need exists for the present invention.
All US patents and patent applications, and all other published documents mentioned anywhere in this application are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
The present invention provides a system, apparatus and method which are practical, reliable, and efficient, and which is believed to fulfill a need and to constitute an improvement over the background technology.
In a first aspect, the invention provides device for delivering a gas to a plant, comprising: a base adapted to be placed on the ground a predetermined distance from the plant, an emitter assembly adjustably disposed on the base, and a gas supply conduit communicatively connected to the emitter and adapted to be connected to a gas supply.
In a second aspect, the invention provides a device for delivering CO2 gas to a plant in an agricultural field, orchard, grove, orchard of the like, comprising:
(a) an elongated base adapted to be adjustably placed on the ground a predetermined distance from the plant, upwind of the plant;
(b) a wind foil adjustably connected to the base along its elongated length, the wind foil having a curvilinear geometry with a first face having a generally convex configuration, and a second face having a generally concave configuration;
(c) an emitter assembly disposed on the second face of the wind foil; and
(d) a gas supply conduit communicatively connected to the emitter and adapted to be connected to a gas supply.
In a third aspect, the invention provides a system for delivering a gas to a plant comprising:
(a) a plurality of gas delivery devices, each gas delivery device including: a base adapted to be placed on the ground a predetermined distance from the plant, an emitter assembly adjustably disposed on the base, and a gas supply conduit communicatively connected to the emitter and adapted to be connected to a gas supply; and
(b) at least one gas supply line connected to a gas source.
And in a fourth aspect, the invention provides a method of delivering CO2 gas to a plant in an agricultural field, orchard, grove, orchard of the like, comprising:
(a) providing at least one CO2 delivery device including:
(b) placing the at least one gas emitting device on the ground a predetermined distance from the plant, upwind of the plant; and
(c) providing CO2 gas to the gas supply conduit;
(d) a CO2 gas envelope is formed around a portion of the foliage of the plant and the gas envelope is shielded from wind by the wind foil so that it remains around the foliage a maximum period of time relative to wind conditions.
Other aspects, include: (A) a mechanism to effectively deliver beneficial or sustaining gaseous media from a pressurized source of gaseous media to the foliage of growing foliage crops; (B) a system to effectively deliver beneficial or sustaining gaseous media from a pressurized source of gaseous media to the foliage of growing foliage crops, the system characterized by one or more of either: a trellis, stake, or other means adapted to carry the gaseous media or suspended tubes and emitters; and (C) a method to effectively deliver beneficial or sustaining gaseous media from a pressurized source of gaseous media to the foliage of growing foliage crops, the method characterized by provisions of one or more of a trellis, stake or the like adapted to carry the gaseous media or suspended tubes and emitters.
The aspects, features, advantages, benefits and objects of the invention will become clear to those skilled in the an by reference to the following description, claims and drawings.
The present invention, and the manner and process of making and using it, will be better understood by those skilled in the art by reference to the following drawings.
The present invention provides a gaseous delivery system for establishing a microclimate around plants, particularly orchard and grove saplings and trees, and vineyards, to facilitate beneficial retention of CO2 in an above ambient parts per million concentration. The apparatus of the invention creates a leeward wind eddy, restricts air flow and dispersion to the outside air about the growing plant, and withholds the enriched gas in the area surrounding the foliar canopy of the plant.
In use, the device, or a set or sets of devices, is disposed on the upwind side of the plant and is preferably releasably detachable near the ground-level for deployment between an active and inactive condition. A sleeve receptor may be placed in or on the ground (for example, a length of pipe or PVC with a slightly larger diameter than the stake), preferably located flush with the ground but firmly implanted in the ground, to support the structure during periods of high wind, to accept the above ground riser, providing quick detachment, for example during time of mechanically harvesting.
In a preferred embodiment, the entire apparatus may simply be extended or lifted up, and retained with respect thereto, while, for example, the mechanical harvesting means operatively engages the tree. Since the device has an open bottom and sides, the plant would not prevent nuts, fruits and the like, from falling, unimpeded, for collection and other agronomic functions to occur routinely.
The structure is preferably upwardly extendible or may receive a supplement or extender. For example, the structure may receive one or more upward sleeve extensions on posts or stakes, and to accommodate further upward windbreak encompassing the tree growth.
Once the targeted plants, for example orchard or grove trees, reach a maturity level for economically harvesting, the entire structure or set of structures can simply be removed, and relocated to a new orchard or grove that is in a juvenile growth stage of development and ready to have stakes and juvenile growth devices added. The windbreak element is sufficiently robust so as to weather, high wind events, without sailing, tearing or stripping. In one embodiment, a several mil thick plastic film or fabric is provided, more particularly and advantageously one characterized by slits, apertures, or the like, which may be in a particular lenticular or triangular shape being from a across up to 6″ across with the attached edge forming a flap with the cut fabric. The fabric is geometrically slit in a generally equally spaced pattern of slits, but the slits are not so closely spaced as to impair the structural integrity of the material and make enclosure susceptible to damage in high winds, e.g., tearing. The purpose of the geometric pattern of slits and the resulting flaps is to maximize the containment of the CO2 gas from dispersion and movement in low wind conditions, but allow air to freely pass through the windbreak in high wind conditions thus preventing sail effect, tearing and generally preserving the integrity of the windbreak located throughout the orchard and/or vineyard in high wind conditions.
Orchard Applications
In an embodiment that is particularly useful for orchards, each sapling is surrounded by 2-24 vertically oriented arrays, with the vertical arrays at equidistance surrounding the sapling. The vertical arrays could be slender PVC pipes, or wooden stakes with tubes attached or some similarly vertically arranged conduit for the gas. The upright stakes would be sturdily attached to the ground and could be further attached to each other and or the sapling to provide structural integrity during high winds. The stakes with tubes and emitter are strategically positioned and semi permanently skated to the ground in a special array surrounding the sapling with a statistically weighted location based upon the prevailing wind directions during the growing season. For example they may be located strategically in hemispheres, quadrants, or triangulated surrounding the sapling. Each stake has at least one gas emitter and preferably and adjustable length vertical any of emitters. The arrays are controllable by quadrant based upon any given days wind direction, speed and light. If the wind is from the west the upwind quadrant is activated and the downwind quadrant is deactivated. If there is no wind the gas delivery can desirably occur throughout all quadrants. Quadrant activation could occur in a number of ways. For example, more than one distribution tape down the row of trees or vineyard, with the various quadrants being each hooked in the same manner down the row. Then when one tube is pumping gas, the same quadrant is active all the way down the row. When the wind if from the other direction and different tube is actuated, and when no wind is present all delivery tubes can be actuated. Alternatively a manifold connecting the main delivery tube to two or more quadrants vertical arrays and a micro valve could be used at each sapling that would control the quadrants actuation at each sampling.
Vineyard Applications
In vineyards, preexisting irrigation tubes are often suspend to allow cleaning, harvesting and work to occur on the ground under the suspended grapevines. The irrigation tube is always suspended on the lower wire closest to the ground. Further, vineyards employ woodpecker type nozzle tip emitters that are generally high flow and positioned to address the roots of the crop. In t an embodiment of the invention designed for vineyard application, the gas distribution tube or tape is suspended on the top wire where the grapevine is mainly supporting the leafy structure of the plant. Preferably low flow emitters would be used and the emitters would be desirably on a much closer spacing than the irrigation system, affording the gas to be contagiously enjoyed by the grapevine down its length of foliage.
Variations are Permissible
The elements of the invention are variable for deployment in a variety of applications. One variation embodiment is the use of a detachable section of pipe, with a first detachment located at the base of the tree and a second detachment located well up the trunk/above where the mechanical shakers grab the tree. A farmhand would go along and remove the pipe or tube sections prior to harvesting, and then replace them after harvesting; in an alternative embodiment a single detachment point could be using either at the base of the tree or above the mechanical engagement point, if the pipe was flexible tubing. In this version the tubing would then be bent out of the way as to not inhibit harvesting and then straighten out and reattached after harvesting. A second embodiment involves placing a section of attached coil tubing on the trunk of each tree. When the harvester comes along the tube is uncoiled and allowed to bend around the harvesting device. A third embodiment involves tubes suspended down the row in the canopy of the trees, thus not impeding the harvesting machines at all. A fourth embodiment involves providing an offset device approach wherein the tube is not proximate to the trunk where the harvester grabs the tree. A fifth embodiment involves placing a guard over the pipe/tube when the tree is engaged by the harvester. This way the step of detaching pipes could be avoided. The guard would protect the pipe from getting crushed or crimped by the jaws and/or tray of the mechanical harvester when it engages the tree. A sixth embodiment involves, alternatively, and/or in conjunction with the fifth embodiment, the machine could have a notched out area allowing the upwardly depending conduit to pass through the harvester when the tree trunk is engaged by the harvester without crushing or crimping said conduit.
In connection with systems for orchards, a method of use of the system and devices of the invention is preferably a two step process. At the juvenile sapling stage, stakes are deployed and then these mechanism are moved to another young orchard. At the maturation stage the tubes are then permanently suspended in the trees to allow mechanical harvesting to proceed unimpeded. If it is a hand picked fruit (i.e., no mechanical shakers/harvesters) then it may be advantageous to continue to go up the trunk of the tree into the bole with the tubes. Going up the trunk of the tree has the added advantage of not disrupting the annual pruning of the trees.
Although the systems, apparatus, and method have been described in connection with the field of commercial agriculture in fruit and nut orchards, citrus orchards, crops and vineyards, it can readily be appreciated that it is not limited solely to such field(s), and can be used in other fields and applications.
Further aspects and benefits of the device, system and method, include, but are not limited to:
The embodiments above are chosen, described and illustrated so that persons skilled in the art will be able to understand the invention and the manner and process of making and using it. The descriptions and the accompanying drawings should be interpreted in the illustrative and not the exhaustive or limited sense. The invention is not intended to be limited to the exact forms disclosed. While the application attempts to disclose all of the embodiments of the invention that are reasonably foreseeable, there may be unforeseeable insubstantial modifications that remain as equivalents. It should be understood by persons skilled in the art that there may be other embodiments than those disclosed which fall within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims. Where a claim if any, is expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function it is intended that such claim be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof including both structural equivalents and equivalent structures, material-based equivalents and equivalent materials, and act-based equivalents and equivalent acts.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4003160 | Muller | Jan 1977 | A |
| 4012867 | Lainchbury | Mar 1977 | A |
| 4073089 | Maginnes | Feb 1978 | A |
| 5409508 | Erickson | Apr 1995 | A |
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| 5682709 | Erickson | Nov 1997 | A |
| 6108967 | Erickson | Aug 2000 | A |
| 6237284 | Erickson | May 2001 | B1 |
| Entry |
|---|
| Goorahoo, Cassel, Carstenson, Ashkan, Crop Growth Enhancement with CO2 Injection into the Crop Canopy with Drip Irrigation, CIT Final Report—Apr. 2003. |
| Hsiao, Molina, Matista, Qiu, Assessing CO2 Enrichment of Air Adjacednt to Crop Canopies in the Field, Final Report, Mar. 28, 2003. |
| Shrestha, Ashkan, Goorahoo, Carstensen, Crop-Weed Competition as Influenced by Elevated CO2, University of CA. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20170325411 A1 | Nov 2017 | US |
