Claims
- 1. A method for the treatment of trees or shrubs affected with symptoms of Young Tree Decline symptoms which comprises placing about the locus of the roots of said trees or shrubs, in an amount sufficient to suppress the symptoms of Young Tree Decline a horticultural medium having been produced by the process of aerobically fermenting cotton gin waste to biodegrade the waste at a temperature of at least 125.degree. F. with water in an amount ranging from 1 to 5 times the dry weight of the gin waste, said gin waste being in a pile at least 10 feet wide and 8 feet high to conserve self-generated heat in the interior of the pile, and systematically turning the exterior of the pile to the interior so that all particles of the gin waste are heated to a temperature of from 125.degree. to 180.degree. F. for at least several hours, whereby the gin waste is freed of any soil borne plant diseases, weed seeds, insects or nematodes present therein.
- 2. A method according to claim 1 wherin said medium is placed about the roots of citrus trees or camellias.
- 3. A method according to claim 1 wherein said medium is applied to the soil under the canopy of citrus trees, at a rate of from about 75 to 200 pounds per tree or 7,500 to 20,000 pounds per acre and sufficient to suppress tree decline and improve growth, and thoroughly mixing said medium with said soil.
- 4. A method according to claim 3 wherein the mixing is carried out by working the medium into the soil with a disc.
- 5. A method according to claim 1 wherein the fermented gin waste is characterized by containing antibiotic agents formed by such process and substantial freedom from insecticidal, herbicidal and plant growth regulants present in the cotton gin waste prior to said fermenting.
- 6. A method according to claim 1 wherein said water contains at least 250 parts of an inorganic water-soluble iron salt per million parts dry weight of the gin waste.
- 7. A method according to claim 6 wherein said iron salt is selected from the group consisting of ferric sulfate, ferric chloride and mixtures thereof and is present is an amount ranging from 250 to 1000 l parts per million.
- 8. A method according to claim 1 wherein said horticultural medium has admixed therewith in an amount of from 50 to 90% by weight of a material selected from the group consisting of peat, perlite, vermiculite, sand, wood bark and mixtures thereof.
- 9. A method according to claim 1 wherein the horticultural medium also contains from about 50 to 90% by weight of clay or sandy soil.
Parent Case Info
This application is a division of application Ser. No. 887,963, filed Mar. 20, 1978 and now U.S. Pat. No. 4,164,405; which application was a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 544,669, filed Jan. 27, 1975, and now abandoned.
Non-Patent Literature Citations (3)
Entry |
Alberson et al., "Composting Cotton Gin Waste", USDA-ARS, 42-102 (1974), pp. 1-16. |
Willis, Wm., "Composting Cotton Gin Trash", La. Ag. Exp. Sta. Bull. No. 490 (1954), pp. 3-7. |
Boodley et al., "Plant Sciences", Info. Bulletin No. 43 (7-1972), pp. 1-8, New York State College of Ag. & Life Sciences. |
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
887963 |
Mar 1978 |
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