Methods and uses for improved sowing of seeds

Abstract

Methods and uses of controlling the flowability of a population of plant seeds and dust drift therefrom by placing individual seeds in contact with particles of a flowability enhancing agent that is made up of at least one species of wax that adheres more firmly to the said plant seeds than a compound or composition that comprises a substance that is or includes a mineral earth component.

1 . A composition of flowable plant seeds comprising a flowability enhancing agent that is made up of at least one species of electret particle selected from waxes and plant seeds, wherein the electret particles adhere more firmly to individual plant seeds than do particles that comprise a dry free flowing substance that is or includes a mineral earth component. 
     
     
         2 . The composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the electret particles are formed of at least one species of wax selected from mineral waxes, natural waxes and synthetic waxes. 
     
     
         3 . The composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the wax comprises at least one species of wax that has a melting temperature of ≧40° C. 
     
     
         4 . The composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the wax comprises at least one species of wax that has a melting temperature of ≧50° C. 
     
     
         5 . The composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the wax comprises at least one species of wax that has a melting temperature of ≧70° C. 
     
     
         6 . The composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the wax comprises at least one species of wax selected from carnauba wax, montan wax and paraffin wax or a mixture of two or more thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the plant seeds are selected from seeds from the group consisting of fodder and forage plant seeds, cereal seeds, cotton seeds, legume plant seeds, maize seeds, and field crop plant seeds. 
     
     
         8 . The composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the electret particles of wax have a volume mean diameter of any conventional size in the range from about 10 μm to 200 μm. 
     
     
         9 . The composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the plant seeds are selected from seeds of rice ( Oryza sativa ), wheat ( Triticum  spp. such as  T. aestivum ) including species such as spelt ( T. spelta ), einkorn ( T monococcum ), emmer ( T. dicoccum ) and durum ( T. durum ), barley ( Hordeum vulgare ) including two row and six row barley, sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor ), millet species such as pearl millet ( Pennisetum glaucum ), foxtail millet ( Setaria italica ), proso millet ( Panicum miliaceum ) and finger millet ( Eleusine coracana ), oats ( Avena sativa ), rye (Seca/e  cereale ), Triticale (x  Triticosecale ), buckwheat ( Fagopyrum escuientum ); seeds of  Lolium  spp, and the forage herbs such as chicory, Sheep's Burnett, Ribgrass (aka Robwort Plantain), Sainfoin, Yarrow, Sheep's Parsley; seeds of  gossypium  spp. Of the family Malvaceae; seeds of legume species of the family Fabaceae; seeds of  Zea mays  spp. and varieties thereof: and seeds of field crop plants selected from seeds of the Crucifer family; seeds of alliums, and seeds of capsicums, tomatoes, cucurbits such as cucumbers, cantaloupes, summer squashes, pumpkins, butternut squashes, tropical pumpkins, calabazas, winter squashes, watermelons, lettuces, zucchinis (courgettes), aubergines, carrots, parsnips, swedes, turnips, sugar beet, ceieriacs, Jerusalem artichokes, artichokes, bok choi, celery, Chinese cabbage, horse radish, musk melons, parsley, radish, spinach, beetroot for table consumption, linseed, sunflower, safflower, sesame, carob, coriander, mustard, grape, flax, dika, hemp, okra, poppy, castor, jojoba, species of the Poaceae, including  Lolium  spp.  Festuca  spp., and forage herb species. 
     
     
         10 . A method of applying a coating of a flowability agent to a plant seed comprising the steps of:—
 i. providing organic material as a dry powder formulation of separate particles of predetermined volume mean diameter; and 
 ii. applying the particles to plant seeds, 
 wherein the dry powder formulation comprises free flowing particles of a flowability enhancement agent made up of electret particles made of a wax that adheres more firmly to plant seeds than does a dry particulate compound or composition that is a flowability enhancement agent that comprises a substance that is a mineral earth or includes a mineral earth component. 
 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the electret particles are formed of at least one species of wax selected from mineral waxes, natural waxes and synthetic waxes. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the wax comprises at least one species of wax that has a melting temperature of ≧40° C. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the wax comprises at least one species of wax that has a melting temperature of ≧50° C. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the wax comprises at least one species of wax selected from carnauba wax, montan wax and paraffin wax or a mixture of two or more thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the plant seeds are selected from seeds from the group consisting of fodder and forage plant seeds, cereal seeds, cotton seeds, legume plant seeds, maize seeds, and field crop plant seeds. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the electret particles of wax have a volume mean diameter of any conventional size in the range from about 10 μm to 200 μm. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the plant seeds are selected from seeds of rice ( Oryza sativa ), wheat ( Triticum  spp. such as  T. aestivum ) including species such as spelt ( T. spelta ), einkorn ( T monococcum ), emmer ( T. dicoccum ) and durum ( T. durum ), barley ( Hordeum vulgare ) including two row and six row barley, sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor ), millet species such as pearl millet ( Pennisetum glaucum ), foxtail millet ( Setaria italica ), proso millet ( Panicum miliaceum ) and finger millet ( Eleusine coracana ), oats ( Avena sativa ), rye (Seca/e  cereale ), Triticale (x  Triticosecale ), buckwheat ( Fagopyrum escuientum ); seeds of  Lolium  spp, and the forage herbs such as chicory, Sheep's Burnett, Ribgrass (aka Robwort Plantain), Sainfoin, Yarrow, Sheep's Parsley; seeds of  gossypium  spp. Of the family Malvaceae; seeds of legume species of the family Fabaceae; seeds of  Zea mays  spp. and varieties thereof: and seeds of field crop plants selected from seeds of the Crucifer family; seeds of alliums, and seeds of capsicums, tomatoes, cucurbits such as cucumbers, cantaloupes, summer squashes, pumpkins, butternut squashes, tropical pumpkins, calabazas, winter squashes, watermelons, lettuces, zucchinis (courgettes), aubergines, carrots, parsnips, swedes, turnips, sugar beet, ceieriacs, Jerusalem artichokes, artichokes, bok choi, celery, Chinese cabbage, horse radish, musk melons, parsley, radish, spinach, beetroot for table consumption, linseed, sunflower, safflower, sesame, carob, coriander, mustard, grape, flax, dika, hemp, okra, poppy, castor, jojoba, species of the Poaceae, including  Lolium  spp.  Festuca  spp., and forage herb species. 
     
     
         18 . A method of coating a plant seed with a coating composition that comprises a flowability enhancing agent comprising the steps of:—
 i. providing at least one flowability enhancing agent suitable for coating plant seeds; 
 ii. heating the flowability enhancing agent so as to form a liquid phase or a gaseous phase; 
 iii. cooling the liquid phase or gaseous phase of ii) to below the melting point of the flowability enhancing agent, forming a solid; 
 iv. machining the solid flowability enhancing agent of step iii) into particles of a predetermined volume mean diameter; and 
 v. applying the particles of iv) to plant seeds 
 wherein the flowability enhancement agent is made up of electret particles made of a wax that adheres more firmly to plant seeds than a dry particulate compound or composition that is a flowability enhancement agent that comprises a substance that is a mineral earth or includes a mineral earth component. 
 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein the wax comprises at least one species of wax that has a melting temperature of ≧50° C. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein the wax comprises at least one species of wax selected from carnauba wax, montan wax and paraffin wax or a mixture of two or more thereof.