Bioactive nutrient fortified fertilizers and related methods

Abstract

A fertilizer and method of making a fertilizer that include bioactivated nutrients derived from immobile/less mobile elements. The immobile/less elements are made available to plants by the action of element mobilizing microorganisms, which are isolated, cultured, and combined with organic material and sources of the immobile element.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of producing bioactivated fortified fertilizer comprising the steps of:
 providing a fertilizer;   providing a material rich in a target nutrient element;   preparing bioaugmented organic matter;   preparing bioactive nutrient from the bioaugmented organic matter and the material rich in a target nutrient element; and   coating the fertilizer with the bioactive nutrient to form bioactivated fortified fertilizer.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of preparing bioaugmented organic matter includes the steps of:
 preparing organic matter; 
 isolating element mobilizing microorganisms capable of mobilizing the target nutrient element; 
 growing the element mobilizing microorganisms to prepare a culture; 
 inoculating the organic matter with a portion of the culture; and 
 incubating the inoculated organic matter to generate the bioaugmented organic matter having a predetermined population of the element mobilizing microorganisms. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of preparing bioactive nutrient includes the steps of:
 blending the bioaugmented organic matter and the material rich in the target nutrient element; and 
 incubating the blend to generate the bioactive nutrient having a predetermined level of the target nutrient element in a combined organic fraction and water fraction. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the level of the target nutrient element in the combined organic fraction and water fraction is greater than or equal to approximately 75% of the target nutrient element present in the material rich in the target nutrient element. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the level of the target nutrient element in the combined organic fraction and water fraction is between approximately 75% and approximately 85% of the target nutrient element present in the material rich in the target nutrient element. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the target nutrient element is an immobile element and selected from the list including phosphorus, zinc, boron, iron, copper, and manganese. 
     
     
         7 . A bio-nutrient fortified fertilizer comprising:
 a fertilizer particle;   a layer of bioactive material rich in a target nutrient element; and   a layer of outer coating material;   wherein the layer of bioactive material is between the fertilizer particle and the layer of outer coating material.   
     
     
         8 . The bio-nutrient fortified fertilizer of  claim 7  further comprising an outer layer coating material that surrounds the fertilizer particle and layer of bioactive material. 
     
     
         9 . The bio-nutrient fortified fertilizer of  claim 7  wherein the bioactive material includes a target source material rich in the target nutrient element and element mobilizing microorganisms selected to mobilize the target nutrient element. 
     
     
         10 . The bio-nutrient fortified fertilizer of  claim 7  wherein the target nutrient element is an immobile element and selected from the list including phosphorus, zinc, boron, iron, copper, and manganese.