Field of the invention

The invention relates to a mixture for treating soil.

Background to the invention

Treatment of soil deficiencies with chemical and / or synthetic products are well known in the art. In general, elements such as potassium, nitrogen and phosphates will be added in various ratios relative to one another to generally boost vegetative growth, while trace elements are added as the need arise.

When soil has a high sodium content, the assimilability of magnesium, calcium and potassium in the soil decreases.

High saline content of soil poses unique problems, such as plant rooting inhibition, inhibition of water absorption into plants and plant growth inhibition which is difficult to treat. High saline content of soil is usually treated by leaving the soil uncultivated for several seasons for allowing saline content to decrease through leaching or by applying gypsum.

Factors such as water pollution, scarcity of resources to source potassium as well as a number of human health driven topics necessitated the need to investigate alternative and more environmentally friendly ways of treating soil for agricultural needs.

It is an object of the invention to provide a soil treatment mixture. Summary of the invention

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a mixture for treating soil which comprises:

- a microbial substance combined with

- a protein-based substance to form the mixture for treating soil.

The microbial substance includes micro-organisms selected from any one or more of the group consisting of Bacillus laterosporus, Bacillus thurgiensis, Trichoderma harzianum T22, Pseudomonas filourescens A505 and lactic acid culture with a colony forming unit (“CFU”) of 10 ⁹ , Azotobacter croccum and Azospirilium.

The protein-based substance is in the form of a liquid.

The protein-based substance includes amino acids.

The treating of the soil with the mixture results in the leaching of sodium from the soil.

The treating of the soil with the mixture results in the leaching of sodium from sodic soil.

The treating of the soil with the mixture results in an increase in water permeability of the soil.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a mixture for facilitating the transmutation of an element present in the soil which includes:

- a microbial substance combined with

- a protein-based substance to form the mixture for facilitating the transmutation of an element present in the soil.

The microbial substance includes micro-organisms selected from any one or more of the group consisting of Bacillus laterosporus, Bacillus thurgiensis, Trichoderma harzianum T22, Pseudomonas filourescens A505 and lactic acid culture with a colony forming unit (“CFU”) 10 ⁹ , Azotobacter croccum and Azospirilium.

The protein-based substance is in the form of a liquid.

The protein-based substance includes amino acids.

According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a method of treating soil, comprising: - adding a microbial substance to the soil; and

- adding a protein-based substance to the soil.

The microbial substance and the protein-based substance are distributed into the soil by physical means.

The distribution by physical means is achieved by applying water to the soil.

The steps of adding the microbial and protein-based substances causes leaching of sodium from the soil.

The steps of adding the microbial and protein-based substances to the soil results in an increase of water permeability of the soil.

The steps of adding the microbial and protein-based substances to the soil results in the transmutation of an element present in the soil. According to a fourth aspect of the invention there is provided a method for leaching sodium from soil by:

- adding a microbial substance to the soil; and

- adding a protein-based substance to the soil.

The microbial substance comprises of micro-organisms selected from any one or more of the group consisting of Bacillus laterosporus, Bacillus thurgiensis, Trichoderma harzianum T22, Pseudomonas filourescens A505 and lactic acid culture with a colony forming unit (“CFU”) 10 ⁹ , Azotobacter croccum and Azospirilium.

The protein-based substance is in the form of a liquid.

The protein-based substance includes amino acids.

According to a fifth aspect of the invention there is provided a method for transmuting an element present in soil, comprising:

- adding a microbial substance to the soil; and

- adding a protein-based substance to the soil to transmute an element present in the soil.

The method for transmuting an element present in the soil further includes distributing the microbial substance and the protein-based substance into the soil by physical means.

The distribution by physical means is achieved by applying water to the soil.

According to a sixth aspect of the invention there is provided a method for manufacturing a microbial substance for treating soil which includes the steps of:

- adding an amino acid containing liquid into a vessel; - adding a microbial containing liquid to the vessel; and

- stirring periodically for a period of 24 (twenty four) hours.

Description of the invention

Embodiment of the invention are described below as examples only.

A mixture used for treating soil includes a microbial substance combined with a protein- based substance to form the mixture. According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a mixture for facilitating the transmutation of an element present in the soil which includes a microbial substance combined with a protein-based substance to form the mixture for facilitating the transmutation of an element present in the soil.

According to yet another aspect of the invention there is provided a method for treating soil which comprises adding a microbial substance to the soil and adding a protein- based substance to the soil.

According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for leaching sodium from soil by adding a microbial substance to the soil and adding a protein-based substance to the soil. According to an even further aspect of the invention there is provided a method of transmuting an element present in soil, comprising adding a microbial substance to the soil and adding a protein-based substance to the soil to transmute an element present in the soil.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a method of manufacturing a microbial substance for treating soil which includes at least the steps of adding an amino acid containing liquid into a vessel, adding a microbial containing liquid to the vessel and periodically stirring the liquid mixture for approximately 24 hours.

The microbial substance includes micro-organisms selected from any one or more of the group consisting of Bacillus laterosporus, Bacillus thurgiensis, Trichoderma harzianum T22, Pseudomonas filourescens A505 and lactic acid culture with a colony forming unit (“CFU”) of 10 ⁹ , Azotobacter croccum and Azospirilium.

The protein-based substance is in the form of a liquid and includes amino acids.

When soil is treated with the soil treatment mixture, it results in the leaching of sodium from soil and sodic soil as well as an increase in the water permeability. The mixtures are to be diluted to a factor of at least 8 prior to application to soil.

The mixtures are to be applied at a concentration of 25 liters per hectare of soil.

The mixtures are distributed into the soil through physical means such as a spade, plough or with water for washing it into the soil.

The advantage of biological rehabilitation of soil containing an unsuitable, relatively high saline contents with the soil treatment mixture (also referred to as“the product”) was tested in the agricultural environment and yield the following results, before and after treatment, respectively:

Trial 1

Ca% Mg% Ό K% Na% P H (KCI)

Ohm

Before: 1 1 .6 51 4.2 32.8 8.3 60

After: 45 29 6.7 13.7 5.6 260

Trial 2 Ca% Mg% K% Na% P H (KCI)

Ohm

Before: 44 25 14.4 6.76 5.7 270

After: 61 28 6.9 3.63 6.1

2100

Trial 3

Ca% Mg% Ό K% Na% p H (KCI)

Ohm

Before: 54 26 10.6 9.25 7.2 160 After: 57 30 9.8 3.07 6.7 540 Trial 4

Ca% Mg% K% Na% p H (H2O)

Ohm

Before: 75 15 3.8 1 .75 7.7

After: 66 18 10.8 0.84 7.4

Trial 5 - resistance not measured, but carbon content (C) measured.

Ca% Mg% K% Na% p H (H2O) C%

2016: 63 17 1 .04 2.58 7.3 1 .68 2018: 59 19 3.18 1 .51 6.2 2.68

From the experimental results, it was concluded that the soil treatment mixture not only improves overall soil quality and restores imbalances, but also, due to transmutation, convert mid-range elements, thereby decreasing the concentration of elements contributing to salinity problems and converting these elements to elements beneficial in agricultural use.

A further study was conducted by application of the soil treatment mixture to sodic soils in lab environment to evaluate the following:

1 . Efficacy of the mixture to leach sodium from sodic soil; and

2. Efficacy of the mixture to enhance water permeability of sodic soil.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Trial 1

The soil was pre- treated with 1 g NaCI per kg of soil to prepare a sodic soil.

The bottom half of the column was filled with untreated soil and saturated with water. The treated NaCI rich soil was used to fill the rest of the column.

The following treatments were applied:

1 . Treatment one received 450 ml water.

2. Treatment two received 450 ml water wherein the water contained 10 ml product. 3. Treatment three received 450 ml water wherein the water contained 20 ml product.

4. Treatment four received 450 ml water wherein the water contained 20 ml product as well as 0,5 ml of a surfactant.

The columns received a daily application of 250 ml of water.

The leachate after each application of water was collected to determine the electrical conductivity (“EC”), and every second leach was used to determine the sodium content in the leach.

Trial 2

1 . The soil was pre-treated wherein 1 gram of NaCI was added to each kilogram of soil. In total 10 kg of soil was pre-treated.

2. The above pre-treated soil was then divided into five equal sublots and further treated as follows:

a. Treatment 1 (control): Two kilogram pre -treated soil received 450 ml water.

b. Treatment 2: Two kilogram pre-treated soil received 450 ml water wherein the water contained 10 ml product.

c. Treatment 3: Two kilogram pre-treated soil received 450 ml water wherein the water contained 20 ml product.

d. Treatment 4: Two kilogram pre-treated soil received 450 ml water wherein the water contained 20 ml product as well as 0,5 ml of a surfactant.

The treated soil was left for 2 weeks in order to equilibrate. The soil was then packed into the columns.

By preparing a constant water-head, the leachate was collected under the columns and the volume and time noted.

The permeability of the soil was calculated by using D’Arcies law shown herein below: Q = V/At = -k(H1 -H2)/L Q = flood

V = volume

A = surface area of the column

T = time

-k = permeability

H1 = length from bottom of the soil column

H2 = length from the top of the water column

L = Length of the soil column

Due to the sodicity of the soil the permeability was naturally slow and the volume was therefor only measured once daily.

RESULTS

Trial 1

Based on the EC value of the leachate as collected after each leaching event, the following was concluded as summarised in Tablel .

1 . The EC of treatment 1 (control), which was not treated with the product, was fairly high after the first leaching event, but declined steadily with each following leaching event, indicating the removal of salts which declined over time.

2. The EC of the leach from treatment 2 which was treated with 450 ml water to which 10 ml of the product was added, was much higher, indicating more salts were removed with each leach.

3. The EC of the leach from treatment 3 which was treated with 450 ml water to which 20 ml of the product was added was even higher and although the EC declined with each leaching event it was always higher than the EC values of both treatments 1 and 2, indicating that even more salts were removed with each leach due to the presence of more product in the water used to treat the soil.

4. The EC of the leach from treatment 4 which was treated with 450 ml of water to which 20 ml of the product was added caused an initial lowering of the EC of the leachate, and the EC declined only slightly with each leaching event. This indicated a slower leeching of salts even slower than the untreated control.

Table 1 . EC of leach after each leaching

When considering the sodium content in the leachate shown in Table 2 the following results were obtained.

1 . Treatment 1 where 197 mg/kg sodium was present in the leachate, which declined with every leach event indicates the steady but slower removal of sodium from the column.

2. In the case of treatment 2, the sodium content of the first leach was higher than treatment 1 and also for the following leaching events indicating more leaching of the sodium from the soil in the column. 3. With treatment 3 where more product was added to the soil (20 ml/450 ml water), the removal of sodium with each leaching event was higher than treatment 1 and 2, indicating more removal of sodium, but the sodium content was steady for each leach. This is indicative of the effecacy of the product to improve the removal of salts from a sodic soil.

4. The leaching results of treatment 4 which in addition contained a surfactant, was slightly higher than treatment 3 and was steady for each leach. This was contrary to what was found with the EC of the leachate where it was found that the surfactant reduced the EC, indicating less leaching of the total salts.

Table 2. Sodium concentration in every second leach

Trial 2

Based on the permeability shown data in Table 3 herein below, the following was concluded:

1 . The untreated sodic soil had a very low permeability due to the NaCI that was applied to the soil.

2. Soil permeability increased as the product application rates increased. This was in accordance with the EC reading, indicating better leaching of salts and Na. The addition of the surfactant improved the permeability slightly.

Table 3. Permeability

In summary

1 . The product increased the leaching of sodium from sodic soil as shown by the EC results obtained from trial 1 .

2. The presence of a surfactant in the amount of 0,5 ml reduced the leaching of the total salts.

3. The leaching of sodium from sodic soil was affected by the presence of a surfactant, but the leaching was still higher compared to the control.

4. Water permeability of the sodic soil when incubated and after treatment with the product increased compared to the untreated control.

5. The surfactant resulted in increased water permeability. The applicant considers the invention advantageous in that a novel microbial mixture is disclosed for manipulating the elemental content of soils in the absence of synthetic products. The mixture also improved leaching of sodium and total salts from sodic soils, and further also shown to increase water permeability.