A COMPOSITION FOR HORTICULTURE FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a composition for horticulture.

DEFINITIONS:

As used in the present disclosure, the following terms are generally intended to have the meaning as set forth below, except to the extent that the context in which it is used indicates otherwise.

Horticulture: The term“Horticulture” refers to the branch of agriculture dealing with the art, science, technology, and business of growing plants. It includes the cultivation of medicinal plants, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, sprouts, mushrooms, algae, flowers, seaweeds and non-food crops such as grass and ornamental trees and plants. These plants are grown in a common private gardening environment or in nurseries. The difference between these plants and plants in agriculture is that the need of individual plant is taken care off. Wherein in agriculture the mass need of one crop variety is attended to without use of soil or little soil.

Hydroponics: The term“Hydroponics” refers to the branch of hydroculture, which is a method of growing plants without use of soil by using solutions containing minerals and nutrients in a water.

Aeroponics: The term“Aeroponics” refers to the process for growing plants in an air or moist environment without the use of soil or an aggregate medium. Sometimes it is termed as hydroponics as it uses water for transmitting nutrients. Potting Mixture: is a medium to grow plants, herbs and vegetables in a pot or other durable container. Potting mixture is also referred to as a growing medium.

Coco peat: is a multi-purpose growing medium made out of coconut husk. The fibrous coconut husk is pre-washed, machine dried, sieved and made free from sand and other contaminations such as animal and plant residue.

Peat: is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation or organic matter.

Moss: taxonomic division Bryophyta are small, non-vascular flowerless plants that typically form dense green clumps or mats, often in damp or shady locations.

Manure: is an organic matter that is used as organic fertilizer in agriculture. Most manure consists of animal feces, other sources include compost and green manure.

Gravel: is a loose aggregation of rock fragments. Gravel is classified by particle size range and includes size classes from granule- to boulder-sized fragments.

Composted bark: contains very little in the way of nutrients but is a good long-lasting mulch which will help to retain moisture and keep weeds down.

Perlite: is the name of a naturally occurring mineral. In nature, it exists as a type of volcanic glass, created when the volcanic obsidian glass gets saturated with water over a long time.

Vermiculite: is a type of naturally occurring mineral that expands into long, worm-like strands when heat is applied through a process called exfoliation. When in its expanded form, the material has a low density and thermal conductivity.

Vermicompost: is the product of the decomposition process using various species of worms, usually red wigglers, white worms, and other earthworms, to create a mixture of decomposing vegetable or food waste, bedding materials, and vermicast. Verm i cast is the end-product of the breakdown of organic matter by earthworms. BACKGROUND

The background information herein below relates to the present disclosure but is not necessarily prior art.

All special plants producing fruits, flowers and vegetables cannot grow successfully in all types of environmental conditions and soil. They differ in their tolerance of adaptation to the conditions. Such plants can be cultivated in a controlled environment suitable for their growth using different techniques such as horticulture, hydroponics and aeroponics. These techniques use optimized sensitive cultivation conditions for plants suitable for their growth. The cultivation conditions can include external factors such as environment, insects, pests and diseases as well as nutrition and internal factors are such as factors associated with plant such as sex distribution, heterostyle, dichogamy, aborted organs, non-viable pollen, genetic incompatibility and nutritive conditions. Plants cultivated through horticulture, hydroponics and aeroponics also suffer from common issues such as nutrient deficiency, algae growth, pests and pathogens. For growth of plants, the nutrients play important role in the cultivation techniques.

A number of commercial compositions for horticulture for improving nutrient contents and promote growth of plant through cultivation of plants using these techniques are available in the market. However, these compositions have limited activity and effectivity.

Therefore, there is felt a need for a composition for horticulture that mitigates the aforestated drawbacks.

OBJECTS

Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one embodiment herein satisfies, are as follows: An object of the present disclosure is to ameliorate one or more problems of the prior art or to at least provide a useful alternative.

Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a composition for horticulture.

Still another object of the present disclosure is to provide a composition capable of promoting plant growth and improving product characteristics in horticulture.

Yet another object of the present disclosure is to provide a composition capable of promoting plant growth in hydroponics and aeroponics.

Other objects and advantages of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following description, which is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. SUMMARY

The present disclosure relates to a composition for horticulture. The composition comprises, potting mixture in an amount in the range of 25wt% to 60 wt% of the total weight of the composition, an additive in an amount in the range of 20 wt% to 30 wt% of the total weight of the composition, at least one compound selected from sorbitan monooleate and cetyl alcohol in an amount in the range of 0 wt% to 10wt% the total weight of the composition, and a plant growth regulator in an amount in the range of 5 wt% to 10 wt% of the total weight of the composition.

Further, the present disclosure relates a process for preparing a composition for horticulture.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWING

Figure 1-a illustrates photographic image of the Rose plant taken on day 1 in accordance with experiment 1 of the present disclosure;

Figure 1-b illustrates photographic image of the Rose plant taken on day 15 in accordance with experiment 1 of the present disclosure; Figure 1-c illustrates photographic image of the Rose plant taken on day 27 in accordance with experiment 1 of the present disclosure;

Figure 1-d illustrates photographic image of the Rose plant taken on day 45 in accordance with experiment 1 of the present disclosure;

Figure 1-e illustrates photographic image of the Rose plant taken on day 60 in accordance with experiment 1 of the present disclosure;

Figure 1-f illustrates photographic image of the Rose plant taken on day 75 in accordance with experiment 1 of the present disclosure;

Figure 1-g illustrates photographic image of the Rose plant taken on day 84 in accordance with experiment 1 of the present disclosure;

Figure 1-h illustrates photographic image of the Rose plant taken on day 96 in accordance with experiment 1 of the present disclosure;

Figure 1-i illustrates photographic image of the Rose plant taken on day 106 in accordance with experiment 1 of the present disclosure;

Figure 1-g illustrates photographic image of the Rose plant taken on day 116 in accordance with experiment 1 of the present disclosure;

Figure 2-a illustrates photographic image of the Marigold plant taken on day 1 in accordance with experiment 4 of the present disclosure;

Figure 2-b illustrates photographic image of the Marigold plant taken on day 15 in accordance with experiment 4 of the present disclosure;

Figure 2-c illustrates photographic image of the Marigold plant taken on day 32 in accordance with experiment 4 of the present disclosure; Figure 2-d illustrates photographic image of the Marigold plant taken on day 47 in accordance with experiment 4 of the present disclosure;

Figure 2-e illustrates photographic image of the Marigold plant taken on day 63 in accordance with experiment 4 of the present disclosure;

Figure 2-f illustrates photographic image of the Marigold plant taken on day 78 in accordance with experiment 4 of the present disclosure;

Figure 2-g illustrates photographic image of the Marigold plant taken on day 98 in accordance with experiment 4 of the present disclosure;

Figure 3-a illustrates photographic image of the light purple orchid plant used in the experiment 7 of the present disclosure;

Figure 3-b illustrates photographic image of the white orchid plant used in the experiment 7 of the present disclosure;

Figure 3-c illustrates photographic image of the dark purple orchid plant used in the experiment 3 of the present disclosure;

Figure 4-a illustrates photographic image of the net house used in the experiment 7 of the present disclosure;

Figure 4-b illustrates photographic image of view of the experimental site in accordance with the experiment 7 of the present disclosure;

Figure 5-a illustrates photographic image potting/growing mixture in accordance with the experiment 7 of the present disclosure;

Figure 5-b illustrates photographic image potting/growing mixture in accordance with the experiment 7 of the present disclosure; Figure 6-a illustrates photographic image of the measurement of leaf width in accordance with the experiment 7 of the present disclosure;

Figure 6-b illustrates photographic image of the measurement of plant height in accordance with the experiment 7 of the present disclosure; Figure 6-c illustrates photographic image of the measurement of root length in accordance with the experiment 7 of the present disclosure;

Figure 7-a illustrates photographic image of the light purple orchid plant after the treatment with composition for plant growth in hydroponics in accordance with the experiment 7 of the present disclosure; Figure 7-b illustrates photographic image of the dark purple orchid plant after the treatment with composition for plant growth in hydroponics in accordance with the experiment 7 of the present disclosure; and

Figure 8 illustrates photographic image of the orchid plant in accordance with the experiment 8 of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments, of the present disclosure, will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

Embodiments are provided so as to thoroughly and fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to the person skilled in the art. Numerous details are set forth, relating to specific components, and methods, to provide a complete understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to the person skilled in the art that the details provided in the embodiments should not be construed to limit the scope of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, well-known processes, well-known apparatus structures, and well-known techniques are not described in detail. The terminology used, in the present disclosure, is only for the purpose of explaining a particular embodiment and such terminology shall not be considered to limit the scope of the present disclosure. As used in the present disclosure, the forms "a,” "an," and "the" may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly suggests otherwise. The terms "comprises," "comprising,"“including,” and“having,” are open ended transitional phrases and therefore specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, modules, units and/or components, but do not forbid the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The particular order of steps disclosed in the method and process of the present disclosure is not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance as described or illustrated. It is also to be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed.

As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed elements.

The terms first, second, third, etc., should not be construed to limit the scope of the present disclosure as the aforementioned terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another component, region, layer or section. Terms such as first, second, third etc., when used herein do not imply a specific sequence or order unless clearly suggested by the present disclosure.

Cultivation techniques such as horticulture, hydroponics and aeroponics, involve controlled conditions which are highly sensitive for plant growth. These cultivation conditions are affected by external factors and internal factors. These factors can be governed by providing supplements in the form of compositions to obtain desired plant growth and product characteristics. Commercially available compositions are not efficient in providing desired plant growth and product characteristics cultivated through horticulture, hydroponics and aeroponics. The present disclosure provides a composition for horticulture.

In an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a composition for horticulture. The composition comprises a potting mixture in an amount in the range of 25 wt% to 60 wt% of the total weight of the composition, an additive in an amount in the range of 20 wt% to 30 wt% of the total weight of the composition; at least one compound selected from sorbitan monooleate and cetyl alcohol in an amount in the range of 0 wt% to 10wt% the total weight of the composition, and a plant growth regulator in an amount in the range of 5 wt% to 10 wt% of the total weight of the composition. In an exemplary embodiment, the composition for horticulture comprises the potting mixture in an amount of 60 wt.% of the total weight of the composition, the additive in an amount of 25 wt.% of the total weight of the composition, sorbitan monooleate in an amount of 5 wt.% of the total weight of the composition and plant growth regulator in an amount of 10 wt.% of the total weight of the composition. In another embodiment, the composition for horticulture comprises the potting mixture in an amount of 60 wt.% of the total weight of the composition, the additive in an amount of 30 wt.% of the total weight of the composition, and plant growth regulator in an amount of 10 wt.% of the total weight of the composition.

In accordance with the embodiments of the present disclosure, the potting mixture is at least one selected from soil, coco peat, moss, manure, sand, peat, gravel, composted bark, perlite, vermiculite, and nutrient. In an exemplary embodiment, the potting mixture is coco peat and soil. In another exemplary embodiment, the potting mixture is a combination of moss and soil.

Potting mixture can be made up of the waste material. Hence, use of the potting mixture also provides a way of utilization of the waste material. In accordance with the embodiments of the present disclosure, the additive comprises a mixture of esters of fatty acids in the range of 75 wt% to 95 wt% of the total weight of the additive; and an emulsifying agent in the range of 5 wt% to 25 wt% of the total weight of the additive. Typically esters of fatty acids which can include, but not limited to poly(ethylene glycol) 6000 distearate, poly(ethylene glycol) 20000 distearate, poly(ethylene glycol) 6000 dioleate, glycerol monostearate, sorbitan tri stearate, PEG- 150 pentaerythrityl tetrastearate, sucrose tetra stearate and sucrose tetra palmitate. the emulsifying agent is at least one selected from the group consisting of alcohols and ethers. Typically, the emulsifying agents are Tridecyl alcohol and polyoxyethylene 10 tridecyl ether.

In an exemplary embodiment, the additive comprises 85 wt% PEG 6000 Distearate, 10 wt% Glycerol monostearate and 5 wt% polyoxyethylene 10 tridecylether.

In accordance with the embodiments of the present disclosure, the plant growth regulator comprises a nitrogen source, a potassium source and a phosphorous source. Typically, the plant growth regulator is at least one selected from the group consisting of amides of fatty acids, tallow amine, ethylene bis stearamide, humate, brown seaweed, jagerry, com flour, fulvic acid, grey seaweed, gibberellic acid, brassinolide, diethyl aminethyl hexanoate (6 DA) and amino powder. In exemplary embodiment, the plant growth regulator is mixture of equal amounts of tallow amine humate, brown seaweed. Typically, the composition for horticulture can be administered to plants in an amount in the range of 20 milliliter per matured plant to 30 milliliter per matured plant. Further, the present disclosure relates to a process for preparing a composition for horticulture. The process comprises mixing a potting mixture with additive, and plant growth regulator and optionally with sorbitan monooleate to obtain the composition.

In accordance with the embodiments of the present disclosure, the composition for horticulture of the present disclosure is also used for plant growth in hydroponics. The composition for hydroponics comprises the predetermined amounts of an additive, a plant growth regulator and cetyl alcohol. In an embodiment, the amount of cetyl alcohol is up to 10 wt.% of the total composition. Typically, the composition for hydroponics can be administered in an amount in the range of 4.5 milliliter per liter to 5 milliliter per liter of solutions used for hydroponics.

In an embodiment, the composition for horticulture comprises the potting mixture in an amount of 60 wt.% of the total weight of the composition, the additive in an amount of 20 wt.% of the total weight of the composition, cetyl alcohol in an amount of 10 wt.% of the total weight of the composition and plant growth regulator in an amount of 10 wt.% of the total weight of the composition. In another embodiment, the composition for horticulture comprises the potting mixture in an amount of 60 wt.% of the total weight of the composition, the additive in an amount of 30 wt.% of the total weight of the composition, and plant growth regulator in an amount of 10 wt.% of the total weight of the composition.

Cetyl alcohol has melting point of 49.3°C and is water insoluble. Cetyl alcohol decreases the evaporation rate of water from the soil medium. As a result, loss of water by plants through transpiration is reduced without reducing yield.

In accordance with the embodiments of the present disclosure, the composition for horticulture of the present disclosure is also used for plant growth in aeroponics. In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the composition for aeroponics can be administered in an amount in the range of 4.5 milliliters per liter to 5 milliliters per liter of solutions used for aeroponics. The composition can be administered by using sprinkle method.

The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Individual components of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, are interchangeable. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the present disclosure, and all such modifications are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure. The present disclosure is further described in light of the following experiments which are set forth for illustration purpose only and not to be construed for limiting the scope of the disclosure. The following experiments can be scaled up to industrial/commercial scale and the results obtained can be extrapolated to industrial scale.

EXPERIMENTAL DETAILS

Experiment 1: Composition for horticulture (Rose plant) in accordance to the present disclosure:

Preparation of the composition for horticulture:

An additive was prepared by additive mixing PEG 6000 Distearate, Glycerol monostearate and polyoxyethylene 10 tridecylether. The composition of the additive was 85 wt% PEG 6000 Distearate, 10 wt% Glycerol monostearate and 5 wt% polyoxyethylene 10 tridecylether

The composition for the horticulture was prepared by first equal proportion of mixing of soil, coco peat and moss to obtain a mixture. The additive as prepared above, sorbitan monooleate and mixture containing equal amount of tallow amine humate, brown seaweed as a plant growth regulator was mixed to the mixture to obtain the composition for the horticulture comprising 60 wt.% of the potting mixture (20 wt% of each soil, coco peat and moss), 25 wt.% of the additive, 5 wt.% of sorbitan monooleate and 10 wt% of the mixture of plant growth regulator. Cultivation: A pot experiment was conducted on a response of Rose flower plant under composition for horticulture in accordance to the present disclosure. The experiment was carried out at Pollucon Laboratory. A local variety of Rose plant from nursery was used for experiment. The experiment was carried out for 150 days and plants were grown in the composition prepared as explained above and irrigated with tap water. During the experiment, 1.25 ml/plant mixtures of 75% additive and 25% plant growth regulator as prepared above were administered as a dose per month.

As shown in figure 1, the flowering and plant growth for the rose was fast and steadily progressed in the composition for the horticulture according example 1 of the present application. Experiment 2: Composition for horticulture (Rose plant) in accordance to the present disclosure: Experiment 2 was carried out in a similar manner as that of experiment 1 , except the potting mixture consisted of equal quantities of soil, compost bark and perlite.

Experiment 3: Composition for horticulture (Rose plant) in accordance to the present disclosure: Experiment 3 was carried out in a similar manner as that of experiment 1 , except the potting mixture consisted of equal quantities of vermiculite, manure and sand.

Experiment 4: Composition for horticulture (Marigold flower) in accordance to the present disclosure: Experiment 4 was carried out in a similar manner as that of experiment 1 , except Marigold flower plant was used instead of Rose and the potting mixture consisted of equal quantities of soil, compost bark and vermiculite.

As shown in figure 2, the flowering and plant growth for Marigold plant was fast and steadily progressed in a composition for the plant growth for the horticulture according to the example 4 of the present application.

Experiment 5: Composition for horticulture (Marigold flower) in accordance to the present disclosure: Experiment 5 was carried out in a similar manner as that of experiment 4, except the potting mixture consisted of equal quantities of soil, perlite and sand.

Experiment 6: Composition for horticulture (Marigold flower) in accordance to the present disclosure: Experiment 6 was carried out in a similar manner as that of experiment 4, except the potting mixture consisted of equal quantities of vermiculite, menure, and perlite.

Table 1: Summary of potting mixture used for example 1 to 6.

As shown in figure 1 and 2, the flowering and plant growth for the rose and marigold plant was fast and steadily progressed in the composition for the horticulture according example 1 and 4 of the present disclosure.

Experiment 7: Composition for horticulture/hvdroponics (Orchids ^' ) in accordance to the present disclosure: Experiment 7 was carried out in a similar manner as that of experiment 1, except no sorbitan monooleate was used, Orchid flower plant was used instead of Rose, and the potting mixture consisted of equal quantities of charcoal, and waste of coconut bark as shown in figure 5. The composition used in experiment 7 was having 60 wt.% of the potting mixture, 30 wt.% of the additive, and 10 wt% of the mixture of plant growth regulator. Three variety of forty days healthy and uniform tissue cultured Orchid plants which had white, light Purple and dark purple shade were procured from Thailand, as shown in figure 3, and used for this experiment. The experiment 7 was conducted in net house of Orchid flower as shown in figure 4, at Kudadra village near Hansot.

Shade net house was covered with green plastics net. It was used for growing Orchid plants provided that partially controlled atmosphere and environment was maintained by reducing light intensity and providing effective heat during the daytime to the orchid crop. Growing medium for Orchid was kept moist but never be soggy.

During this experiment, the composition of 75% additive and 25% plant growth regulator and recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF) 0.2 % of NPK (20:10:10) was were administered at fortnightly intervals. 1.25 ml/Liter of the composition for plant growth in hydroponic in accordance with the present disclosure was administered per every 15 days. The quantity of water required for fertigation was roughly about quarter liter per plant and it was applied by sprinkler. The irrigation was done twice a day for the plants during hot months and once a day during cool months, besides water was also sprinkled once a day to the floor for maintaining the temperature and humidity inside the greenhouse. As shown in figure 6, growth parameters were recorded viz., plant height, leaf length, leaf width, root length of randomly selected plants of different treatments and were recorded at 30, 60, 90 and 120 days after planting (DAP). The results after the treatment are shown below in table 3. Table 2: Periodic analysis of the growth of the plants during experiment 7:

*DAP: Days After Planting

Table 2 shows that, the plant growth was better when the composition for the plant growth in hydroponics in accordance with the present disclosure was administered along with the recommended dose of fertilizer. When the flower harvesting was carried out after start of the experiment 7, the number of flowers were increase by about 12% compared to the previous harvesting and then the number of flowers at the time of average harvest counting was increased to about 23.91% after four months. The figure 5 demonstrates that the plant height, leaf length & width, root growth of the plant was significantly enhanced over previous harvest. As demonstrated in figure 7, the quality of the flowers was also enhanced after treatment with the composition for plant growth in accordance with the present disclosure.

Experiment 8: Composition for horticulture/hydroponics (Orchids ^' ) in accordance to the present disclosure: Experiment 8 was carried out in a similar manner as that of experiment 7, except cetyl alcohol was used to obtain a composition for the horticulture having 60 wt.% of the potting mixture, 20 wt.% of the additive, 10 wt.% of cetyl alcohol and 10 wt% of the mixture of plant growth regulator. The potting mixture consisted of equal amounts of sand and gravel. Figure 8 shows the plants and flowers grown in accordance to experiment 8 of the present disclosure.

In case of experiment 8, it was observed that, the loss of water by plants through transpiration was reduced as cetyl alcohol decreased the evaporation rate of water from the potting mixture.

TECHNICAL ADVANCEMENTS The present disclosure described herein above has several technical advantages including, but not limited to, the realization of

• composition that aids in growth of plants cultivated through horticulture, hydroponics and aeroponics and thereby improves characteristics of products obtained from plants. The embodiments herein and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained with reference to the non-limiting embodiments in the following description. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the embodiments herein may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments herein. Accordingly, the examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments herein.

The foregoing description of the specific embodiments so fully reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the embodiments as described herein. The use of the expression“at least” or“at least one” suggests the use of one or more elements or ingredients or quantities, as the use may be in the embodiment of the disclosure to achieve one or more of the desired objects or results.

Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like that has been included in this specification is solely for the purpose of providing a context for the disclosure. It is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form a part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the disclosure as it existed anywhere before the priority date of this application.

The numerical values mentioned for the various physical parameters, dimensions or quantities are only approximations and it is envisaged that the values higher/lower than the numerical values assigned to the parameters, dimensions or quantities fall within the scope of the disclosure, unless there is a statement in the specification specific to the contrary.

While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the components and component parts of the preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that many embodiments can be made and that many changes can be made in the preferred embodiments without departing from the principles of the disclosure. These and other changes in the preferred embodiment as well as other embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein, whereby it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descriptive matter is to be interpreted merely as illustrative of the disclosure and not as a limitation.