Benefit of filing date of Provisional Application

This application claims priority of December 4, 2013 from Provisional Application 61/91 1 ,909.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(1) Field Of the Invention

This invention relates to new methods for enhancing the crop production by application of diformylurea (DFU) to crops.

(2) Description of Prior Art

Previous U.S. patents (U.S. 6,040,273, U.S. 6,448,440, U.S. 6,710,085) to Dean have described the beneficial effects of DFU applied to crop plants to enhance the rate of seed germination and seedling growth of a number of crop plant variables such as shoot and root fresh weights.

(3) Identification of Objects of the Invention.

An important object of this invention is to apply DFU to achieve larger increases in the functional capacity of a crop plant root system to achieve selective root tissue synthesis resulting in more and effective feeder roots that can take up water and minerals from soil in contrast to thicker roots with less root tips for water and nutrient uptake from soil that are part of the heterogeneous overall root mass.

Another object of the invention is to apply DFU to crop plants to enhance crop plant cellular water and soil moisture around feeder roots.

Another object of the invention is to apply DFU to crop plants subject to flooding of the fields in which they are planted to prevent drowning of the plants in flooded fields. Another object of the invention is to apply DFU to crop plants to enhance crop plant growth and productivity while not suppressing the effect of pesticides, herbicides or fungicides.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The method of DFU treatment of crop plant tissue of the invention includes exogenous treatment of the crop plants with a DFU solution at a rate of between 0.1 to 10 pints/acre over the crop growth stages or as a preferred rate of DFU at 0.5 to 1 .5 pints per acre.

The method of exogenous treatment of the crop plants can be achieved as foliar treatments after the first or second leaf has formed or later in the growing season of the crop plant (with repeated [preferred] or single applications) over the canopy (leaves) at rates from 2 to 16 ounces of DFU per acre of crop per individual application or applied as repetitive applications over the whole crop growing season of up to 10 pints /acre.

The treatment of crop plants includes "in furrow" treatment at crop planting onto the seed and onto the soil in the opened sowing furrow at the rates of between 0.1 to 10 pints/acre, with a preferred rate of 0.5 to 1.5 pints per acre applied as an in furrow application.

As a method of preferred treatment, exogenous DFU is applied in furrow at a rate between 0.1 to 10 pints/acre but with a preferred rate of 0.5 pints/acre to 1 .5 pints/acre as a spray of the "opened" soil furrow, wherein the seed of the crop plant is first sown and the spray of the DFU solution then covers both the seed and the soil in the "opened" furrow, before closure of the furrow and subsequent compression of the soil over the closed furrow for an important and appropriate closed "soil" contact with the seed for optimal seed germination and growth of the crop plant seedling. A preferred time for such application as above is immediately at the time of sowing of the crop seed.

DFU applications throughout the growing season of the crop, can be made as foliar or "in-soil" applications at the rates of 2 to 16 ounces per acre. The DFU applications are always more effective if additional water is applied with the DFU at rates between 5 to 25 gallons of water per acre.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is a photograph illustrating root structure of two corn plants, one treated (on right) with DFU, the other untreated (on left);

Figure 2 is a photograph of a root structure showing dry soil around the roots of a corn plant that has not been treated with DFU;

Figure 3 is a photograph of a root structure showing moist soil around the roots of a corn plant (grown under the same conditions as that of Figure 2) treated with DFU;

Figure 4 is a graph which illustrates increase in guttation of DFU corn seedlings as a function of DFU application;

Figure 5 is a photograph of a field of corn plants that has been flooded by excessive rain;

Figure 6 is a photograph of the field of Figure 5 after water has partially receded, but showing corn plants that had been treated with DFU alive in the water;

Figure 7 is a close-up photograph showing a DFU treated corn plant of Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a photograph of a DFU treated corn plant that survived the flood of Figure

5;

Figure 9 is a photograph of corn plants that were not treated with DFU after flooding has receded; Figure 10 is a close-up photograph of non-DFU treated corn plants after having experienced a flooding condition;

Figure 1 1 is a close-up photograph of a dead corn plant (that was not treated with DFU) after flooding;

Figure 12 is another photograph of corn plants that were treated with DFU that survived flooding;

Figure 13 is a photograph of a corn cob of a plant that survived the flood of Figure 5;

Figure 14 is a graph showing the effect of DFU treatment on corn plants thereby requiring less water use for growing; and

Figure 15 is a graph illustrating enhanced tissue development in DFU treated corn plants (enhanced volumetric capacity of the stem). The graph further illustrates enhanced efficiency and volume flow of internal water and "growth" solutes.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

It has been discovered that application of DFU to growing crop plants results in a large increase in the functional capacity of the crop plant root system because of selective root tissue synthesis and development of fine small feeder roots that operate to take up water and minerals from the soil environment. Treatment of crop plant tissue described herein includes exogenous treatment of the crop plants with a DFU solution at a rate of between 0.1 to 10 pints/acre over the crop growth stages or as a preferred rate of 0.5 to 1.5 pints per acre. Preferably, the concentration of the DFU which is applied at the above rates is from stock solutions of 0.001 Molar to 1.0 Molar with a preferred Molarity of 0.001 Molar to 0.05 Molar. Figure 1 is a photograph of two plants: the plant on the left had no treatment with DFU; the plant on the right hand side was treated with DFU. The treated plant on the right hand side has a significantly greater fine small feeder root system development than does the untreated plant on the left hand side. The treated plant on the right hand side of Figure 1 is in contrast to the thicker deeper roots of the plant on the left hand side which has fewer "root tips" for water and nutrient uptake from the soil. The DFU treated plant on the right has smaller feeder roots for water, mineral, and nutrient uptake from the roots to the shoots.

It has also been discovered that applying DFU to crop plants causes enhancement of crop plant cellular water and soil moisture around the feeder roots. Compare the feeder root system of Figure 2 of a plant that has had no DFU applied to it with the feeder root system of Figure 3 of a plant that has DFU applied to it. Much more moist soil can be seen around the root system of Figure 3.

The method of applying DFU to crop plants, which has been covered by natural rain or other types of flooding is a distinctive enhanced feature of DFU treatment of crop plants to ameliorate damaging effects of field soil excessive moisture such as flooding. The most efficacious method of DFU treatment for this feature is that of an "in furrow" application into the open soil furrow at time of crop seed sowing with a spray of DFU at a dose of one to one and a half pints per acre over the seed and unto the soil of the open furrow before closure of the open furrow and application of pressure to the closed furrow for optimal soil contact with the seed.

It has also been discovered that treatment of crop plants such as corn increases guttation of the water on plant leaves. Figure 4 illustrates the results of increased guttation on seedling leaves as a function of DFU amounts.

It has been further discovered that applying DFU to crop plants prevents drowning of the plants when a crop field is flooded by excessive rain or other types of flooding. The most effective method of DFU treatment to prevent drowning is that of an in furrow application of DFU open soil furrow at the time of crop seed sowing. DFU is preferably sprayed at a dose of 1 pint per acre to 1 ½ pints per acre over the seed and onto the soil of the open furrow before closure of the open furrow and application of pressure to the closed furrow for optional soil contact with the seed.

Figure 5 is a photograph of a corn field completely flooded by excessive rain. Figures 6 and 7 show corn plants treated with DFU after the excessive water has retreated somewhat. The corn plants are seen to be growing. Figure 8 is a photograph of a corn plant that is seen to have survived the flood. Figure 9 is a photograph of a corn field which has not been treated with DFU, but after flooding, has been almost completely killed because of the water. Figure 10 is a close-up photo of corn that has been killed because of flooding. Figure 1 1 is a photo of the remains of a corn plant that has been killed by the flooding. Figure 12 is a photo of the corn plants treated with DFU with the plants growing in excessive moisture. Figure 13 is a photo of a corn cob of a corn plant that was treated with DFU and flooded as in Figures 5, 6 and 7.

It has also been discovered that DFU treatment of corn plants increases the inter-nodal volume of corn plants. Table 1 below confirms that discovery where intermodal stalk volumes of untreated corn crop plants was calculated to be 31 1.71 cc per plant whereas the inter-nodal stalk volumes of the DFU-treated corn plant was 355.47, an increase of 14% over the control plant.

Growth Stage Internodal Volume (cc) Internodal Volume (cc)

Untreated corn plant DFU-Treated corn plant

VI 26.93 33.49

V2 41 .2 45.02

V3 46.9 55.76

V4 52.06 59.14

V5 48.38 54.34

V6 42.21 47.79

V7 31.26 35.02

V8 22.77 24.9

Table 1

It has also been discovered that crops treated with DFU require less water for growing. See the results illustrated in Figure 14. In two barrels that were sealed at the top, a precise amount of growing medium was added with appropriate fertilizer and a precise amount of water. One of the barrels had fertilizer only while the second had a 0.0015% solution of DFU. Seven corn seedlings were genninated and grown in the growing medium in each of the barrels for a period of 37 days. At 37 days the fresh weight and dry weights of corn plants were determined. The graph on the right side of Figure 4 depicts the combined weight of the water and the plants growing out of the barrels. The graph on the left depicts the average amount of water needed to grow the treated vs the untreated corn, indicating a twenty eight percent savings with the DFU-treated plants contrasted to the untreated plants. The two barrels were constantly weighed electronically.

As further evidence the increase in crop production as a result of DFU treatment see Table 2 below. Untreated soybean plant yields were 52.5 bushels per acre. The DFU treated soybean plants yielded 1 1 1 bushels per acre. This represents an increase in water use efficiency of 1 1 1 percent.

of seed

Table 2

Enhanced tissue development in DFU treated corn plants is illustrated by the experiment illustrated in Figure 15. It has been also discovered that combining DFU and nitrogen fertilizer to the soil of a corn crop significantly enhances yield of the corn crop over simply using nitrogen fertilizer alone.

It has been further discovered that applying DFU to crop plants facilitates the efficiency of pesticides or herbicides or fungicides to enhance crop plant growth and crop productivity while not diminishing or suppressing the function of the pesticides, herbicides or fungicides.

It has also been discovered that greatly enhanced water use efficiency of up to 28% is achieved when crop plants have been treated with DFU.

Table 3 below illustrates the increased performance of herbicides and fungicides for crop plants by addition of DFU to the crops. Quadris™ fungicide (product of Syngenta Crop Protection, Inc.) was applied at the Rl stage of growth and gave a yield increase of 15 bushels per acre. DFU by itself increased soybean yields by 40 bushels per acre. DFU and Quadris applied together increased the yields by 52 bushels.

at above rates

Table 3

Table 4 below illustrates mineral use efficiency achieved with DFU applied to crop plants. A total of 180 lb of nitrogen fertilizer/acre, with ½ of nitrogen applied at V4 (forth leaf) and ½ at V7 (seventh leaf) as a side dress (3 inches to the side of the plant and 3 inches below the soil surface). The field corn cultivar DKC 66-96 was planted on 2/1 1/13 and harvested on 7/12/13. The harvested yield results reflect a 60.7% increase in efficiency of use of the available nitrogen mineral fertilizer by the DFU treatment of the seed.

Table 4

Table 5 below illustrates the effect of foliar application of DFU applied at V4 (4th leaf stage of crop growth) at either the rate of ½ pt/acre along with the herbicide Round-Up™ herbicides on field corn. Both the control and the treatments also had 0.9 lb of ammonium sulfate applied along with the herbicide and di-formylurea (DFU). The field corn was planted in southern Texas on March 3, 2012, at a population density of 35,000 plants per acre. The weed control was comparable and good with all the treatments. The large difference was in the harvestable yields of the di-formyl urea treated plants over the control which received the herbicide only.

Table 5