KR-102964005-B1 - Pellet composition comprising biochar, neem cake and zeolite for soil environment improvement and method for manufacturing the same

Abstract

The present invention relates to a soil treatment pellet composition comprising biochar, neem cake, and zeolite as main components, sodium alginate, a starch binder, a sulfur component, and a bicarbonate, a method for manufacturing the same, and a method for treating soil to increase the soil organic matter content. The pellet composition of the present invention is effective in creating a soil microenvironment favorable for increasing soil organic matter content, improving the soil physical and chemical environment, and suppressing the occurrence of pathogenic fungi, and can be utilized as an eco-friendly organic agricultural material.

Inventors

• 김재빈
• 김광환
• 김태경

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20260309

Claims (19)

1. Characterized by comprising, based on 100% by weight of total solids, 25 to 30% by weight of biochar, 25 to 30% by weight of neem cake, 25 to 30% by weight of zeolite, 2 to 5% by weight of sodium alginate, 2 to 5% by weight of starch, 1 to 3% by weight of sulfur component, and 1 to 3% by weight of bicarbonate. A pellet composition that creates an environment favorable for improving the soil environment and suppressing the growth of pathogenic fungi.
2. In paragraph 1, A pellet composition characterized by having an average particle size in the range of 2 to 6 mm.
3. In paragraph 1, The above pellet composition comprises an outer layer of slow-release coating, an inner core layer, and dispersed particles dispersed in the inner core, and The above biochar, neem cake, and zeolite constitute the internal core layer, and The sodium alginate and starch above constitute the coating layer, A pellet composition characterized in that the sulfur component and bicarbonate constitute dispersed particles dispersed in the core layer.
4. In paragraph 1, The above pellet composition is characterized by further comprising 3 to 10 weight percent of an additive.
5. In paragraph 4, A pellet composition characterized by the above additive comprising fulvic acid, amino acid powder, and chitosan in a weight ratio of 1 to 5 : 1 to 5 : 1 to 4.
6. In paragraph 1, A pellet composition characterized in that the above-mentioned bicarbonate is potassium bicarbonate, sodium bicarbonate, or a mixture thereof.
7. In paragraph 6, A pellet composition characterized in that the sulfur component is one or more selected from sulfur powder or sulfur-based inorganic salts.
8. In Paragraph 7, A pellet composition characterized in that the biochar is woody or agricultural byproduct-based biochar and has a specific surface area of 100 to 500 m² /g.
9. In paragraph 8, A pellet composition characterized in that the above zeolite is a natural zeolite and has a cation exchange capacity of 100 to 200 meq/100g.
10. In Paragraph 9, A pellet composition characterized in that the above-mentioned neem cake is a residue derived from neem seeds and has a crude protein content of 10 to 25 weight%.
11. In paragraph 4, A pellet composition characterized by the above additive comprising fulvic acid, amino acid powder, and hot water extract of Rhododendron yedoense var. poukhanense in a weight ratio of 1 to 5: 1 to 5: 1 to 4.
12. In paragraph 4, A pellet composition characterized by comprising the above additives in a weight ratio of 1~5 : 1~5 : 0.5~2 : 0.5~2.
13. (a) A step of pre-treating biochar, neem cake, and zeolite by drying and grinding; (b) a step of mixing the biochar, neem cake, and zeolite; (c) A step of mixing sulfur components and bicarbonate; (d) a step of preparing a binder solution containing sodium alginate and starch; (e) a step of pelletizing by adding a binder solution to the above mixture; (f) step of drying the pellets; and (g) Step of sorting and packaging pellets; A method for manufacturing a pellet composition characterized by including
14. In Paragraph 13, A method for preparing a pellet composition, characterized by controlling the moisture content of the biochar, neem cake, and zeolite to 10% by weight or less and controlling the average particle size to a range of 100 to 800 micrometers in step (a) above.
15. In Paragraph 14, A method for preparing a pellet composition, characterized in that mixing in step (b) is performed for 5 to 20 minutes.
16. In paragraph 15, A method for preparing a pellet composition, characterized in that, in step (d) above, the binder solution is prepared by heating and stirring at 40 to 70°C for 10 to 30 minutes.
17. In Paragraph 16, A method for preparing a pellet composition, characterized in that the drying of step (f) above is performed at 35 to 65°C to control the final moisture content of the pellet to 3 to 12 weight%.
18. A method for improving soil organic matter content by treating soil with a pellet composition according to any one of claims 1 to 12.
19. In Paragraph 18, A method for increasing soil organic matter content, characterized by treating the above pellet composition at a rate of 100 to 1,000 grams per square meter of soil.

Description

Pellet composition comprising biochar, neem cake and zeolite for soil environment improvement and method for manufacturing the same The present invention relates to an eco-friendly soil treatment material, and more specifically, to a pellet composition and a method for manufacturing the same, which uses biochar, neem cake, and zeolite as main components, sodium alginate and starch as binders, and includes sulfur components and bicarbonate to increase soil organic matter content, improve the soil environment (water retention, aeration, and cation exchange function), and create an environment favorable for suppressing the occurrence of pathogenic fungi in the soil. The expansion of continuous cropping and the lack of soil management lead to a decrease in soil organic matter, acidity imbalances, salt accumulation, and instability of the microbial ecosystem; consequently, the likelihood of diseases such as root rot, wilt, and blight caused by soil-derived pathogenic fungi, including Fusarium, Pythium, Phytophthora, and Rhizoctonia, increases. In particular, since the use of synthetic pesticides is restricted in organic and eco-friendly cultivation, a preventive approach that suppresses disease by improving the physical, chemical, and biological environment of the soil is important, rather than methods that directly kill the disease. To address these issues, soil amendments are being used. For example, biochar or zeolite-based soil amendments are being used; however, while these amendments can contribute to improving soil physical properties, their effectiveness may be limited in terms of suppressing disease outbreaks. Additionally, although neem cake-based soil amendments are being used, there has been a problem where their effectiveness decreases after a certain period following treatment due to a lack of diffusion and persistence within the soil. Specifically, Patent Document 1 (KR 10-2019-0018184 A) discloses a granular soil conditioner comprising biochar, peat moss, and coco peat, but has the disadvantage of lacking an effect to suppress disease occurrence. Patent document 2 (KR 10-1783809 B1) discloses a soil conditioner containing zeolite and Trichoderma microorganisms, but has the disadvantages of being difficult to maintain the survival rate and activity of the microorganisms and having low storage stability. Patent document 3 (KR 10-0760240 B1) discloses a method of directly spraying neem cake onto soil, but it has the disadvantage of generating a lot of dust and having low diffusion and persistence in the soil. Patent document 4 (KR 10-1670028 B1) discloses a liquid sulfur composition, but it is difficult to handle and store, and there are concerns about side effects due to the rapid release of sulfur from the soil. Therefore, the development of a soil conditioner capable of overcoming the disadvantages of such conventional technology is required. FIG. 1 is a process flowchart for manufacturing a pellet composition according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the cross-sectional structure of a pellet composition according to an embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention, which can be easily practiced by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains, will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. However, in describing the operating principles of the preferred embodiments of the present invention in detail, if it is determined that a detailed description of related known functions or configurations may unnecessarily obscure the essence of the present invention, such detailed description will be omitted. In addition, the same reference numerals are used for parts that have similar functions and operations throughout the drawing. In addition, when it is stated throughout the specification that a part is 'connected' to another part, this includes not only cases where they are directly connected but also cases where they are indirectly connected with other components in between. Furthermore, 'including' a component means that, unless specifically stated otherwise, it does not exclude other components but may include additional components. Hereinafter, a pellet composition for improving the soil environment comprising a biochar-neem cake-zeolite composite according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention and a method for manufacturing the same will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. <Preparation and Characteristics of Raw Materials> Biochar Biochar is a carbonaceous material produced by pyrolyzing lignocellulosic biomass or agricultural by-products under oxygen-limited conditions and has a porous structure. The biochar used in the present invention preferably has a specific surface area of 100 to 500 m² /g and a porosity of 50% or more. Biochar plays a role in adsorbing moisture and nutrients in the soil, providing a habitat