Colorant for foliage of humic and/or fulvic acid, and dye

• US 7,431,743 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2004
• Issued: 10/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Australian Agricultural Chemicals
• Original Assignee: Australian Agricultural Chemicals
• Inventors: Hughes, Douglas John
• Primary Examiner(s): Douyon; Lorna M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KHAN, AMINA S
• Application Number:
  US10/552,428
• Publication Number:
  US 20060282961A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,650 Days
• Field of Search: 863/6, 855/0, 850/6
• US Class Current: 8/506
• CPC Class Codes: C09B 67/0073 Preparations of acid or reactive dyes in liquid form

Abstract

The invention relates to a colorant composition comprising humic acid and/or fulvic acid and a water soluble dye. The invention in particular relates to a colorant composition to be used for turf.

Claims

1. An aqueous green foliage colorant composition consisting of humic acid, fulvic acid, water and a water soluble acid blue dye.

2. An aqueous green foliage colorant composition consisting of humic acid, fulvic acid, water, a water soluble anionic acid blue dye, and optionally a water soluble fertilizer, a soluble surfactant and a source of iron.

3. The composition of claim 2 wherein the ratio of humic acid and fulvic acid to colorant is between about 50:

1 to about 1;

3 parts by weight.

4. The composition of claim 2, wherein said composition is in a form suitable for spray application to turf.

5. The composition of claim 2, wherein the source of iron is ferric EDTA.

6. The composition of claim 2, wherein the fertilizer is urea.

8. A method of imparting a colour to foliage, the method including applying a composition of claim 2 to the foliage.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the foliage is turf grass.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein between about 24 to about 120 g humic and fulvic acid and between about 1.5 to about 7.5 g dye are applied per 100 m2 turf grass.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the dye contains an organic acid group or a salt thereof.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the dye is a salt of a sulfonic acid.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the dye is selected from the group consisting of acid blue 62 (Sodium 1-amino-4-(cyclohexylamino)-9,10-dihydro-9,10 -dioxoanthracene-2-sulphonate);

acid blue 74 (Disodium 5, 5′

-(2 -(1, 3-dihydro-3-oxo-2H-indazol-2-ylidene)-1,2-dihydro-3H-indol-3-one)disulphonate);

acid blue 1(Hydrogen [4-[4-(diethylamino)-2′

,4′

-disulphonatobenzhydrylidene]cyclohexa-2,5 -dien-1-ylidene]diethylammonium, sodium salt);

acid blue 185 and acid blue 9 (Dihydrogen (ethyl)[4-[4-[ethyl(3-sulphonatobenzyl)]amino]-2′

-sulphonatobenzhydrylidene]cyclohexa-2,5-dien-1-ylidene](3-sulphonatobenzyl)ammonium or disodium salt) or mixtures of any two or more thereof.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the ratio of humic acid and fulvic acid to colorant is between about 50:

1 to about 1;

3 parts by weight.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein the water soluble fertilizer is present.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein the soluble surfactant is present.

7. An aqueous green foliage colorant composition consisting of humic acid, fulvic acid, water and a water soluble acid blue dye and additives selected from the group consisting of surface active agents selected from alcohol ethoxylates, phenyl ethoxylates and polyethylene/polypropylene block copolmers, and fertilizers selected from ammonia sulfate, formaldehyde, phosphate, potassium and urea.