ARTICLES AND METHODS FOR ADMINISTERING CO2 INTO PLANTS

• US 20140187425A1
• Filed: 12/28/2012
• Published: 07/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Allen, Paul G., Caldeira, Kenneth G., Ferren, Bran, Gates, William, Hillis, W. Daniel, Hyde, Roderick A., Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Jung, Edward K.Y., Kare, Jordin T., Latham, John, Myhrvold, Nathan P., Salter, Stephen H., Tegreene, Clarence T., Tuckerman, David B., Weaver, Thomas A., Whitmer, Charles, Wood, Lowell L. Jr., Wood, Victoria Y.H.
• Granted Patent: US 10,015,971 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 504/116.1
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 7/02 Treatment of plants with carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 33/08 containing oxygen or sulfur
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 37/36 containing at least one carboxylic group or a thio analogue, or a derivative thereof, and a singly bound oxygen or sulfur atom attached to the same carbon skeleton, this oxygen or sulfur atom not being a member of a carboxylic group or of a thio analogue, or of a derivative thereof, e.g. hydroxy-carboxylic acids
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 43/16 with oxygen as the ring hetero atom
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 59/04 Carbon disulfide; Carbon monoxide; Carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/86 Carbon dioxide sequestration
• CPC Class Codes: C10B 53/02 of cellulose-containing material production of pyroligneous acid C10C5/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 30/00 Technologies relating to oil refining and petrochemical industry
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 60/20 Reduction of greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions in agriculture, e.g. CO2

Abstract

Methods and articles are provided for reducing the amount of water consumed by a plant over a period of time, sequestering CO₂, and producing electricity, where each method includes providing the plant with a composition including at least about 0.1 (wt./wt. or vol./vol.) % CO₂ and/or at least about 0.1 wt./wt. % of a composition that generates CO₂. An apparatus is also disclosed for providing the plant with a composition including CO₂ and/or a composition that generates CO₂.

Claims

1. A method for reducing the amount of water removed from soil by a plant over an interval of time, comprising providing the plant with a composition that is at least one of a composition comprising at least about 0.1 (wt./wt. or vol./vol.) % CO₂ or at least about 0.1 wt./wt. % of a composition that generates CO₂.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises removing a carbon-based photosynthate from the plant.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises monitoring the amount of water transpired from a plant.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising correlating the amount of water transpired by a plant with the amount of composition provided to the plant.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises monitoring the amount of water removed from soil by a plant.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising correlating the amount of water removed from soil by a plant with the amount of composition provided to the plant.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises adjusting the amount of the composition that is provided to the plant or the amount of carbon-based photosynthate that is removed from the plant.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the adjustment is based upon the amount of water removed from soil by a plant.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the adjustment is based upon the amount of water transpired by a plant.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the rate of transpiration by the plant is reduced over the period of time.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the composition comprising at least about 0.1 wt./wt. % CO₂ is in a condensed phase.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the composition that comprises at least about 0.1 wt./wt. % CO₂ is a fluid comprising CO₂.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the composition that comprises at least about 0.1 vol./vol. % CO₂ is a gas comprising CO₂.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the composition that generates CO₂ comprises the reaction product of an amine, or a salt thereof, and CO₂.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the amine is ammonia, a primary (C₆-C₃₀) alkyl amine, piperidine, morpholine, monoethanolamine (MEA), diethanolamine (DEA), methyldiethanolamine (MDEA), diisopropylamine (DIPA), aminoethoxyethanol (DGA), or a combination thereof.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the composition that generates CO₂ comprises a CO₂-precursor compound, or salt thereof, selected from citric acid, cis-aconitic acid, isocitric acid, oxalosuccinic acid, α

-ketoglutaric acid, succinic acid, fumaric acid, malic acid, oxaloacetic acid, and a combination thereof.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the composition that generates CO₂ further comprises an enzyme that catalyzes a conversion or a decarboxylation of the CO₂-precursor compound.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the enzyme is malate dehydrogenase, NAD-malic enzyme, or a combination thereof.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the composition that generates CO₂ further comprises a microorganism or fraction thereof having an enzyme that catalyzes a conversion or a decarboxylation of the CO₂-precursor compound.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the microorganism is a lactic acid bacterium.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the composition further comprises an excipient.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the excipient is selected from a fungicide, antibiotic, antiviral, pesticide, growth regulator, nutrient, anti-herbivore agent, fertilizer, stomata control agent and a combination thereof.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the excipient is a stomata control agent.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the composition is included within a fluid, gel, an aerosol, a solution, or a suspension.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein the composition is provided into the vasculature system of the plant or to the immediate proximity thereof.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein the composition is provided into the phloem or xylem of the plant or to the immediate proximity thereof.

31. The method of claim 1, wherein the composition is provided to the plant by injecting the composition into the plant.

32. The method of claim 1, wherein the composition is provided to a leaf or root of the plant or to the immediate proximity thereof.

36. The method of claim 2, further comprising increasing the quantity of the carbon-based photosynthate that is produced by the plant during an interval of time.

42. The method of claim 1, further comprising reducing the rate of absorption of atmospheric CO₂ by the plant during an interval of time.

44. The method of claim 2, wherein the carbon-based photosynthate comprises carbon derived in part from the composition that is provided to the plant.

45. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is at least partially automated.

55. The method of claim 1, wherein the plant is a tree.

58. The method of claim 1, further comprising

taking a first measurement of the amount of water removed from soil by a plant over a period of time;

providing the plant with a composition that is at least one of a composition comprising at least about 0.1 (wt./wt. or vol./vol.) % CO₂ and at least about 0.1 wt./wt. % of a composition that generates CO₂; and

taking a second measurement of the amount of water removed from soil by the plant over a period of time, wherein the second measurement is reduced relative to the first measurement.

59. The method of claim 1, further comprising

taking a first measurement of the amount of water transpired by a plant over a period of time;

providing the plant with a composition that is at least one of a composition comprising at least about 0.1 (wt./wt. or vol./vol.) % CO₂ and at least about 0.1 wt./wt. % of a composition that generates CO₂; and

taking a second measurement of the amount of water transpired by the plant over a period of time, wherein the second measurement is reduced relative to the first measurement.

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