Patent ID: 6564508
Filing Date: 2003-05-20
Classification: A01G,B05B,Y10S

Abstract:
A method of treating a plant or crop, comprising exposing the plant or crop to an aqueous treatment stream comprising at least one wetting agent and calcium hypochlorite in which exposing the plant or crop to the aqueous treatment stream comprises:generating an aqueous flow stream from water; introducing calcium hypochlorite into the aqueous flow stream to produce the treatment stream, the calcium hypochlorite producing hypochlorous acid, hypochlorite ions, calcium ions and hydroxyl ions when it is introduced into the aqueous flow stream, and the calcium hypochlorite being introduced into the flow stream so that the treatment stream has a calcium hypochlorite concentration of between about 17.38 and 34.76 ppm and a calcium ion concentration of between about 7.6 and 15.2 ppm, the velocity of the aqueous flow stream being selected so that the treatment stream reaches the plant or crop within about 0.29-13.4 seconds after the calcium hypochlorite has been introduced into the aqueous flow stream; adding the or each wetting agent optionally to the water from which the flow stream is generated or to the flow stream or to the treatment stream; and exposing the plant or crop to the treatment stream.