Patent ID: 6018909
Filing Date: 2000-02-01
Classification: A01B,E01C

Abstract:
A method of treating a soil profile to change the agricultural productivity thereof by changing the composition of the gas at a point within the soil profile, where said composition is different from the composition of atmospheric air, which comprises:(a) creating at a first location within said profile a gas pressure differential with the atmosphere above the soil, whereby gas is caused to flow through the soil profile, to thereby create a gas pressure differential with atmospheric pressure at said point, wherein the pressure differential at said point is less than the pressure differential at the first location;(b) measuring the composition of the gas at said point;(c) comparing the gas composition measured at said point to a desired reference gas composition; and,(d) controlling the duration of step (a) according to the degree to which the gas composition at said point approaches the reference gas composition, to thereby increase the fraction of gas constituents which enhance vegetative growth.