초록 ▼

Pasture grass and legume seeds are protected with an outer coating of insoluble fatty acid salts. The coated seeds are fed to ruminants and bypass their digestive tract. When the coated seeds exit the digestive tract in the manure, they provide ranchers a no-till broadcast technique to easily reseed

Pasture grass and legume seeds are protected with an outer coating of insoluble fatty acid salts. The coated seeds are fed to ruminants and bypass their digestive tract. When the coated seeds exit the digestive tract in the manure, they provide ranchers a no-till broadcast technique to easily reseed or improve pasture forage. Legume seeds are preferably coated twice, first with Rhizobia and then with the insoluble fatty acid salts. The Rhizobia coating will improve the legume rate of growth. Alternatively, discreet particles of Rhizobia can be coated with insoluble fatty acid salts and fed to the ruminants along with coated legume seeds.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A method for sowing seeds on a plot of grazing land comprising:feeding to a ruminant a seed coated with: a nitrogen fixing coating comprising a suspension of microbes capable of fixing nitrogen; and a protective substance that is substantially resistant to digestion in the digestive tract of the

1. A method for sowing seeds on a plot of grazing land comprising:feeding to a ruminant a seed coated with: a nitrogen fixing coating comprising a suspension of microbes capable of fixing nitrogen; and a protective substance that is substantially resistant to digestion in the digestive tract of the ruminant; andgrazing the ruminant on the plot of land. 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the seed is a legume seed selected from the group consisting of clover seeds, alfalfa seeds, pea seeds, lucerne seeds, soybean seeds, and vetch seeds. 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the seed is a grass seed. 4. The method of claim 1 wherein the protective substance is an insoluble fatty acid salt. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the ruminant is selected from the group consisting of cattle, sheep, buffalos, goats, camels, llamas, deer, antelope, elk, and bison. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the microbes are Rhizobia selected from the group consisting of Rhizobium trifolii, Rhizobium meliloti, Rhizobium leguminosarum, Rhizobium japonicum, and recombinant Rhizobia. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the microbes are Mycorhiza. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the protective substance covers the nitrogen fixing coating. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the protective substance is adhered to the seed with an adhesive. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the adhesive is gum arabic. 11. A method for sowing seeds on a plot of grazing land comprising the steps of:selecting a plot of land;selecting at least one ruminant for grazing on the plot of land;selecting a type of seed;coating the seed with a nitrogen fixing coating comprising a suspension of microbes capable of fixing nitrogencoating the seed with a protective substance substantially resistant to digestion in the digestive tract of the at least one ruminant;feeding the ruminant the coated seed; andgrazing the ruminant on the plot of land. 12. The method of claim 11 wherein the seed is a legume seed selected from the group consisting of clover seeds, alfalfa seeds, pea seeds, lucerne seeds, soybean seeds, and vetch seeds. 13. The method of claim 11 wherein the seed is a grass seed. 14. The method of claim 11 wherein the protective substance is an insoluble fatty acid salt. 15. The method of claim 11 wherein the seed is first coated with a suspension of microbes capable of fixing nitrogen, then coated with the protective substance. 16. The method of claim 11 wherein the at least one ruminant is selected from the group consisting of cattle, sheep, buffalos, goats, camels, llamas, deer, antelope, elk, and bison. 17. The method of claim 11 wherein the microbes are Rhizobia selected from the group consisting of Rhizobium trifolii, Rhizobium meliloti, Rhizobium leguminosarum, Rhizobium japonicum, and recombinant Rhizobia. 18. The method of claim 11 wherein the microbes are Mycorhiza. 19. The method of claim 11 wherein the protective coating is adhered to the seed with an adhesive. 20. The method of claim 19 wherein the adhesive is gum arabic. 21. The method of claim 19 wherein the protective coating is a powder of insoluble fatty acid salts. 22. The method of claim 21 wherein the microbes are Rhizobia selected from the group consisting of Rhizobium trifolii, Rhizobium meliloti, Rhizobium leguminosarum, Rhizobium japonicum, and recombinant Rhizobia. 23. The method of claim 21 wherein the microbes are Mycorhiza. 24. The method of claim 21 wherein the protective coating covers the nitrogen fixing coating.