Porter, Frederic E.; Kaerwer, Jr., Howard E.;

Anti-erosion coating of seeds

In the disclosed method, grass seed or the like is coated with an inner "sticker" coating to which is adhered discrete particles of water-activatable adhesive. The resulting seed is resistant to movement by wind and water after sowing or planting.

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What is claimed is:

1. A process for preparing plant seeds for planting comprising the steps of:

a. coating the seeds with a substantially water-free tacky film which will not activate a water-activatable adhesive,

b. contacting said tacky film with a dry, solid, particulate water-activatable adhesive which is not activated by said tacky film, said adhesive being capable of forming pseudoplastic, viscoelastic, pituitous water solutions in 1 weight percent concentration in water, at least 98% by weight of the particles of said adhesive being small enough to pass a 10 mesh screen; said contacting step being continued until (1) said seeds are covered with an adherent outer layer of discrete granules of said adhesive as the outermost layer of the coating on said seeds, and (2) said seeds are a dry, free flowing mass of discrete seeds.

2. A process according to claim 1 wherein said step (a) consists essentially of:

a. coating said seeds with liquid coating composition comprising a liquid-activated film-forming material capable of forming a normally tacky, substantially dry film after liquid activation, said film-forming material being contained in a liquid carrier which activates said film-forming material and

b. evaporating said liquid carrier until normally tacky, substantially dry films are formed on said seeds.

3. A process according to claim 2 wherein said liquid coating composition comprises:

i. a water-activatable adhesive capable of dissolving in water,

ii. a liquid carrier consisting essentially of water.

4. A process according to claim 3 comprising the steps of:

a. dissolving in ethanol a water-activatable adhesive comprising an ethylene oxide polymer,

b. diluting the resulting ethanolic solution with water to form a predominantly aqueous solution having an ethylene oxide polymer content of about 0.5-2% by weight,

c. contacting a mass of seeds with 0.1-10 parts, per 100 parts by weight of said seeds, of said predominantly aqueous solution, until each of said seeds is coated with a layer of said predominantly aqueous solution,

d. permitting the water and ethanol in said layer of predominantly aqueous solution to evaporate until said layer becomes substantially dry but still retains some tackiness,

e. contacting said substantially dry but tacky layer with 0.1-10 parts by weight, per 100 parts by weight of said seed, of dry solid granules of water-activatable ethylene oxide polymer adhesive.

5. A process according to claim 1 wherein said dry, solid, particulate water-activatable adhesive used in said step (6) is an ethylene oxide polymer having a molecular weight greater than 200,000.

6. A process according to claim 1 wherein said plant seeds are the seeds of a monocotyledonous plant.

7. A process according to claim 1 wherein the pituitousness of said pituitous water solutions is augmented with lignin derivatives.

8. A coated plant seed, said plant seed being coated with:

a. a substantially water-free inner sticker coating, bonded to said seed, the composition of said inner sticker coating being capable of being tacky in a substantially water-free state,

b. adhered to said sticker coating as the outermost coating on said seed, a particulate coating comprising a dry, solid, particulate water-activatable adhesive which is not activated by said inner sticker coating when said inner sticker coating is substantially water-free and tacky, said water-activatable adhesive being capable of forming pseudoplastic, viscoelastic, pituitous water solutions in 1 weight per cent concentrations in water, at least 98% by weight of the particles of said adhesive being small enough to pass a 10 mesh screen.

9. A coated plant seed according to claim 8, wherein said water-activatable adhesive adhered to said inner sticker coating is an ethylene oxide polymer having a molecular weight greater than 200,000.

10. A method of planting comprising broadcasting the seeds of claim 8.