| 摘要 |
A drying agent for cut plants provides a basic pH of at least 11 in a solution and has properties of becoming at least partially insoluble at a pH no greater than approximately 13.4 in the solution. A mold-inhibiting agent is mixed with the drying agent and is provided with properties of remaining inactive until the occurrence of conditions inducing molding of the plant. The mold-inhibiting agent has properties of reacting with moisture under such conditions inducing molding to inhibit such molding. A waterproofing agent is mixed with the drying and mold-inhibiting agents and is provided with properties, at the pH of the drying agent in the solution, for providing for a passage of moisture from the plants while preventing drops or droplets of water from being reabsorbed on the plants. The waterproofing agent may be sodium methyl siliconate. A surface active agent may also be included. The surface active agent is active at the pH of the drying agent in the solution for acting on the surface of the petioles in the plants to provide for the penetration of the drying agent, the mold-inhibiting agent and the waterproofing agent into the leaves extending from petioles. The concentration of the surface active agent in the solution may be adjusted to control the wetting of the leaves on certain types of plants such as grass and plants of the peanut family. The surface active agent may be alkyl glucoside. The materials of this invention are applied primarily to various cut plants such as alfalfa, grass and plants of the peanut family. However, the materials of this invention may also be applied to grains such as wheat and kernels of corn where the ratio of the volume to the surface area is relatively high.
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