turning now to the drawings , fig1 illustrates seven different constructions or profiles of carriers for seeds . the carriers protect the seeds and have a high water - holding capacity for providing moisture to the seeds . part ( a ) of fig1 shows a star - shaped profile providing five grooves for containing seeds . seeds 15 are shown in one of the grooves . part ( b ) shows an alternative star - shaped profile including a central opening 2 and several grooves for containing seeds 9 . part ( c ) illustrates another star configuration 4 with grooves for containing seeds 10 . part ( d ) shows a somewhat c - shaped seed carrier 8 containing seeds 14 . part ( e ) illustrates a seed carrier 5 that completely surrounds seeds 11 contained in the central opening . likewise , part ( f ) illustrates seeds 13 contained within a central opening of a disk - like carrier . the extruded carriers in parts ( a )-( f ) are generally cylindrical , in the sense that they have respective longitudinal axes , each matrix being uniform in transverse profiles taken along its longitudinal axis . the circular cylinders provide annular carrier surfaces for the seeds . the carriers with star - shaped profiles include projections or lobes that extend radially outward from the longitudinal axis , with the carrier surfaces disposed along channels or grooves between adjacent projections . finally , part ( g ) shows a hemispherical , shell - like construction 6 containing seeds 12 . carrier 6 is not extruded , but formed with a mold or other shaping device . such fertilizer carriers can be manufactured from waste materials such as sludge , from waste water treatment , starch or proteins from food processing wastes , or fibers and ash from wood milling operations or various furnace operations . the fertilizer carrier can also be formulated in a manner to fulfill the fertilizer requirements of a given market by the addition of ammonia gas or liquid ammonia during or before or after the processing , extruding and forming . other organic polymers , such as sugars and bloodmeal and starches , can be used to modify the pellet to produce an organic or semi - organic fertilizer . such pellets or carriers may not require high sterilizing temperatures to remove off odors ; thus , components may or may not go through complete melt phases during processing , wherein all or some or one of its components may change phase , thereby entering or proceeding into a glass transition phase which would then require heat and some pressure . the fertilizer carrier may be formulated using a gluing agent within the formulation so that , upon drying the pellet , the product would adhere to itself with all components being unchanged in phase except the gluing agent , which may go from a liquid or amorphous phase to a crystalline phase . the shapes and the final form of the fertilizer carrier can vary from a profile of extruded rod - like shape that is cut according to the requirements of the application , or the high moisture slurry may be formed to be deposited within a mold , which then is heated to about 200 ° f . and below 450 ° f . this would allow the fertilizer to be shaped in a manner to contain the seeds at a given location within a cup - like cavity . fig2 shows the process for forming the seed carriers , and for combining seeds with the carriers . premixed fertilizer in powder or granular form is loaded into a cooking extruder 20 through a hopper 34 . the material can be selected and processed as described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 08 / 561 , 376 filed nov . 21 , 1995 . that application , filed on behalf of the same inventor as this provisional application , is hereby incorporated by reference . material exits extruder 20 through a die 22 which determines the profile or shape of the seed carriers . cutting knives 21 determine carrier lengths , resulting in individual pellets or carriers as indicated at 23 . a conveyor moves the carriers to a high temperature dryer 24 . from dryer 24 , the pellets are transferred to a spraying and tumbling station 26 . a liquid gel or other adherent medium , preferably having low - water activity , is transmitted by a pump 27 from a reservoir 28 to a spray nozzle 25 . at the same time , seed from a hopper 29 is transferred into station 26 by an air blower 30 including a low pressure venturi zone 31 , so that seed particles are carried into the station . the seeds and the adherent medium tend to coat the individual seed carriers or pellets . after tumbling , the coated pellets are provided to a low temperature dryer 32 , and to a container 33 after drying . in an alternative embodiment process , a mold or other shaping device can be used in lieu of the extruder . the fertilizer can be made totally organic by the use of waste products from an organic source , such as lumber mills , or food or feed processing plants , or other such plants where the blood or feather or such components of the food industry are utilized in the complete formulation of the pellet fertilizer . such formulas can then be formed , cold or hot , from 125 ° f . to 450 ° f ., with pressures of 5 - 1500 psi and shaped into any of the outlined designs provided in previous figures , or similar shapes wherein the protective cavities can be provided for the protection of the seed against compaction damage . after the production and manufacturing of the fertilizer , it is dried to approximately 3 - 14 % moisture , depending on the stability of the pellet at a given moisture content and is then transferred to the coating process . the coating material in most cases is a liquid with various viscosities , ranging from 50 cp to up to a few million cp , depending on the method of application and adherence of seed to the groove surface of the pellet . the ingredients may include aqueous solutions of various hydrocolloids , such as pregelled starches , various gums and modified cellulose such as carboxyl methyl cellulose or a variety of such compounds , as well as sugars or compounds containing sugars from various sources , such as sucrose , fructose , dextrose , or maltodextrose . such products , and many others which contain liquids which are volatile at low temperatures and possess a low water activity of 3 . 5 at moisture contents of less than 15 % by weight , can be utilized . compounds which may be of volatile mixtures other than water can be used with organic or non - organic compounds which provide an adhesive characteristic to the pellet , and at all times possess a low water activity level to prevent the initiation of the germination of the seed , to be added in the next step of the process . the viscosity of the adhesive , whether organic or non - organic is not critical to the process . however , as the adhesive increases in viscosity , the application method of such products must be changed to fit the requirements of the adhesive viscosity . the ideal viscosity of the adherent has to be low enough ( 100 - 1000 cp ) so that it can be easily applied to the surface as well as the groove area of the pellet in a spray or atomized manner , followed by the application of the seeds in a tumbler . the coating or adhesive may be applied to the grooves , or the total surface , or to the area to which the seed must adhere and may be dried so that lower water activity is achieved , but the adhesive characteristics of the surface remain the same , and may even improved by lower water content . application of the seed to the sticky pellets is done via a venturi , which can spray the dry product onto a surface , or can be done by an applicator , whereby the seeds are deposited on the pellets as they roll by the applicator . once the seed is introduced to the surface of the pellet , the adherent causes the seed to adhere to the surface of the pellets at all of the exposed areas where the surface of the pellet comes in contact with the seed . the grooves where the seeds are affixed to the pellets remain as protective areas . the final pellets will contain most of the seeds within their grooves , while losing the rest of the seeds as the tumbler brushes over the adherent seeds exposed to the tumblers . alternatively the adhesive can be applied to the seeds , after which the seeds and pellets are combined . it should be noted that the relative size of the pellets to the seeds is limited and should not be ignored for best results . the seed must not be larger than 1 / 10 of the total size ( length and width ) of the pellet and 1 / 5 of the grooved area ( see fig1 ). other ratios of size and volume may work as well for some seeds due to their size and shape , which makes them more rounded on the edges and thus more easily positioned on the fertilizer pellet . the best results were obtained with the oval or elongated seed shapes , such as grass seeds with a 1 / 5 long size ratio to the length of the groove on the fertilizer . the smaller the size ratio of seed to the fertilizer , the larger the quantity of seeds which can be accumulated on the fertilizer pellet surface grooves . the size of the seed should not be too small . seeds with sizes smaller than 2 mm tend to accumulate on the surface of the pellet irrespective of the grooves or cavities . this reduces the protective capability of the pellet for the seeds , and thus increases the waste in the processing as well as increasing the number of seeds which don &# 39 ; t germinate after packaging and handling . in order to remove excess seeds of less than 2 mm in size from the surface of the pellets , more tumbling is needed during seed coating to remove the excess seeds . this , under some conditions and for some varieties of seeds , is detrimental to the viability of the seeds being carried on the surface of the pellet . another approach for the fertilizer to carry seeds is to produce the fertilizer in ribbon or tube form , in such a manner that the seeds are affixed at set intervals along or into the strip using whatever adhesive method is appropriate . in fig3 seeds 3 are shown at predetermined intervals along a carrier roll 6 . in part ( b ) of fig3 seeds 2 are shown arranged on a wider carrier strip 5 . this would allow the strip or roll to be placed on top of the soil with little or no soil cover , and yet would still prevent the seeds from blowing away or being damaged during handling or seeding . the ribbon would be produced using an extrusion system such that during the shearing and heating process , and in the presence of moisture , the biopolymers or any other water - soluble polymer mixture would go through a melt phase , forming a continuous matrix . this matrix may expand at the point of exit from the extruder die , thus forming a flexible matrix . the matrix further dissolves readily in ample amounts of water and releases its nutrients . in part ( c ) of fig3 seeds 1 are shown in a v - shaped groove of an elongate cylindrical carrier 4 . the foregoing biological package , including a carrier matrix , seed and adhesive for retaining the seeds , favorably combines seeds and fertilizer for agricultural and horticultural use . the package structure and manufacture also are well suited for a consumable food product , particularly food for birds and small mammals such as hamsters , gerbils , rabbits and guinea pigs . along with the similarity in structure and process , are several differences as follows . first , because the product need not have fertilizer value but must be biocompatible , there are differences in the material makeup of the carrier matrix . suitable materials for the matrices include organic polymers , particularly carbohydrates such as sugars , starches and cellulose . proteinaceous material also can be used , and is highly preferred for its nutritional value . suitable materials can be produced from many of the same biological waste sources noted above in connection with the fertilizer matrices , e . g . food processing waste including starches , proteins , sugars , bloodmeal and even feathers . thus , depending on the process wastes employed , a given carrier matrix can be a source of nutrition and fertilizer . grass clippings , garden cuttings and fiber and ash from lumber milling are usable waste sources , although generally less nutritious . suitable adhesives are substantially the same as in the fertilizer / seed application , although once again , biocompatibility is a paramount consideration in the food product . along with gums and gelatins mixed with water , fruit juices containing sugars , proteins or starches are particularly suitable adhesives for the food product . the biological particulate product can be seeds , as before . the seeds must be edible , but need not be viable . suitable choices include sunflower seeds , millet , and pine nuts . particles other than seeds are suitable as well , and include chopped nuts such as brazil nuts , chopped peanuts , and fruit pieces . although the resulting biological package can include a non - toxic but also non - edible carrier matrix , an edible matrix is highly preferred . aside from the reduction in waste when the matrix itself is consumed , the matrix further can be constituted to enhance the biological package , e . g . by improving its appearance and acceptability to the bird , improving digestibility , and by providing a more balanced overall nutrition . more specifically , given the relatively high fat content of certain particulates , e . g . peanuts , the carrier matrix can be formulated with a relatively high protein content and low fat content to counterbalance the peanut fragments and provide better nutritional balance . a suitable matrix in this regard can be formed according to a process and using a system disclosed in u . s . patent application ser . no . 08 / 648 , 485 entitled &# 34 ; hydrolyzed food product for animal consumption &# 34 ;, filed may 15 , 1996 now u . s . pat . no . 5 , 620 , 737 . thus in accordance with the present invention , a biological package provides protected carrier surfaces to which seeds or other biological particles can be bonded and thereby protected against damage due to impact . the package can provide a favorable combination of seed and fertilizer , in particular a fertilizer carrier matrix activated by exposure to water to provide nutrients to better ensure and enhance seed growth . alternatively , a favorable combination of foods can be present in a single package , e . g . bird seed in combination with a carrier matrix not only supporting and protecting the bird seed but enhancing acceptability , digestion and nutritional value . in either case , the manufacture of the biological package advantageously utilizes biological waste from a variety of sources such as food processing wastes , lumber milling wastes , garden cuttings , waste paper and waste water treatment sludge , thus enabling the recovery of a significant portion of these wastes for beneficial use .
this disclosure concerns affixing various seeds , such as grass seeds , to surfaces or cavities of specially manufactured fertilizer carriers formed into various shapes , e . g . star cross - sections , tri - lobe or multi - lobe profiles , or cup - like or similar cavity - containing shapes . this shape and the manner of manufacturing of the fertilizer provides grooves and cavities or areas to which the seed can be affixed to the fertilizer and protected against damage during shipping and handling . the fertilizer carrier also acts as a nutrient source for the seed while the seed is most vulnerable , i . e . during its emergence from the seed coat and the first few days after emergence . in an alternative construction , a carrier matrix formed of an organic polymer or proteinaceous compound is coated with seeds or other edible fragments to provide a food for birds .