Abstract
Cereal grains are ground, slurried in water below the starch gelatinization temperature. Bran, starch granules and protein are removed. .beta.-Glucan is precipitated and dehydrated with alcohol, screened and ground to become a white-colored product with a neutral flavor. The method recovers from 33 to 75 percent of the total natural occurring .beta.-glucan in cereal grains. The .beta.-glucan product is water soluble with purity ranging from 60-90 percent and exhibiting molecular weight of .beta.-glucan ranging from 4.times.10.sup.5 daltons to

Abstract
The subject is a novel apparatus for cultivating organovegetables, which includes an organic medium layer, a vegetable seeds paper membrane, a position-fixing membrane and an insect-proof screen membrane, and which is formed by laminating in order the organic medium layer, the vegetable seeds paper membrane, the position-fixing membrane and the insect-proof screen membrane. These components of the novel apparatus can be prepared into upright rolls which can be cut and applied according to the cultivating area. The novel apparatus is used in

The crowns of mature pineapples ready for harvest are treated with an aqueous medium containing sufficient amounts of a gibberellin to retard withering and senescense of the crowns. The medium is preferably applied to the crowns soon after the pineapples have been harvested. The pineapples treated in accordance with this invention retain a freshly harvested appearance for an extended period of time and make them ideally suited for sale in the fresh fruit market.

 

Abstract
A composition and a process for enhancing animal growth by orally administering the animal with the composition are provided. The composition comprises an animal feed and a yeast glucan wherein the animal feed can contain at least one starch-bearing substance such as, for example, grain meal; at least one protein-bearing substance such as, for example, fish meal; a fat-containing substance such as, for example, soybean oil; and the yeast glucan can be obtained from a yeast such as, for example, Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Abstract
This invention relates to a novel high nutrient containing organic fertilizer composition. More particularly, this invention relates to a high nutrient containing organic fertilizer which can be applied to vegetation in liquid form, for instance, in combination with water, by being sprayed through a hose-end type water sprayer. An organic fertilizer composition comprising: (a) a solid organic biomass which contains nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium; and (b) an osmotic attractant for water.

Abstract
A process of preparing a mushroom growth medium from a cellulosic material is provided in which the cellulosic material used in the solid-state fermentation process is chemically ammoniated. The chemical ammoniation step reduces composting time, particularly preconditioning time, while providing a compost and a mushroom bed material comparable to that achieved by commercial composting processes, which do not use ammoniated straw.

Abstract
There is provided a system for water quality control and improvement in intensive fish culture systems. The aim of the water treatment is to reduce the content of inorganic nitrogen and of organic matter. The system comprises a fish pond, a settling pond, a fluidized bed reactor and a trickling filter. The system according to the invention can be an essentially closed one, except for periodic water replenishment. It is suited for ponds with sweet or salt water.

 

The present invention is for natural pesticide compositions including methods for their preparation and use. The pesticide compositions of the present invention contain botanical extracts which exert enhanced pesticidal activity when combined with light.

A biostimulating substance, useful in agriculture, horticulture and microbial processes, is composed of acetic acid and a fossil humic substance containing solid humins and humic acid. A method for improving the biostimulating properties and stability of dispersions of fossil humic substances containing peat or lignite includes the step of mixing a fossil humic substance with acetic acid in an amount sufficient that the resulting suspension contains at least about 5 to about 25% by weight organic solids. The modified humic substance can be used as a biostimulant for enhancing plant growth and health and for increasing digestion of organic solids by microorganisms in sewage plants and similar facilities.